You don’t have to travel to the steppes of Russia to find this wild edible plant. “Cossack asparagus” is another name for the common cattail, sometimes called bulrush. There are probably very few people who don’t know what a cattail is or what it looks like. When mature, the cattail is easily recognized by its brown “hot dog on a stick” appearance. Technically, male and female cattail blossoms are flowers, but extremely small. When they open, the tiny female flowers are greenish but before long they turn into the familiar brown cylinder. Male flowers don’t hang around very long. They grow on a yellow spike that juts out of the top of the brown cylinder, and when their pollen is ripe, it drops on the female flowers below. Then the male flowers fall off, leaving the familiar hot dog-on-a-stick. There are even fewer people who know that the common cattail…
Author: Former Members
Overwintering Tropical Water Lilies
The beautiful water lilies that graced your pond with blooms this summer need special care this winter. They are tropical in origin and will not become dormant to survive our winters unless you live in Zones 9 or 10. There are several methods for over-wintering these plants. One will be just right for you! The key to successful over-wintering is the following: It is extremely important not to place the water lily into the pond before Mother Nature is ready for it. This means DO NOT place the plant into the pond before the water temperature is at least 70 degrees F even if the air temperature is high! Cold water will bring about the demise of the plant and negate your hard work and patience. The simplest and most successful way to insure survival of these tropical plants is storage in a greenhouse. There they will over-winter nicely in…
Poisonous Plants And Mushrooms In The Landscape
La Rochefoucauld said that “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” Nearly everybody in his or her life has had at least a small desire to get out of the fast lane and resort back to a simpler way of life. Not the least of these instincts are the pleasure of eating foods provided by nature and becoming, at least for a day, independent of the supermarkets. Edible wild plants and mushrooms grow in our woodlands, marshes, fields, pastures, and in our own landscapes. Some of the best tasting and healthy foods are available “free” for the eating, provided you know which plants and mushrooms are edible! One of our early cave dwelling ancestors encountered a pretty cluster of mushrooms on the ground and asked: What can I do with it? Will it feed me? Will cure my ills? An intrepid ancestor ate it and…