They have Saturday morning tours and can answer any questions you may have. You may reference www.cultivatedwithcare.org for upcoming events and open houses.

While on the tour, I found a flower that I enjoy pressing.

It is called “flower-of-an-hour” Hibiscus trionum and is a member of the Mallow family (Malvaceae). I remember this interesting plant from my bean-walking days as a teenager. The native plant from southern Europe was brought here as a pretty ornamental that has escaped from flower gardens to cropland, roadsides, construction sites, and vacant lots. It thrives in full sun and where the soil is bare and doesn’t have to compete with other plants.

When you look at this plant it looks like a plant that may command your respect. It has hairy stems and interesting fuzzy leaves and while the pretty turbine or balloon-shaped calyx also looks like it could inflict pain, there is no need to fear this plant. Looks are deceiving and it is soft and fuzzy.

The habit of the plant is decumbent — which means the plant form is sprawling and the ends of the branches reach upward. A single short-lived flower emerges from a stalk and is about two inches across when open and has five rounded cream colored petals. The petals have a pretty purple outline that contrasts against the neighboring petals. The color on the inside of the flower is a deep burgundy with pretty golden-yellow anthers.

The flower gets its name from the short span of time that it blooms on a sunny day and it only blooms once. The plant produces blooms from June to October. The calyx is a green outer covering that encapsulates the flower bud and then the seeds. The plant is an annual that reseeds itself and the seeds can remain viable in the soil for many years.

The flower self-pollinates and is also pollinated by bumblebees, however, butterflies and small bees visit for pollen and nectar. Some caterpillars also feed on the non-toxic foliage.

While I enjoy this plant, it is not a native plant and can easily populate. Flower-of-an-hour would not be welcome in a native garden planting.

If you have questions about your garden or landscape, contact us at the University of Illinois Extension office in Mattoon at 217-345-7034 or online at forms.illinois.edu/sec/1523725. Be sure to visit U of I Extension’s website extension.illinois.edu/ccdms, like the Master Gardeners’ Facebook page @ColesCountyMasterGardeners and Master Naturalist Facebook page @Praire’sEdgeMasterNaturalists.