This is the seed pod of Flower of an Hour. It's usually described as a weed. The flowers are short lived, but I like the seed pods, and the plants self seed modestly and thrive on neglect and abuse. I have even saved seeds and sown them in places where absolutely nothing else, but the really weedy weeds survive.

Hi Arey, does this pod flower or is the pod the final product? I like the look of the pod.
Duh...what a dummy, I just re read your post and saw that the flower is short lived. How long would that be, how many days, do you have a picture of one in flower?

Hi Arey
That is so very different I'm not sure if we have them in the UK or not but they look an interesting flower. :)
rgrds
broxandval Fishiedude

Hello Brox and Rosiemeadow

After checking I found that its correct name is Hibiscus Trionum. If you google Hibuscus
Trionum you'll find all sorts of pictures and references, most of which refer to it as a "noxious" weed. It gets gets its Flower of an Hour name because the blooms don't even last a day. It's also called Venice Mallow. If it came up in my yard the way Indian Strawberry or Poison Ivy does, I'd be calling it more than just "noxious". :D

It gets a lot of criticism for looling "ugly" after the blooms fade, so I suppose some people don't enjoy looking at seed pods.

I see you are getting some good use of your new camera. It does take some nice close ups. Nice and clear. Are you happy with it and did you use your telephoto lens for this one? ;)

Hi Arey
What is a weed ? , nothing but an unwanted flower that's all.
You grow what you want it's a free world :lol:
Weve sort of let our garden grow with whatever a bird poop's into it (you get some interesting plants growing). ;)
Weve even had shrubs turning up that way in the past :rolleyes:
rgds
broxandval Fishiedude

Hello Sabrillo and Brox

Sabrillo, I used my macro lens for the pod. The weather's been so dismal lately, day after day of gray overcast skies with mist and drizzle, that I haven't been able to experiment much with my lenses. When the weather clears, I'm going to go to the wildlife refuge with my telephoto lens and see what I can do. In the meantime I'm reading a book specifically written for my new camera, and trying to wean myself off the point and shoot side of the mode dial.

In automatic modes the camera overexposes as did my old camera (the 35 mm film ancester of this new one), and I'm beginning to think that what I regard as a good exposure some people would regard as underexposed.

Brox, if didn't try to exercise some control over grows courtesy of the bird poop, my backyard would be an impenatrable jungle of alde, juniper, holly and privet being smothered by virginia creeper and poison ivy, with pokeberry and nightshade growing on the borders.

Well, at least that way I'd finally be rid of the purslane and indian strawberry. :D

Hi Arey
That's why we employ a Gardener it's so much easier . Laughy Laughy Laughy
rgrds
broxandval Fishiedude ;)