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ID anyone?

Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
in Plants
Hi everyone, I'm back again to pick your mighty brains regarding yet another "mystery" plant I have. I bought it last year at discount type shop as erysimum Bowles Mauve and it shot up and flowered non stop for months. Such a wonderful thing it was that I decided to get a couple more this year, but was surprised to find these BM looked rather different. Popped online to check and turns out the original was NOT erysimum BM at all. I spent ages searching for id onlne with no luck. My sister is pretty hot on plant id but though she remembers it in a garden where she worked many years ago, she can't remember the name. It's driving us both crackers so I'm hoping someone here can put me out if my misery. I wasn't sure whether to cut it back or not so in spring ended up cutting about 3/4 if it so the photos are rather strange but hopefully the quite distinctive flowers will be recognised by someone! Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 30
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I agree with Scroggin, Diascia, Twinspur. Some are pretty hardy, but many are just frost hardy, so can over-winter if grown in a container or in a sheltered garden in free draining soil. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    It looks like  fiascos to me  but the leaves don't seem right
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    Oh my goodness! What a star! Quick look online and it's "diascia personata" which I've never heard of, not even by its common name "twinspur."  I'm so grateful, this is a wonderful plant and I'll now know what to look for to get another though it seems to grow from "cuttings" ridiculously easily. I've had a couple of stems break off in the same way penstemon do and I've literally stuck them in a planter of compost and they've taken! I can now go to sleep with the knowledge of another mystery solved by the forum team at gardeners world! Thanks a million!
  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    Thanks Borderline. This one is hard as nails it seems. It's against a SW facing wall where it seemssreally happy. We have quite strong winds from SW and it survived the "beast from the east" with no protection. Some stems had a little blackening which are the ones I cut back in spring and are growing well. Others were fine so not knowing what to do, I left them and they're starting to flower. I suspect if I'd cut it back in autumn it will flower early again but will do some reading up now I know what it is! My soil is very alkaline and quite heavy and when I planted it I just mixed in some compost. I've started using some grit for most new plants as it gets very wet at times but this plant seems totally fuss free. Thanks again
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