This is the head of some kind of common thistle plant, just before the blossom emerges. It popped up in the back yard a couple of years ago. It's just a weed.
I will have to take a photo soon of our valencia orange tree, and the pear tree, with all the flowers blooming on them now. This is what I'm looking for this summer. Named from a city in Spain, the Valencia Orange is a Subtropical Evergreen Fruit Tree native to California. Originally from China and popularized in Spain, this super-juicy Citrus delight bears two crops each year and bears a late and long season. Once the Valencia made its way to Florida, it quickly became a Rutaceae family favorite among growers and thrives in nitrogen-rich, sunny settings. Known for its high-production and March-September harvest peak, the refreshing Valencia grows 3-inch diameter fruits with refreshing sweet-tart balance. The golden standard for orange juice, the Valencia Orange makes up almost 50 percent of the citrus grown in Florida groves! Sweet and nutrient packed, the Valencia Orange has a thin, tight rind with oil glands rich in fragrant essential oil. On the inside, you’ll find tender flesh full of sweet, juicy flavor. Note that the fruit is known to regreen, which means it reabsorbs chlorophyll when fully ripe, but doesn’t affect any flavor or quality properties. Growing up to 30 ft. tall, the Valencia Orange makes for a magnificent canopy of glossy, deep green leaves with fragrant spring orange blossoms worth stopping to admire. Treat yourself with a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice from your very own Valencia tree! I started really giving it lots of natural fertilizer last summer; like all-natural lemons, coffee grounds, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, and other scraps from compost material we keep collecting in the kitchen, and it really greened up and started looking alive. So I'm hoping for a good yield this year because of that. It has flowers all over it now.
My plant identifier app says that is called a “nodding thistle”, @Nancy Hart . Apparently similar to a scotch thistle. I found it interesting that thistles and artichokes are from the same family. My horse used to eat the purple Canadian thistle flowers back when I was a kid and we were riding through the woods.
@Yvonne Smith or someone.. is this a blooming cannon? Quite a few in our yard and I have not seen one in loong time.
I checked it with my plant identifier and it says it is a garden tulip. Not sure what you mean by cannon, but if you are thinking of cannas, they get 5-7 feet tall before they bloom in late summer, @Hedi Mitchell .
We have some Canna Lillys that have survived the dogs and our neglect. I'm trying to salvage whats left of them now.
Don’t forget that cannas are poisonous for dogs, @Marie Mallery . I lost a sweet little puppy because he chewed on my cannas. Usually the older dogs do not chew on them, but if your dogs are plant chewers, make sure they can’t get to the cannas. https://www.necps.org/the-poisonous-canna-plant/#
Oh my, thank you for letting me know that. Foxy was standing on one today, I guess I need to put a rush on the flower yard fence.
Here is another picture I found online that look similar to what you posted. My mom had some like that and some that were a pinkish red each spring.
I was kind of excited that aldis has some of its yearly plants for sale. I got a couple good sized peony roots, some siberian iris bulbs and some lilly bulbs. Not sure where I will go with them. Daughter said I tried by the pond already and the stuff did not make it. I have some cardinal plants that I wintered over that are said to like wet areas but now I am afraid. Not all the land over there is water level.
According to the Landlord, the elder man who lived here planted these. They are from the Lilly family. There are a few other growtths cant wait to see what they will be.