Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.

You probably thought I forgot but ... I didn't.

Posted Sunday, June 19, 2011, at 12:28 PM

Mystery plant identified?

In case you have not noticed, I don't like all my blog titles to be self-explanatory. But the picture probably lets you know it is about plants.

At our last garden club meeting, which by the way our next one will be this coming Friday, a member brought in a plant sample that someone picked up at the Carnton Plantation in Franklin.

We hypothesized that being in a garden from the 1800's it probably had a dual purpose, such as an herb and I think we were right. (Who's surprised?)

Anyway, my best guess is that it is a variety of St. John's Wort. If you Google the name and then go to "images" there is a slew of pictures and some of them resemble the sample.

The original person getting the sample described the flower similar to dandelions in the way they set seed. I think the flower on the right hand side might explain why they thought this.

The sample by the way is holding up fine. I put it in water and they seem to be doing well so I am hoping I can root them and as a result get a better look at them growing.

You can find numerous listings about how to grow and what the beneficial uses are, and here is just one http://www.superbherbs.net/StJohnswort.htm