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If you live in Illinois you may well be saying those words. The Shoo-Fly plant is of the nightshade family and its Latin name is Nicandra physalodes.
This annual is sometimes called The Apple of Peru. Why? I don’t know as it sure does not look like an apple. Apparently in its native habitat of Peru its spherical fruit is edible, resembling a tomatillo.
This plant is a native of South America and was introduced to the United States as ornamental gardening plant.
In the old days this plant was grown to deter insects and I guess that is where it got its name. They used to mix the plant with milk and when the flies drank it they dropped dead.
It loves full sun, grows up to three feet in height, likes about twelve to fifth teen inches of space between each plant and has a beautiful blue-purple flower that blooms in the late summer and early fall. It has dark green leaves that resemble the same shape of the oak leaf.
This is truly an invasive plant so you will need to dead head it in order to keep it from dropping its seeds and heading all over your garden.
This is a plant that needs a lot of watering if you are going to enjoy its blooms and it is also a plant that should not be planted in your garden if you have young children since all parts of this plant are poisonous.
You can sow this plants seeds indoor about 6 weeks before your last frost or sow right into the ground after your last frost. The plants will transplant well. However, it does not do well in the wind.
This plant has gone crazy in the state of Illinois except in the NW part of the state.
You can collect the seeds from this plant by allowing the pods to dry on the vine and then catching them before they drop and that can be done by putting small mesh bags or cheese cloth around the pods so the seeds drop into the bags.
The flowers are lovely and the husk shape fruit that looks like a light green Chinese paper lantern will add some interest to your garden providing you dead-head the seed pods and do not allow them to take over your garden.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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