Thursday’s Show n Grow n Tell: This amazing beauty started when I found a piece of this purple plant laying on a side walk in the shopping/business district of Center City Philadelphia. The mother plant was in a large planter pot that an old church has on the side of their building. An alley road side. As I was walking to work last year I walked by the church and planter. The night before a city squirrel, other rodent, someone accidentally, or someone in the throws of a mental episode, snapped off a piece of the mother plant and left it laying on the sidewalk. And it had been walked on and looked bleak. I picked it up. When I got to the restaurant where I worked I put it in a glass of water. After my shift was over I clocked out and took my shoot with me. That was August 2025. The shoot remained in a large glass of water all winter on my eastern facing kitchen window ledge, and it remained in the water until June of 2026. In June I dug a hole in an old pot that held bearded irises. Without thinking about dirt or old rhizomes from the irises I just put the shoot into the pot and said “Much luck to you. I can’t help you any longer.” The little shoot must have heard me because it thanked me for everything by busting out this beautiful purple display. A display that almost looks like there are purple winged birds just flying in and out of the bearded irises tall green leaves. I will miss this plant when I’m forced to move. A woman across the street from me purchased the pot and plant for $20.00. On her side of the street it now gets even more amazing morning sun so she should see some amazing bearded irises next spring too.
