Plant ID help needed

May 14, 2015 1:18 PM

I'm curious to know what this plant is - it's growing in an alley in Washington, D.C.
posted by ryanshepard to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Spider wort? Tradescantia - usually in blue, but if you do an image search it also comes in pink. Pretty, especially for a weed/wildflower.
posted by ldthomps at 1:21 PM on May 14, 2015

Looks like Sweet William.
posted by purple_bird at 1:22 PM on May 14, 2015

It's a Dianthus barbatus, escaped from somebody's garden or flower box.
posted by lydhre at 1:27 PM on May 14, 2015

Thanks, purple_bird and lydhre - I'm curious because it seems to be thriving in the worst possible soil and partial shade. Filing this away for future gardening in less-than-optimal conditions.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:34 PM on May 14, 2015

Also Sweet William smells lovely imo, spicy and sweet. And it grows back on its own... I should plant some!
posted by purple_bird at 1:37 PM on May 14, 2015

I was given a bunch of these flowers for my birthday last year and they seriously lasted for four or five weeks until I didn't want to look at them anymore and threw them away. They probably would have been fine for at least a few days to a week longer. Very hardy things.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 1:47 PM on May 14, 2015