It’s the season of blooms — and the season of mutants. Greengirls readers have sent some very interesting photos of their garden variety mutations. We have no explanations for these abnormalities but perhaps some of you do.

Confused clematis, photo courtesy of Melissa C.

Purple… er… a… green cone flower, photo courtesy of Peter K.

Do you have a mutant in your midst? Send a photo our way jchismar@startribune.com.

GG’s starting off this holiday week with a little with a Monday mystery. For those of you unfamiliar with the northwestern ‘burbs, Plymouth is home to more than strip malls. It’s got great natural curiosities like French Lake Park and great garden curiosities like this yellow flower plant found in Ms. Sal’s yard.

She writes:
The yellow flowers are the size of a dime and hang upside down on 3 foot tall stalks. Leaves are burgundy in color and flowers are strong root spreaders. This flower has been passed from neighbor to neighbor and no one can identify it — Even my master gardener friend didn’t know what it was!

Master gardener — Bah! We GGs have faith in our readers and their resourcefulness. If you are the first to correctly identify this puzzling Plymouth plant, we’ll send you a pretty sweet prize. If you grow this plant in your garden, please tell us more about it!

A good girlfriend send me this photo. She has a shady back yard and is always on the look out for unusual and shade tolerant plants. She spied this little beauty near the cabin she and her hubby were renting for the weekend.

“I must have this plant, Greengirl. It grows in shade!”

I’ve seen it around, but I can’t seem to place the name with the plant. What’s your best guess? The first reader with the correct answer (and valid email address) will get a mystery Greengirls surprise!

(Note to previous winners; Please give other gardeners a chance to chime in first.)

When the boyfriend first bought his house, he dabbled a bit in the yard, but most of his home improvement mojo was focused on more urgent matters indoors. (Oh, curse you HGTV and the plague of sponge painting you unleased on the American home!) Though not much to look at, the yard does have a few interesting perennials and, as my attentions shift from gardening to landscaping, I’ve made it a point to learn more about them.

Barely a foot tall with little yellow flowers, this plant is a serious head-scratcher. Try as I might, I cannot idenify it. As I walk out to the compost bin, it often catches my eye.

“What are you?”

It smiles, smug and silent in the shade of the garage.

“Do you know what this is? Does it look like anything you’ve ever seen before?” Everyone who comes to the house is subjected to this plant pop quiz. I’ve gotten no answers, only puzzled looks.

So, what’s your best guess? The first reader with the correct answer (and valid email address) will get a mystery Greengirls surprise… No, it’s not a free subscription to the Star Tribune.