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| I got a small queen of the prairies plant and have been trying to get it to grow larger. Last year, I got one and planted it and it died. Part of the problem is that I planted it in the water. It is not a bog plant.
This year, I planted it in a container and it seems to be growing slowly. One issue is that the stems are really fragile. They break so easily. This is not like the adult plant at all. My wife said that plant's leave looks like a cannabis. After googling the image, I realized that it does look vaguely like cannabis. I hope that they have sent me the right plant and cops aren't going to break down my door. Paul |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If you're referring to Filipendula - *moisture* is the name of the name. Mine were toast - I couldn't keep up with the watering. Were lovely before they crisped though. (were planted in the ground) Is the soil in your container straight potting soil or a mix of regular soil and potting mix? If it's straight potting mix, I doubt the plant is being kept moist enough and that is why the growth is slow. I never plant in straight potting mix, I always mix ~50:50, as straight potting mix dries out very quickly and is difficult to thoroughly saturate if completely dries out. |
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| I got a couple divisions of Filipendula rubra at a swap 4 years ago. It is now a ginormous patch and is getting ready to bloom. It is really a spectacular plant in bloom! Mine is growing in a rich mesic bed with other wetland plants, and I try to give them extra water during a dry spell, and mulch and compost. Its native habitat is wet meadows and prairies, and it does like moisture. It's spreads by runners and is quite aggressive when happy. Guess it doesn't like growing IN the water though. One note - last year I gave the Queen of the Prairie a haircut, and trimmed back about half of the blooming stalks, like I do to Monarda, Asters, Helianthus, etc. Figured it would get bushier and shorter blooms. This was NOT a good idea. The blooms were gone, they did not send off side shoots. I don't find the stalks to be particularly thin or weak. Also I don't think it looks like Cannabis, but Cleome does! |
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| Althea cannabina and Datisca cannabina look very similar to cannabis. |
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| The soil is just standard potting mix, but I use a big container and I flood it every day so that it remains moist. When I got the plant, it was essentially a plug so the stems are very thin and prone to breakage. I guess it's not clear to me how quickly they grow. Paul |
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| Just had another thought - if it's in straight potting mix (which is nutrient-poor) and you're watering it every day, it probably doesn't have enough nutrients to support good sturdy growth. It's just not the same as growing a plant in the ground - which is why I add a fair amount of regular soil to my potted plants, for the nutrients and the microbial activity. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 9, 12 at 9:52
| mine has been in the family going on 45 years .. moved it to every house i owned ... it is not aggressive.. it rarely holds itself up.. and frankly.. i am surprised that someone has a thriving patch.. lol .. whatever they do.. they are doing it right ... my description is based on 3 gardens.. from straight dry mineral sand.. to highly amended MI peat type soil.. and something in between ... IMHO ,... you cant kill it.. but for TOO MUCH LOVE.. but it is not aggressive .. terrene ...can we see a pic of the patch???? ... ppplleeaassssee!!!! ken |
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| Just for you Ken, cuz you ask so nicely! Haha Went out this morning to take some pics anyway, it's a lovely Sat. mroning with a muted sun and hazy cloud cover. Good conditions for taking pics. It's budding out. Looks like it's going to be a nice bloom this year. Filipendula rubra, growing next to Monarda and Lobelia cardinalis. The QOTP and Monarda are both spreading into the neighboring perennials.
This pic is from 2009. It was a very wet and rainy season that year, and the Filipendula blooms were over 6 feet tall. Guess that's what makes it "Queen" of the prairie. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 9, 12 at 12:35
| who knew.. it could be so aggressive ... thank you ... but i gotta say.. i was wondering if it was a different QOTP than i have.. lol ... is it seeding??? .. or stoliniferous???? [underground runners] .. i dont think i ever saw or ID'd a seedling ... in my gardens ken |
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- Posted by thisismelissa z4a-S Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Sat, Jun 9, 12 at 20:26
| Mine is EXTREMELY aggressive. Fortunately, it's in a raised bed. It has crept into my iris, shasta, turtlehead and everything else in that bed. The first year, I thought it was dead. The second year, it was a modest 1-2gallon size. The third year, it was a 2 foot wide patch with stems 5' tall and not at all prone to breaking. It prefers part sun and lots of moisture. Perhaps you've got bad stock? |
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- Posted by Donna.in.Sask 2b (My Page) on Sat, Jun 9, 12 at 23:01
| I've got the aggressive one too; I have it in partial shade and moist conditions. It has very strong stems and they never fall over. I practically need a machete to cut them down in the Fall or Spring (depending on when I do cleanup). I seem to remember there was Queen of the Prairie and another one called Queen of the Meadow. I think meadow may be the shorter plant. The one problem I have with mine is that in the late summer the bottom of the leaves start to brown up...I wonder if it's a fungal problem? |
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| Ken, maybe you have another species? Filipendula rubra is stoloniferous - and can run quite a distance seeking conditions it likes. Mine has stayed in its patch, just expands every year. Have no idea how to start it from seed. 2 years ago we had a very dry summer, and we had watering restrictions. I didn't water it much, and it dried up into a crispy mess. It just went dormant though, obviously didn't die off as you can see. Since then though, I mulch that bed more heavily. Paulsiu, if you have F. rubra, I don't really think it's suited to growing in a pot. It's a large, commanding perennial, and flowers look best in a mass. Plus container culture is a very different environment from growing in the ground. You could check out the container gardening forum. |
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| I read somewhere that it spreads 1 foot a year in all directions if it's in a place it likes. Mine were a bit slow to establish, but should have a good show this year. I think they look like cotton candy and stay in bloom for awhile during our dry summer weather. Corrine |
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| I have Queen of the prairie for several years and mine has never spread. I thought last year heatwave might have done it in but it looks healthy and is blooming. Its not even close to what terrene looks like. I don't think it gets that tall in my area. |
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