#spiny wood fern

[pnwnativeplants]

Dryopteris expansa or spiny wood fern © 1995 Saint Mary's College of California

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

A heavy and long-lasting rain in early spring is a perfect chance to take a look outside and see what’s coming up!

Allium stellatum (pink/starry onion) and Carex plantagenia (plantainleaf sedge) just hanging out like winter never happened.

Allium canadense (Canada/meadow garlic), Allium schoenoprasum (wild chives), Aquilegia canadensis (Canada/red/wild columbine), Astragalus canadensis (Canadian milk vetch), and Campanula rotundifolia (harebell) coming up happily.

Several plants with red leaves beginning to turn green again. Lots of buds preparing to open. The evergreens are, well, green. And I swear my Mahonia repens (creeping Oregon grape holly) and my Arabis alpina (Alpine rockcress) actually grew over the winter. Not terribly surprising as I recall seeing the thick rhizome of my baby dying sunflower the winter after I planted it, showing in an exposed area and very much alive (certainly not dying now lmao).

I am, of course, always a bit nervous for the new plants I put in last spring and summer. The winter always leaves a couple of casualties, but invariably I find that the vast majority make it just fine. I already know my Allegheny blackberry, lingonberry, prickly currant, spiny wood fern, kinnikinnick/bearberry, toothed wood-fern, blanketflower, witch-hazel, wild hydrangea, northern bayberry, and rock polypody made it. It’s rare for those plants which have established themselves for over a year not to make it, so I’m pretty confident in those that made it the winter before and into summer.

For the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see. It is quite early after all.

[emperornorton47]

Spiny Wood Fern

[fatehbaz]

It is early February in the west of Ireland, and there is the faintest warmth on the sea breeze coming over the bogs. But this is only a lull: winter storms will soon come back with fury. I turn down the bóithrín (country lane) and hop an old drystone wall into scrubby hazel trees. Like most trees out here, they are stunted and windswept. But the muddy ground slopes down from the road, and as I head west, soon there are curving oaks covered in lichens, mossy granite boulders, and tangles of holly and bramble [...]. As the land falls away, the oaks get bigger, sheltered by the deepening valley, and then there are tall pines and boulders the height of houses [...]. 

But this is a mere sleight of the land, an illusion created by standing deep in small woods. Despite its lush and green image, only 2 percent of Ireland is native woodland, and all of it is in small fragments, like this eighty-acre remnant.

In the millennia that followed the last ice age, a great wood covered Ireland. The country’s folklore is populated by mythical warriors like Fionn mac Cumhaill, who was raised in secret in the forest of Sliabh Bladhma. His [...] tribe, the Fianna, roamed the great oak woods and were compared to a wolf pack.

But from the Stone Age on, waves of settlers cut, burned, and grazed the forests. The climate grew wetter too, and great bogs formed. The woods slowly withered and died. The last of Ireland’s great oak forests were gone by the end of the seventeenth century. 

But pockets of this ancient forest linger: on coastal headlands, on old country estates -- which never faced the same pressures as the land outside -- and in remote valleys, like the one [...].

These are among the last remnants of temperate rainforest in Europe.

Throughout the year, the Gulf Stream brings warm, moist air from the Caribbean up Ireland’s west coast, which would otherwise be as cold in winter as Labrador. The humid, oceanic woods of western Ireland and Scotland are some of the richest habitats in the world for mosses and liverworts [...].

I find one of these species, the tender liverwort Plagiochila spinulosa, growing thickly on a boulder of pink granite. I crouch down with my hand lens: Plagiochila is simple and fragile, its spiny yellow-green leaves just one cell thick. All around me, polypody ferns sprout from trees, and bright green lungwort lichens flake off hazel trunks. On the dark bellies of streamside boulders, tiny filmy ferns, thin and translucent, tremble and shine like slices of green glass. [...]

In some old Irish stories, wolves that denned in caves were seen as entering and exiting the otherworld. 

But there are no wolves left here; the last packs were hunted to extinction in the eighteenth century. Brown bears were driven to extinction over two thousand years ago. Wild boar and lynx are gone too, as are great auks, capercaillies, bitterns, ospreys, woodlarks, and at least 115 other species this country has lost.

“Here on the island of Ireland, we live in ghost-land,” the Irish environmental journalist Ella McSweeney said recently, “marked not by what is around to see and hear, but what is not.” She was speaking at a debate on rewilding, [...] and with it some of its former wild inhabitants. But this feels a far-off vision, given that so many of our surviving species (curlews, corncrakes) and habitats (raised bogs, wildflower-rich meadows) now cling to the precipice of extinction too, driven by a mix of agricultural intensification, sprawling development, intensive forestry, and peat extraction.

The once relatively rich habitats that slowly replaced the great woods over millennia -- large stretches of mountain heath, blanket bog, and pasture -- are now fading too.

So, Ireland’s ghost-lands grow.

-------

Lenny Antonelli. “In the Ghost Wood.” Orion Magazine. 2 March 2021.

[hunnybonny]

Some people don’t realize that the weeds you pick from your gardens or the wild plants you find growing in the woods may be able to be eaten! In fact, quite a few of them have very similar nutrition values to that of popular “superfoods!” This is just a compilation of weeds that I’ve learned are edible in some form or another. It’s not meant to be a field guide, so if you’re unsure what some of these look like, please look them up. Unless you’re sure you’ve identified something correctly, avoid eating random plants. I hope this can help someone, somewhere. Keep growing, pals!

dandelion

purselane

clover

lamb’s quarters

plantain (the long green tiny stalks, not the banana-like tropical fruit)

chickweed

mallow

pigweed

yellow dock

sheep sorrel

wood sorrel

garlic mustard

violets

nettle

fireweed

bull thistle (remove spiny thorns before eating)

creeping charlie

forget-me-nots

harebells

field pennycress

coneflowers

kudzu

peppergrass

pineapple weed

pickerelweed

mullein

shepherd’s purse

tea plant

toothwort

teasel (avoid spiny hairs)

wild grape vine

wild bee balm

herb robert

mayapple

joe pye weed

knapweed

stickyweed

cattails

blue vervain

common yarrow

common sow thistle

coltsfoot

fern leaf yarrow

henbit

crimson clover

evening primrose

downy yellow violet

daisy fleabane

japanese knotweed

milk thistle

new england aster

supplejack vine

alpine strawberries

barberry

If you know of any more, please feel free to reblog and add more! I know this isn’t all, but this is all I had in my personal notes so far. I’ll update it when I learn of more!

[talesoftooah]

You are not alone

Swooping headlights cross the forest edge

And settle on two lonely figures

A blood-red stop sign

The ardent warden, forest guide

And the tree that shelters it

Spindly trunk and brittle branches

Stretching like a skeleton

Spreading out its hands

And the ferns obscure the dark sky

But through the roof of leaves

Shine two pinpoint stars

And as you crane your neck to see them

Something stirs within the trees

Eyeballs blinking in reply

From heights no man could reach

And the branches turn to fingertips

The brush begins to creep

As the pairs of eyes look upwards

Mimicking your own

The pinpoint stars are moving now

The wood lets out a groan

As a black skull rises overhead

Over your car it leans

And with spiny bone white fingers

It rips you at the seams

Inspired by the artwork of Boris Groh

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Aelzo

[thefearinyoureyes]

Excerpt from future novel

In her dream state, Ivory found herself at the tree line of a dark and looming forest. She heard movement in the trees that piqued her interest. She suddenly found herself pushing through branches and ferns that lined the forest floor. The smell of pine mixed with ash filled the air. The further she went in, the louder the commotion became. As well as the stronger the scent of burnt wood presented.

The trees seemed to part for her as she walked through the wood. Flowers of every color kissed her cold legs providing an ounce of warmth in the late November night. Breaking branches and whistles of wildlife echoed, accompanying the distant screams. Her fingers trailed the rough texture of bark. Sandpaper against her skin. A stark contrast from the tickling of the petals at her feet. Upon the top of the hill, images of smoke forged themselves into a wall. All senses blinded, she stumbled through the mass pulling her sweater over her nose and mouth. At the edge of the grey cloud her ears rang at the shrill screams of some creature. It definitely wasn't human. Her skin started to heat up like a summer day in Death Valley.

She hid behind a large tree and poked her head out from the side. Scaled and chained, a reptilian creature spewed fire from its mouth, scorching the the chains until they glowed a molten red. Her feet moved before her mind had the time to process her actions. She walked and stood before the creature as it beared it yellow teeth. Her breath hitched in her throat as it lunged forward. However, she did not falter her stance. Much like the origins of her name her disposition was hard and secure.

She reached her hand out to lay her fingers on the spiny sheath that covered its skin. When she made contact, the beast propelled itself towards her. Sending a blast of fiery blaze in her direction. As the she was engulfed by flames her eyes shot open.

"Dragons."

[minhoandthebabes]

Chapter 1

Today was the worst day of Kibum’s life. Work had been awful, school even worse, and now he was lost in the woods, praying he would get out quickly so he could get started on his homework for the evening.

After work, about an hour before he got lost, Kibum had chosen to blow off some steam by heading to a nearby temple, knowing it would clear his thoughts if only for a moment. On the walk over he tried to think of anything other than the complaining customers who insisted everything had been his fault even though he was only taking orders and not making the mistakes that came with production. Working the register definitely had its downsides when it came to customer service. The sun was low in the sky, warming Kibum through his collared shirt as he ascended the hill up into the mountains where this temple lay. The air was humid and dense, it was clearly the height of the summer and the only thing to break the heat would be the cool breeze and crisp air of winter that was to be enjoyed in later months.

As he was walking around the old structures, he took note of the shockingly paint despite the tattered appearance that only comes with age. However, on these buildings, their age began to show a long time ago between the hot summer sun and the windy winters, the fresh would only last for so long making their hundreds of years look like a million. However, as soon as Kibum stepped inside, he was greeted with untouched, ornate beauty, naturally vibrant compared to its exterior.

How did Kibum get lost? As usual, it was his own doing, his own curiosity that compelled him to leave the temple’s organized campus.

Kibum exited one building, slipping on his shoes that had been hastily left at the entrance. He was disappointed with how they restricted his feet once they were on him. He chose to stay outside, hoping to avoid taking off and putting on his shoes again. The gardens outside the temple were beautiful enough in their untamed beauty. It was as if the garden had been left behind by some knowledgeable gardener that knew the garden could tame itself without him. It was overgrown, but not unnaturally so.

The gardens were illuminated by the setting sun, the golden hour; the last gift the sun gives us before it turns in for the night, its light illuminating the world in a golden glow. As he walked, something caught his eye. Down a seemingly unused path, Kibum saw a glimmer in the distance, something he couldn’t ignore. He stepped forward, willing to brave the leafy trail, attempting to avoid the various bushes and trees that seemed to be trying to conceal the path from prying eyes,

As Kibum walked deeper and deeper into the wood, a bright flash caught his eye which mellowed to a soft blue glow took over the golden pools of light the sun had been forming. The light came from the right of the path, but it didn’t seem to be that far off. After judging the distance, Kibum chose to follow the blue light, his curiosity itching at the back of his mind as he continued forward. The closer he got to the spot he swore he saw the light, he felt the woods themselves attempting to prevent him from getting any further. The vines seemed to wrap around his ankles, holding him back, while thorny bushes surrounded him. When Kibum turned around to see if he could get back to the path easily, he realized he was completely and utterly lost. He couldn’t see the sloping roofs from the temple any longer, he could barely see what was left of the sun as thick trunks and crowded underbrush was working hard to conceal it from view.

Kibum kicked the ground in frustration, annoyed he had let himself get this lost. Thank god it was Friday or else he’d be really pissed. His only interrupted plans were working on homework before the start of the busy weekend. As he peeked behind the trees, he tried to backtrack, following what he could see of the blue coastline. It was difficult to tell where island ended the water began. Kibum was lost in thought when he heard a bang behind him and the voice of someone else.

“I swear to the gods Jinki, you have no idea what you’re doing!!”

The voice, it sounded like a man’s, and it was clearly close to him. Gaining courage, Kibum started to head towards where he had heard the voice. He felt better knowing that someone must have been trapped like him. The closer he got to the source of the voice, the more the forest tried to stop him. His legs were beginning to get cut up and he stumbled over ferns he swore he hadn’t seen until they were underfoot. It was as if the world wanted him to be separated from the other man.

Kibum spotted a clearing in the distance, the only time he had seen less foliage since being near the temple. As he approached it, the world grew dim, the sound of birds chirping disappeared to make way for an eerie silence. Feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand, Kibum trudged forward, trying to fight the strange feeling of doom. The closer he got, Kibum noticed a structure and a man standing in front of it. Assuming he was back at the temple, Kibum grew more eager to get out of the woods. He fought the underbrush, yet one spiny bramble left a deep gash on his shin, cutting through both his pants and his skin.

Standing in the clearing, Kibum could now see that the structure was an old-fashioned house and more importantly, the man he had seen was nowhere to be found, yet a dog was yapping at his feet, growling as threatening as a tiny puppy could.

While the house wasn’t a temple, it surprisingly appeared to be similar in age. The only thing it was missing was an element of upkeep. It looked as if it hadn’t been painted in hundreds of years, and the outside was growing a thick layer of moss in some places.

As he walked around the outside of the tall wall that guarded the house, he was soon greeted with loud, high-pitched barks coming from just beyond the wall. Kibum got on his toes and peered over the wall to find a short white dog that was growling as threateningly as possible at him. The dog didn’t scare him, in fact, it was quite the opposite. The puppy had one ear that stood straight up while the other flopped over and bounced with every bark, endearing Kibum to it. He backed away so he could find an entrance to the yard through the solid wall, walking along the overgrown edge.

He could hear the dog following him on the other side of the wall, sniffing him out as he rounded the next corner. It didn’t help that he started to feel the blood dripping down his leg from the sizable gash. Upon finding the opening, Kibum ran up to it, eager to get help from whoever lived in the large house ahead.

As soon as Kibum set foot in the yard, the dog from earlier began growling. Kibum, who had owned dogs in the past, understood that this dog was just trying to protect his home. In hopes to calm him, Kibum got on his knees and held out his hand for the dog to sniff, trying to show him he wasn’t an intruder.

The dog curiously sniffed the hand and a pink tongue appeared to lick his hand. Kibum chuckled, “Hey little guy..” he said in a cute voice, rubbing the puppy’s head. “Well, you’re not threatening at all, are you?” he added, running his fingers down the back of the small dog to scratch him where his own dog liked to be scratched, just behind its haunches.

The puppy was still relaxed with Kibum, but seemed to growl at his comment, as if he were responding in his own language. Kibum continued to pet the dog, letting the creature into his lap so his pets were more comfortable as he looked at the house above. The building looked as if it were one of those models he would visit on field trips as a kid. It was of the Joseon era, that was obvious, but certain parts were strange. Instead of the dusty yard that he had been so accustomed to seeing, he was met with soft, thick, moss that squished under his sneakers and thick ferns that seemed to conceal certain portions of the house.

There were bits of the house that had lost their plaster, exposing thick logs underneath, and the paper doors had punctures in them. Oddly enough, one look singed, as if a flame had come too close and started to form a dark brown circle where there should have been pristine white paper.

Kibum moved to stand but fell back on his butt from the weight of the dog that didn’t seem to want to leave him. As soon as he fell, one of the doors to the right of them opened, making a loud clattering sound that easily pulled Kibum’s attention towards it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A deep voice said. To Kibum’s ear, it sounded angry and commanding like he was talking to the dog and not him. Almost on cue, the dog jumped off of his lap and jumped up onto the veranda to stand behind the man who crossed his arms and looked down at the dog with frustration.

Kibum glanced up, not expecting the tone of voice and was, not surprisingly greeted with an annoyed face. The man before him looked like a porcelain doll, his skin had no blemishes, no pores, no nothing, and Kibum found himself staring uncomfortably long. He wanted to ask the man what products he used, or if he was just some natural beauty, but the opportunity was lost as Kibum felt he had been staring far too long to strike up an awkward conversation.

It was only when the man started to move that he looked down and noted his old clothes. The clothing seemed to match the house he was living in. He wore a hanbok that was obviously for just around the house. It was made out of thin cotton and had no defining features besides its blue color.

The man looked at him with curiosity that felt to be scrutinizing. “How did you find this place?”

Glancing up at the man’s face again, Kibum swore he noticed something strange, something that was out of the ordinary that he couldn’t ignore. Ears.. This man had pointed ears. That, and his tall slender frame were both things Kibum found strange, but he couldn’t figure out why. This distraction had Kibum forgetting the question that had been asked of him and instead made him lost in thought.

Before he could make a comment about it, Kibum started to hear an angry buzzing around his ears. He moved his hands around his head, trying to swat away the thing, it was only when the man said “Taem, leave him alone,” that Kibum stopped what he was doing and looked back curiously.

“Yes..? Who’s Taem..?” Kibum asked softly.

It was only then that the man’s demeanor changed from stoic to something different. Kibum only saw the ghost of a blush appear on his cheeks but then quickly fade into nothingness. “Never you mind. Leave this place.” his voice sounded confident and sure, but quivered a little and Kibum sensed his anxiousness. It was too obvious not to. The man sounded like an over confident who had lost his confidence as soon as he stood in front of an audience. He knew what to say and do, but was unsure in his own ability.

Kibum wasn’t sure why the other man could be anxious but wanted to know more about him, and about the building, he was standing in front of. He wondered if the man was an actor of some sort. Kibum was going to approach the man, but the door was closed in front of him. The dog had left with him, and oddly enough, so did the buzzing sound that had been bothering him earlier.

“Wait!” Kibum called out but was greeted with no response. He approached the door that had opened and wondered how rude it would be if he opened it. His thoughts of breaking and entering didn’t last long however when he heard the soft sounds of three different voices conversing on the other side of the door. No matter how close he got, or how hard he listened, he couldn’t hear anything in particular and only got more frustrated.

Kibum’s hand reached up to knock on the door, but he only paused when he heard sudden yelling.

“I got it!” a new voice began, “I got it! I got it!” the voice called out excitedly from one end of the house to the other, pounding footsteps heading towards him that only made Kibum more anxious.

“Jinki, don’t you dare!” the deep voice said, this time loud enough for Kibum to hear, but it was too late. The door in front of Kibum flung open and he was immediately covered in a clear viscous liquid from head to toe.

Kibum froze, his mouth open in shock. He looked down at himself and felt his entire body tighten. The gash on his leg started to sting from the liquid and he would have cried out in pain if he hadn’t felt so tired all of a sudden. His head felt light as if he were floating above the clouds before it seemed to fill with a ton of bricks.

“Who..?” Kibum managed to say before collapsing to the ground, lead by his head and closed eyes. Before blacking out, he heard lots of yelling from the group in front of him, as they ran out to catch him before he fell to the ground. He opened his eyes only briefly to see the 3.. Or was it 4 men carrying him? It was impossible to tell in the dim lighting as the sun had now fully set.

The tall strong man with the deep voice was at his head, mumbling things to the two men on either side of him. A man with a squishy face and goggles on his forehead stood on his right, while a shorter man with a sleeveless shirt was on his left, and.. He swore he saw a small child floating in front of him.. No, he couldn’t have..

That’s when Kibum knew he needed more sleep and closed his eyes again, knowing to the best of his knowledge that this was all some elaborate dream. Eventually, his professor would wake him up, reminding him that class ended in two hours and if he just wanted to sleep he should have stayed at home. For a daydream, it was pretty elaborate. He hadn’t had a dream like this since he was a kid.. It had to be a dream, he knew it had to, he kept reassuring himself as darkness enveloped him.

[kevinscottgardens]

24 February - 14 March

Tomorrow is the Ides of March...what else can happen?

It’s been a busy few weeks in the garden and I’ve been to Antwerp and up to Gresgarth Hall, so a lot to report.

I re-mounted a Platycerium for the first time. It was interesting to see how they pile up on each other and how easy it was to pull off the dead ones and keep the one thriving one. Only two years ago this had only one pathetic little frond. I have nursed it back to a nice specimen and now have given it a new mounting. See photo under plant of the week below...

I enjoyed the last weekend of February in Antwerp with Jody and Steve who live there. It was the end of winter hours at work, so I was able to get away on the 15.00 train. We had a nice weekend.

The first of March brought us back to summer working hours (08.00 to 17.00 Monday through Thursday and 08.00 to 16.00 Friday). I replaced some raised bed wood that had rotted away in the pharmaceutical area.

We had two days of students installing art all around the garden for their course. It was fun to see it installed. It was only up for two days, unfortunately.

Last weekend I went up to Gresgarth Hall as a guest of Arabella and Mark Lennox-Boyd. I work on the database for the arboretum at Gresgarth. I met the new members of the gardening staff and upgraded their databases. Gresgarth is a beautiful place to escape London (and CoVid-19).

Monday morning at 06.13 I took a photo, through the bus window, crossing Putney Bridge on my way to work.

Later that day, one of our volunteers, Charlotte Lorimer, sent me this... Amazing!

This past week I spent three days working on turf, so by Thursday, with sore chest muscles, of course I initially equated that with ‘breathing difficulties’. I stopped, and realised I just had sore muscles. Ah, how CoVid-19 is playing with my mind. I then had an opportunity to add my own art to the garden. I was asked to try to protect new grass seed from birds, this is what I came up with...

We are growing bananas from seed for the first time and this is a photo of them germinating on 3 March and again, one week later on 10 March.

A volunteer donated a tablet to the garden so we will be able to use our database in the garden, once I figure out how to set it up! This is very exciting and should save us a lot of time. We expressed out huge gratitude to the wonderful volunteer who made this possible.

There is a lot of yellow in the garden at the moment, one of the showiest is Forsythia x intermedia ‘Beatrix Farrand’ which are located by the Embankment gate.

Plant ident on winter twigs by Joe:

Betulaceae Betula pendula

Betulaceae Carpinus betulus

Betulaceae Corylus avellana

Cornaceae Cornus sanguinea

Fagaceae Castanea sativa

Fagaceae Fagus sylvatica

Grossulariaceae Ribes nigrum

Rosaceae Prunus avium

Sapindaceae Acer griseum

Sapindaceae Aesculus hippocastanum

Plant of the week 28 February

Polypodiaceae Platycerium bifurcatum (Cav.) C. Chr.

common name(s) - common staghorn fern, common stag's horn fern, Australian elk's horn fern, elkhorn fern, antelope ears synonym(s) - Acrostichum bifurcatum Cav.; Alcicornium bifurcatum (Cav.) Underw. conservation rating - none native to - Eastern Australia & New Caledonia location - tropical corridor, accession 2008-0538, and fernery, accession 2008-0537 leaves - heart-shaped sterile fronds and grey-green, arching, fertile fronds to 900mm long, forked into strap-shaped segments, bearing brown spore patches beneath the tips flowers - none habit - evergreen, epiphytic fern habitat - a bracket epiphyte occurring in and near rainforests pests - scale insects disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to 1ºC (H2) soil - epiphyte sun - part shade, sheltered propagation - sow spores when ripe or detach plantlets pruning - none nomenclature - Polypodiaceae - polypodium - many-feet, Dioscorides’ reference to the rhizome growth pattern, polypody; Platycerium - broad-horned, the stag’s-horn-like, dichotomous lobing of the fertile fronds; bifurcatum - divided into equal limbs NB - AGM

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] http://www.iucnredlist.org/search [14 Mar 20]

Missouri Botanical Garden [online] http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b615 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/tro-50050265 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17177460-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details%3Fplantid%3D1488 [14 Mar 20]

Wikipedia [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycerium_bifurcatum [14 Mar 20]

Plant ident of Jess’s favourites in the dicotyledon beds:

Apiaceae Ferula communis subsp. communis

Asteraceae Scolymus hispanicus

Asteraceae Serratula shawii

Caryophyllaceae Gypsophila acutifolia

Cistaceae Citrus trifoliata

Fabaceae Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina'

Fabaceae Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis

Ranunculaceae Clematis serratifolia

Rhamnaceae Paliurus spina-christi

Solanaceae Eriolarynx australis x Eriolarynx fasciculata

Plant of the week 6 March

Boraginaceae Echium candicans L.f.

common name(s) - pride of Madeira synonym(s) - Argyrexias candicans Raf.; Echium brachyanthum Hornem.; E. candicans var. noronhae Menezes; E. cynoglossoides Desf.; E. densiflorum DC.; E. macrophyllum Lehm.; E. maderense Steud.; E. marianum Boiss.; E. pallidum Salisb.; E. pavonianum Boiss.; E. truncatum auct. conservation rating - Data Deficient native to - Madeira, Portugal location - glasshouse two Macaronesian plants, accession 1991-0343 leaves - grey-hairy lance-shaped evergreen leaves flowers - dense terminal spike-like panicles of white, pale or deep blue flowers in spring and summer habit - bushy biennial sub-shrub habitat - forest, rocky areas (e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks), shrubland pests - outdoors slugs; indoors glasshouse whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite, vine weevils disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to 5ºC (H1c) soil - under glass, grow in a loam-based potting compost, in full light; water freely when in growth, sparingly in winter. Outdoors, grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from winter frost in situ with horticultural fleece sun - full sun, sheltered propagation - seed at 13 to 16°C in summer, overwintering seedlings at 5 to 7°C pruning - none nomenclature - Boraginaceae - borago - shaggy-coat, burra with feminine suffix (the leaves); Echium - viper, a name used by Dioscorides for a plant to cure snakebite, viper’s bugloss Echium vulgare; candicans - white, hoary-white, with white woolly hair, present participle of candico NB - in California, it is an invasive species. It is removed from native plant communities as part of habitat restoration efforts in coastal parks such as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In New Zealand it is a common garden escapee onto road-side verges and shingle banks throughout the drier parts of both the North and the South Islands. In the state of Victoria, Australia, it is considered to be a high weed risk and an alert has been posted by the Department of Primary Industries.

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/162036/115869493 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2784037 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:115594-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/6290/i-Echium-candicans-i/Details [14 Mar 20]

Wikipedia [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_candicans [14 Mar 20]

Plant ident on plants from Macaronesia by Louisa:

Arecaceae Phoenix canariensis

Asparagaceae Dracaena draco

Asteraceae Argyranthemum frutescens

Asteraceae Schizogyne sericea

Athyriaceae Diplazium caudatum

Boraginaceae Echium wildpretii

Crassulaceae Aeonium spathulatum

Lauraceae Laurus azorica

Pinaceae Pinus canariensis

Plantaginaceae Plantago famarae

Plant of the week 13 March

Rosaceae Prunus spinosa L.

common name(s) - blackthorn, sloe, sloe plum, buckthorn, bullace, skeg, snag synonym(s) - Druparia spinosa Clairv.; Prunus acacia Crantz ex Poir.; Prunus acacia Crantz; Prunus acacia-germanica Crantz; Prunus domestica var. spinosa (L.) Kuntze conservation rating - Least Concern native to - Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria & Iran location - useful garden - survival bed, accession 2017-0263 leaves - dark green, ovate leaves flowers - small white flowers in early spring, followed by ovoid, bloomy black fruits 15mm across habit - small thorny deciduous tree to 3m tall and 3m wide habitat - shrubland, artificial/terrestrial, rocky areas (e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks), forest pests - aphids, caterpillars, bullfinches disease - silver leaf, blossom wilt hardiness - to <-20ºC (H7) soil - any moist well-drained soil sun - full sun propagation - sowing the stones shallowly (no more than their own length deep) in a well-drained growing medium. In order to germinate, the stones must be exposed to a period of cold for approximately two months. This can be achieved by placing them in a bag of moist sand in a fridge. Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in late summer. Blackthorn tolerates most soils, except acidic ones, but does not perform well if shaded. Once it is established it is a tough, resilient plant pruning - in mid-summer if silver leaf is a problem nomenclature - Rosaceae - rosa - the Latin name for various roses; Prunus - the ancient Latin name for a plum tree; spinosa - spiny, with spines NB - flavouring for alcoholic beverages (sloe gin), when tea derived from Camellia sinensis (a commonplace drink today) was a very expensive product, the young leaves of blackthorn were dried and used as a replacement for, or to adulterate, the more expensive tea. Blackthorn wood has been used to make walking sticks, clubs and hay-rake teeth. A shillelagh is a highly polished stick of blackthorn wood that was made and used in Ireland, and a blackthorn walking stick is still carried by commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Regiment. Blackthorn wood is especially hard and takes a high polish. The shillelagh was used in self defence and is now used in a form of traditional fighting or martial art. Stout sticks of blackthorn are highly prized since it is rare to find blackthorn grown to this size.

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172194/19400568 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/rjp-43 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:730297-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/14041/Prunus-spinosa/Details [14 Mar 20]

CoVid-19 is consuming me now. I altered the way I return home from work after Wednesday’s nighmarish journey on the underground. Trains were only every twenty minutes to Richmond so we were packed in like sardines. Now I’m walking across the river to Queenstown Road and catching a train. There is much more room on the train. I’m addicted to following the numbers on this incredible Johns Hopkins University website:

Stay healthy if you can, and self-isolate if necessary. This will pass in time...

[aveganmermaid]

Dryopteris expansa 🌿 Spiny Wood Fern (I'm obsessed with ferns) #nativeplants #nature #ecology #beautifulbc ig: aveganmermaid (at Tynehead Regional Park)

[adyeri]

A Trip To Mount Elgon National Park

 MOUNT ELGON

Mount Elgon National Park is the largest volcanic caldera on the planet Earth and is located in western Uganda straddling the Kenyan border. Mount Elgon was the tallest mountain in East Africa, today this inactive mountain is the fourth tallest in East Africa with 4,321 meters above sea level it boasts the largest base of any extinct volcano in the world, covers a total area of 1279 square kilometers, 69 of which are in Kenya. Mount Elgon was formed many years ago it was formed as a process of vulcanicity. The mountain is divided into four vegetation zones and each vegetation zone has its own attractions, very beautiful. You reach the mountain forest you hear the birds singing in the morning they wake you up. At mount Elgon there about 273 trees and shrub species namely; whistling thorn acacia, wait a bit thorn, grewia, giant cactus, African pencil cedar, spiny tree fern, broad leaved croton, flat top acacia, river acacia, red thorn acacia, black thorn acacia, white-galled acacia, umbrella acacia, red thorn acacia, large leaved albizia, red-hot poker tree(lucky bean tree, flame tree, casuarinas, sycamore fig, teclea, giant heath, large leaved gardenia, gardenia, giant groundsel, giant lobelia, sausage tree, jacaranda, African wild date palm and many others so the eco system is very, very rich.

The major issues affecting Mount Elgon National Park stem from the population pressure, the population density around Mount Elgon is about 600 people per square kilometer and the population is highly dependent on land. So you find that the landholdings per person is very small, so the population look at Mount Elgon National Park as alternative land that can be availed for farming. And therefore the park  has a big problem of encroachment, communities because of land shortage have invaded the national park, cut down the trees and they have established plantations of bananas, cassava maize and many other food crops.

Mount Elgon is a rain forested park and has got very good trees.

Flora and Fauna

Mount Elgon vegetation zones are similar to those of other large East African mountains. The contour of the mountain supports a contagious belt of ever green forest extending over roughly 750 km2 with in Uganda. The forest belt is divided into two broad strata. A tall Afro montane forest below 2500m,  low canopy montane and bamboo between 2500m to 3000m the slopes below the 2000 contour.

The most common species visible to hikers are blue monkey and white and black colobus. A small number of elephants are residents in the forest, animals like Zebras, Buffalos, sitatunga and common duiker(antelopes) and lions. The bird checklist stands at more than 300 species like mustached green thinker bird, red throated, wryneck, hunter’s cisticola, alpine chat, marsh widow bird, weyn’s weaver.

  To Things to Do and See around Mount Elgon and Sipi falls.

     Rock Climbing:

Rock climbing takes place outside the park at Sipi falls. There are 14 climbs requiring various levels of rock scaling techniques, the toughest is a 35m climb while the easiest is 15m. This is guided and supervised activity that is the most enjoyable adventure.

    Birding:

Since a high proportion of the 300 species is highly rewarding for birders. The lovely bronze mannkin, African cuckoo, black and white casqued hornbill, montane oriole, mountain greenbul, golden winged  sunbird, greater honeyguide, taita fscal, barn swallow, red rumped swallow, hunters cisticola and black collared apalis.

Birding at Mount Elgon is remarkable to visitors with a variety of colorful birds and by their relative tameness 

     Sipi falls:

This pretty waterfall is visible for miles as it plunges over a cliff from the direction of bulago village. Tourists focus on the trading centre which lies at an altitude of 1,775monly 40km from Mbale along a good surfaced road.

    The Abayudaya Jews of Uganda:

The isolated community of the Ugandan Jews known as the Abayudaya. The most prominent of these religious dissident was Malaki Musajakawa whose Aficanist Christian sect called Malakities managed to attract up to 100,000 ugandans away from more convectional denominations during its short lived heydays.

      Bagisu Circumcision rights:

The bantu speaking people who live on the slopes of Mount Elgon. Circumcision of the  bagisu takes place in August and December , a man can not married without being circumcised. Travelers who visit Mbale, the Sipi and Kapchorwa during the circumcision are welcome to attend any local ceremonies that take place. Females also come looking at the newly bachelors.

    Wanale cliffs:

The waterfall streaked cliffs of wanale ridges dominate Mbale’s eastern skyline, making the end of the 2,348m Nkokonjeru arm a ridge of lava extruded through a parasitic vent on the western flank of Mount Elgon. A 20 km road  from Mbale climbs up on the ridge through a cleft in the cliffs, meandering through superb mountain scenery.

    Fishing:

A stretch of the sipi river above the top of the waterfall near Kapkwai about 20 minutes drive from the Sipi trading centre trout fishing is practiced. the Nile Perch and the cat fish are among the more alluring fish that inhabit sipi river.

     The Nyero Rock Painting:

The finest of several rock art sites scattered around eastern Uganda. The site comprises six discrete painted panels set within a few hundred meters of each prominent granite outcrop called Moru Ikara. The age of the rock is a matter for conjecture, as is the identity of the artist, the Iteso people who have inhabited the region for the last 300 years  reckon that the art has always been there.

Where To Stay

Upmarket

Sipi River Lodge

Set with I the grounds of a unique restored former residence, sipi river lodge consists of main house and seven detached accommodation for the guest. Set I lovely wooded grounds at the foot of the middle waterfall the terrific little lodge is comfortably the best in the Mount Elgon region. The main lodge occupies a transformed bungalow with a cosy lounge, bar and excellent library. Activities include sipi walks, mountain biking, coffee tours, archery ascents of Mount Elgon and fly fishing in the river.

The Sipi Falls region is a hiker’s paradise! Choose from among a series of popular waterfall walks or talk to our guides about custom options to craft the ultimate scenic

Moderate

Lacam Lodge

It’s built on the slopes of mountain Elgon in Eastern Uganda. Enjoy a place of sublime natural beauty and rustic charm. Staying amongst the friendly Sabine people, Perched on the cliff edge with unparalleled views of Sipi falls. So close to that the waterfall is mostly heard than seen. Though the steep cliff below the site will give visitors the willies, the sudden drop makes the view down sipi valley to the Kyoga Basin particularly dramatic   

Services

Accommodation

Restaurant and Bar

Adventure

Relaxation

A place for relaxation or adventure

Stay in one of our wooden bandas or in your tent.

Enjoy a four course candle-lit dinner.

Go hiking, abseiling and rock climbing

Accommodation is provided in;

Wooden Bandas

Made of local Timber

Grass thatch is extracted from the plains below.

2 double beds in each Banda

Spacious Verandahs

En suite shower and toilet

Lacam Lodge also has 3 non self-contained Bandas with shared facilities and are cheaper than the self-contained. The lodge allows self-camping where the guests are allowed to pitch their tents. Lacam Lodge also features a restaurant and bar.

Budget

Noah’s Ark Resort

Noah’s Ark Hotels located on the Mount Elgon Slopes present all category accommodation ranging from Luxury to Midrange and Budget accommodation the Uganda safari undertakers. The Hotel features three branches with the capacity to take more than 100 clients with the price range of $10 – $100 depending on the client’s preference.

Noah’s Ark Hotels offers mid range accommodation to travelers and is situated along the slopes of Mt. Elgon and this varies from luxury-midrange as well as budget depending on how much one has prepared to spend. The hotel has three different divisions and these have the capability to accommodate more than 100 clients from different destinations and fall into the price range of $10 – $100.

The Main Hotel includes;

Bedroom with Living Room

DSTV

Living room

Bath

Single Bed

Television

Bed

Bathroom

Twin Bedroom

Bathroom

2 beds

DSTV

[dibblersgarden-blog]

Linda Peterson’s green-walled xeriscape garden: San Antonio Open Days Tour

The highlight of the recent San Antonio Open Days garden tour, as I knew it would be, was Linda Peterson’s beautiful xeriscape and green-walled courtyard garden. Twice before I’ve had the pleasure of exploring Linda’s garden (in September 2015 and April 2016), and the artistry of her plant combinations, skillful pruning, and integration of garden art always delights.

Since I’ve written about Linda’s garden twice before (see links in top paragraph), I won’t do a play-by-play of her garden features. Let’s just stroll, shall we? First, the front garden outside the gray-green courtyard walls…

Agave weberi with purple-flowering cenizo. Lucky Linda for having her barometer plant — i.e., cenizo — burst into bloom for the tour! The timing of an ephemeral cenizo bloom cannot be planned since it responds to rainfall and/or air pressure changes.

A pair of octopus-armed steel agaves accent a corner planting of cenizo (pruned up like small trees), sprawling dalea, and ‘Blonde Ambition’ grama grass.

Linda has a knack for artfully pruning plants. She’ll prune up foliage to show off trunks or lift a plant’s “skirts” above the gravel mulch. Even shrubby rosemary gets neatened up with selective under-pruning.

A sinuous live oak’s snaky limb reaches out from a hole in the wall to embrace a stump seat and a wood-plank table.

It’s wonderful, and a one-of-a-kind feature that epitomizes Linda’s embrace of the Texas climate and its natural beauty.

A side view from the front walk, where a stepping-stone path leads around the tentacled live oak

Society garlic blooming alongside another steel agave

My friend Cat and I both exclaimed over this cute-as-a-button flowering plant, which looks like a compact gomphrena. I can’t remember the ID from Linda (maybe ‘Gnome’?), but I distinctly remember her telling me she found it at Lowe’s. Go figure!

“Beware: Sharp spiny plants with evil intent” — that dry humor is a dead giveaway that Linda made up this sign herself. And of course we gardeners know the real purpose of such a sign is to protect our precious plants, not the people who read it. Mind your feet, people!

Doesn’t look particularly evil, does it?

Heading around to the side yard

I always get a kick out of this grinning crocodile planter.

A Gulf fritillary butterfly enjoying purple lantana

Wavy-leaved prickly pear

Another big Weber agave

Tree limbs embrace overhead, as soap aloes hoist orange-flowered bloom spikes.

On the other side of the front yard, a side path widens into a small patio with a rustic bench. A green cloud of bamboo muhly grass hides the neighboring driveway from view.

“I’m nuts about you,” this stone squirrel could be saying to the Agave mediopicta ‘Alba’. (Groan)

Palms in culvert-pipe planters and a Weber agave

Looking back from the end of the path you get a marvelous view of the writhing arms of the Weber agave underplanted with writhing foxtail fern, backed by writhing live oaks. That’s a lot of writhing!

Step into the walled courtyard and you’re in Linda’s private outdoor living room. A pair of metal rhinos contemplates crossing the patio for a drink at the Mexican beach pebble “stream.” A winding river of soap aloes echoes the curving stone stream, and a variegated agave seems to wave encouragingly.

Metal armadillos root around in the garden bed.

The patio by the outdoor fireplace looks bigger and more inviting than ever. Linda has lightened up this year with fewer chairs and a see-through table.

An outdoor rug adds a bit of coziness and definition too.

A built-in bench along the wall holds an assortment of pumpkins, squash, succulents, and a candle lantern.

Even the metal barrel cactus were lit during the tour!

Such a relaxing space

Don’t you want to lounge here and take a nap under the live oaks?

A metal iguana guards a stand of ‘Vertigo’ pennisetum and a container fountain.

A couple of chairs plumped with pretty teal pillows with small mirrors sewn on for sparkle

I love Linda’s flowers made of bent copper tubing.

They show up so well against the minty green wall.

Heading around to the back garden, you stroll past a collection of potted plants and an elevated deck with cattle-panel privacy screening.

Cattle panel deck skirting is cloaked with fig ivy. No, it doesn’t stay this way on its own. Linda trims it to show off the grid pattern of the wire panel.

Understated pots in shades of brown are guarded by a metal horny toad — Texas’s state reptile, ya know.

A faux-bois fountain is a focal point at the end of the driveway.

An umbrella-shaded patio beckons where the path curves around the house.

A hanging wicker egg chair and bench offer additional seating.

Two metal giraffes nibble bamboo leaves nearby.

There’s not a patch of lawn in this low-water garden, but even so it feels lush and green.

Where there used to be a bottle shrub, Linda now has a hanging bottle tree, a less-common variation on the trunk- or pole-style bottle tree of the South. Linda uses lots of hanging objects — plants, lanterns, bottles — to draw the eye upward into the trees.

On a terrace off the back of the house, privacy is assured with a striking, contemporary privacy screen, which Linda designed out of leftover scraps of roofing metal (after their standing seam roof was installed) and she and her family riveted together. A bubbling fountain container topped with blue slag glass and a collection of containers completes the appealing scene.

Container detail

My thanks to Linda for sharing her remarkable garden again and letting us linger there so long!

And thank you, dear reader, for following along on my recap of the San Antonio Open Days Tour. I unfortunately ran out of time to see a couple of the tour gardens, but I enjoyed the ones we saw. For a look back at the old San Antonio style of the Tupper Beinhorn Garden, click here.

I welcome your comments; please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading this in a subscription email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. _______________________

Digging Deeper: News and Upcoming Events

Don’t miss the Austin Open Days garden tour sponsored by the Garden Conservancy on November 4.

Join the mailing list for Garden Spark Talks! Inspired by the idea of house concerts, I’m hosting a series of garden talks by inspiring designers and authors out of my home. Talks are limited-attendance events and generally sell out within just a few days, so join the Garden Spark email list for early notifications. Simply click this link and ask to be added.

All material © 2006-2017 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

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[kevinscottgardens]

13 through 19 July 2019

Last Sunday was my friend Andy’s life celebration in Hammersmith. It was an incredibly emotional and unique farewell. He was 54. It included a heart circle, some chanting led by Nikki Slade, a female whirling dervish, some reflection and of course a moment of silence. Wednesday was his cremation and several beautiful thoughts were shared before we said goodbye to his physical body. He will remain in the hearts of everyone who knew him.

This week in the garden, I was given two days to work on records and labels because we finally finished all the planting for this year. It is crunch time and it is quite an involved process which I enjoy. The Gravograph software isn’t the easiest to format, so it takes longer than I’d like. I really want to get everything labelled before the annuals die this year!

Our volunteer Steph brought Irish cheese on Thursday, which we all enjoyed. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned our team’s addiction to cheese. When one goes on holiday, cheese is what is brought back, not biscuits or chocolate!

I’m very excited because the seeds I sowed last week (top) and more I sowed Monday (bottom) are springing to life. I’m preparing for a workshop on 13 August for fifteen people. I want to demonstrate how quickly some vegetables grow. I’m growing lettuce, radish, nasturtium and chard. The topic is growing vegetables in containers; here’s the link:

https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/Event/how-to-grow-your-own-food-in-a-container

This week’s ‘feeling blue’ plant ident by Tessa:

Asteraceae Cichorium intybus

Boraginaceae Borago officinalis

Ericaceae Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Earliblue’

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia myrsinites

Hydrangeaceae Dichroa febrifuga

Lamiaceae Salvia uliginosa

Myrtaceae Eucalyptus gunnii

Pittosporaceae Billardiera heterophylla

Rhamnaceae Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’

Plant of the week

Rosaceae Rosa spinosissima L.

common name(s) - Scotch rose, Burnet rose synonym(s) - (95!) Rosa adenostephana Debeaux; R. agustiana Sennen; R. altaica Willd.; R. arvensis L.; R. besseri Tratt.; R. borealis Tratt.; R. campestris var. myriacantha (DC.) Wallr.; R. campestris var. pimpinellifolia (L.) Wallr.; R. chamaerhodon Vill.; R. cinnamomea auct.; R. consimilis D‚s‚gl.; R. dichrocarpa Debeaux;; R. gentilis Sternb.; R. granatensis Willk.; R. grandiflora Lindl.; R. hispida Sims; R. humensis Conrath; R. inermis Bertol.; R. javalambrensis Pau; R. lutescens Pursh; R. macropoda Ripart ex D‚s‚gl.; R. mathonetii Cr‚p. [Spelling variant]; R. mathonnetii Cr‚p.; R. melanocarpa Link; R. microcarpa Besser; R. mitissima C.C.Gmel.; R. myriacantha DC.; R. m. var. inermis Pau; R. m. var. pumila Desv.; R. m. var. pyriformis Pau; R. m. var. ripartii (D‚s‚gl.) Nyman; R. m. var. rupestris (D‚s‚gl.) Nyman; R. pendulina var. gentilis (Sternb.) R.Keller; R. pimpinellifolia L.; R. p. var. adenophora Gren.; R. p. var. altaica (Willd.) Thory; R. p. var. arenivaga Rouy; R. p. var. baicheriana Rouy; R. p. subsp. gentilis (Sternb.) Nyman; R. p. var. grandiflora Ledeb.; R. p. var. hispida Godet; R. p. var. hispidissima Rouy; R. p. var. intermedia Gren.; R. p. var. laevis Rouy & E.G.Camus; R. p. var. microphylla Rouy; R. p. var. mitis Gren.; R. p. subsp. myriacantha (DC.) O.Bol•s & Vigo; R. p. var. myriacantha (DC.) Ser.; R. p. var. poteriifolia (Besser) Heinr.Braun; R. p. var. ripartii (D‚s‚gl.) Dumort.; R. p. subsp. rubella (Sm.) Nyman; R. p. subsp. spinosissima (L.) Lemke; R. p. var. spinosissima (L.) Lam.; R. p. var. vallotii Rouy; R. p. var. vulgaris Ledeb.; R. p. Besser; R. pulchella Salisb.; R. ripartii D‚s‚gl.; R. rubella Sm.; R. rupincola Fisch. ex Sweet; R. scalica Mill.; R. scotica Mill.; R. sibirica Tratt.; R. spinosissima var. arenivaga (Rouy) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. baicheriana (Rouy) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. catacalyx Dingler [Spelling variant]; R. s. var. codryensis Chrshan.; R. s. var. glandulosa (Bellardi) Heinr.Braun; Rz s. var. granatensis (Willk.) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. hispida (Sims) Koehne; R. s. var. hispidissima (Rouy) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. javalambrensis (Pau) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. katacalyx Dingler; R. s. var. laevis (Rouy & E.G.Camus) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. larssonii R.Keller; R. s. var. liostyla (W.D.J.Koch) R.Keller; R. s. var. mathonetii (Cr‚p.) Rouy; R. s. var. microcarpa Besser ex Ser.; R. s. var. mitissima (C.C.Gmel.) Koehne; R. s. subsp. myriacantha (DC.) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. myriacantha (DC.) Loisel.; R. s. var. piligera (Schwertschl.) Kurtto; R. s. subsp. pimpinellifolia (L.) Baker; R. s. var. pimpinellifolia (L.) Poir.; R. s. var. pyriformis Pau ex C.Vicioso; R. s. var. ripartii (D‚s‚gl.) C.Vicioso; R. s. var. ripartii (D‚s‚gl.) Baker; R. s. var. rivalis Hesl.-Harr.; R. s. var. spinosissima; R. s. var. vallotii (Rouy) C.Vicioso; R. spreta D‚s‚gl.; R. tenuissima Dippel [Spelling variant]; R. tschatyrdagi Chrshan.; R. tullensis Maire; R. villosa var. myriacantha (DC.) Lapeyr. conservation rating - none native to - Eurasia location - British natives, accession 2011-0038 leaves - prickly stems bearing neat, fern-like foliage flowers - once-flowering; cupped, single creamy-white flowers in early summer, followed by spherical black hips habit - deciduous, small, freely suckering shrub, to 1m tall habitat - occurs widely in Europe and some parts of Asia but seldom south of 40° or north of 65°N pests - aphids, leafhoppers, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, rose leaf-rolling sawfly, rabbits, deer disease - black spot, rose rust, powdery mildews, a downy mildew hardiness - to <-20ºC (H7) soil - moist and well-drained sun - full sun to part shade propagation - hardwood cuttings in autumn, seed pruning - in late summer once flowering is completed; main requirement is to keep the plants free of dead, diseased and damaged wood, crossing or rubbing branches, or spindly growth; avoid excessive build-up of older, unproductive wood that is causing the centre to become crowded, removing one or two older branches from the centre if necessary; if they become leggy and bare at the base, remove one or two stems back to near ground level, which will usually encourage new growth from the base nomenclature - Rosaceae - Rosa - the Latin name for various roses; spinosissima - most spiny; superlative of spinosus NB - the coastal communities in which the species occurs are threatened by neophytes entering the natural habitats at the coastal dunes, such as R. rugosa Thunb. and other variants of the species like R. spinosissima var. altaica Willd., which were introduced for coastal protection; In its native range it shows two morphotypes distinguishable only by size. The northern European morphotype is a dwarf shrub, whereas in southern Europe and Asia R. spinosissima has the habit of a larger shrub. The variability in glands and prickles has led different authors to distinguish between subspecies

References, bibliography:

British Ecological Society [online] https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01950.x [19 July 19]

Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland [online] http://sppaccounts.bsbi.org/content/rosa-spinosissima-1.html [19 July 19]

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] http://www.iucnredlist.org/search [19 July 19]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/rjp-609 [19 July 19]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/39326/Rosa-spinosissima/Details [19 July 19]