Plant Profile: Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Native to Central America where it grows as an unattractive lanky shrub, the plants which are familiar today have been carefully cultivated using controlled lighting to produce colourful bract, usually red, but increasingly white, along with light and deep pink versions are available.

The plant was first introduced to the USA in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American dip. They were propagated by Robert Buist, a nurseryman who had migrated from Scotland to Pennsylvania, and made their public debut at a flower show in Philadelphia. The first poinsettias to arrive in Britain did so in bloom during November 1834. By the early 1900s had become a popular Christmas house plant.

The following story details the Mexican legend of how poinsettias became associated with Christmas:

Every Christmas Eve as everyone in the village gathered in the church for the Mass, every family would bring a gift for the Christ Child. Pepita. a young girl from in a small village in Mexico, had nothing to bring - her family was very poor. Her cousin Pedro attempted to console her. He told her, 'I am certain that even the most humble gift, given with love, will be acceptable in God's eyes!

Pepita was determined to bring something, so she found some flowering weeds along the side of the road. She made them into a bouquet, but she was embarrassed at the thought of bringing a bunch of weeds to lay before the manger. But it was the only gift that she had to offer.

The church was almost full by the time she arrived, and Pepita held the bouquet close to her side hoping that the others would not notice it. She hesitated before walking down the aisle, but she remembered the words of her cousin. She prayed, 'Oh God, this may not be the grandest of gifts, but may it be the gift given with the most love!'

Her spirits began to lift and she walked down the aisle holding the bouquet proudly in front of her. By the time she got to the front of the church her eyes were brimming with tears of love as she knelt and laid her bouquet in front of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blossoms of brilliant red. And everyone there was certain that they had seen a Christmas miracle. From that day on the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night. However, you know them as poinsettias.

Of course, we know that the brilliant red of the poinsettia do not relate to the actual flowers, which are non-descript and diminutive yellow-green. It is the bracts that surround the flowers that provide the attention-grabbing, lavish red, white or pinks. These colourful bracts do take the place of petals and are said to attract pollinators. Importantly, poinsettias are not annuals, but perennials that can be cared for between Christmas-time display: After Christmas, feed your poinsettia monthly with a high-potash liquid fertilizer, such as tomato feed, to promote healthy growth and flowering.

• In spring (around April or May), prune your poinsettia back to about 10 cm (4 inches) above the soil and repot it in a larger container with fresh potting mix. This will encourage new growth and branching.
• In summer (when the night temperature is above 10°C or 50°F), you can move your poinsettia outdoors in a shady location. Gradually acclimate it to more sun exposure until it can tolerate full sun. Continue watering and fertilizing as usual.
• In late summer (around July or August), pinch back the tips of each stem by about 2.5 cm (1 inch) to make the plant bushier and more compact.
• In autumn (from October to December), to make your poinsettia bloom again, you need to mimic short day length by placing it in a dark place (such as a closet or a cardboard box) for 12 hours every night. During the day, bring it back to a sunny spot and water and feed as usual. (Care instructions via Bing Chat Mode (OpenAI, 2023). ChatGPT (Dec 20 version) [Chat conversation]).

Plant Stems (Internal)

Personal notes for RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development

Unit 1: Plant Science 1: Internal Plant Structures: AO1 - AO2

The diagram illustrates a simplified stem followed by a close-up of the different layers.

Working from outer to inner tissues we begin with the epidermis, a protective, single layer, which produces an outer wax layer of cuticle call cutin, which is waterproof. Punctuating the epidermis layer are stomata pores, allowing gases to pass through the otherwise impermeable layer.

Underneath the epidermis is the cortex, largely constructed of unspecialised parenchyma tissue. These thin-walled cells are held in an approximately spherical shape by osmotic pressure, with many air spaces between them. This mass of cells also combines to assist with maintaining the plant shape, in addition to other functions, such as containing chlorophyll and releasing energy via respiration for use by surrounding tissues. In some plants, they can act as food stores, as in potato tubers.

Phloem and Xylem are the two vascular bundles within plant stems:
Phloem, containing long, tube-like cells, is responsible for transporting organic nutrients (such as sugars) from the leaves to other areas of the plant.

Xylem, containing long, wide, and open-ended cells with thick lignified walls, is the dead, permanent tissue located at the centre of the vascular bundle. It transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots to other plant parts.

In dicotyledons resides the vascular cambium, a lateral meristem which contains actively dividing cells that produce more phloem and xylem tissue. This increases the girth of the stem in woody plants and is known as secondary thickening. The bundles are arranged in a ring providing both strength and support.

Pith refers to the central zone of the stem, mainly made up of parenchyma cells. These can break down to leave a hollow stem.

There are two final cells to mention in this section, collenchyma and sclerenchyma:

Collenchyma provides extra mechanical and structural support, especially in regions of new growth. It helps young stems and leaves maintain their shape and withstand bending forces.

Sclerenchyma provides the main structural support to a plant. Unlike collenchyma, mature sclerenchyma cells are generally dead at maturity.

Basic Plant Taxonomy

Personal notes for RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development

Unit 1: Plant Science 1: Scientific and common plant names: AO1.

In horticulture, plant taxonomy is the science of classifying plants based on their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. It involves categorizing plants into different groups based on their physical and genetic traits.

A family is a group of plants that share similar characteristics and are related to each other through a common ancestor. Members of a family share similar flower structures, fruit types, and other physical features.

A genus is a group of plants that share similar characteristics and are closely related to each other. Members of a genus share similar flower structures, fruit types, and other physical features. Examples of genera include Rosa (roses), Ficus (figs), and Acer (maples).

A species is a group of plants that share similar characteristics and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Members of a species share similar flower structures, fruit types, and other physical features. Examples of species include Rosa canina (dog rose), Ficus carica (common fig), and Acer saccharum (sugar maple).

A cultivar (cultivated variety) is a variation within a plant species that has been selectively bred by humans for specific desirable traits, such as color, size, or disease resistance. Cultivars are usually propagated asexually (e.g., by cuttings or grafting) to maintain their desirable traits. Examples of cultivars include Rosa ‘Peace’ (a hybrid tea rose), Ficus ‘Brown Turkey’ (a fig cultivar), and Acer ‘October Glory’ (a red maple cultivar).

A variety is a naturally occurring variation within a species that has been selected for specific desirable traits. Varieties can be propagated sexually (e.g., by seed) or asexually (e.g., by cuttings or grafting) to maintain their desirable traits. Examples of varieties include Rosa canina var. glauca (a dog rose variety with blue-green leaves), Ficus carica ‘Black Mission’ (a fig variety with dark purple fruit), and Acer saccharum var. nigrum (a sugar maple variety with dark bark).

A species is a plant that is the result of crossbreeding two different species or cultivars. Hybrids can be created for specific desirable traits, such as disease resistance, hardiness, or color. Examples of hybrids include *Rosa ‘Double Delight’ (a hybrid tea rose), Ficus ‘Janice Seedless’ (a fig hybrid), and Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ (a red maple hybrid)

* seen in photograph (via Wikipedia).

𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 (𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔) #InternationalPlantAppreciationDay

The prima rosa, meaning first rose, or first flower of the year, is a perennial herb that can flower for an extended period, beyond its typical late winter to spring, with continued and consistent deadheading of flowers.

The typical primrose displays pale yellow flowers but can naturally have white or pink flower forms. Common these days, due to the apparent free hybridisation with cultivated varieties are bright yellows, reds, and purples.

There are many local names for this species, such as butter-rose and green jackets in Devon and simmeren in Yorkshire, however it seems that the closest to Wiltshire that had a variation on the name is that of primerole, harking from over the western border in Somerset.

Traditions are slowly dying but can still be seen in places such as Ireland where it is custom to scatter primrose or cowslips outside the front door on May Day. In Beverley, Yorkshire, a custom from 1929 has been to collect primroses from a nearby wood and place bunches of them on the tomb of St. John at Beverley Minster during the Patronal Festival.

This isn’t the only connection to the Christian faith, with primroses being used as the flower of Easter to decorate churches and in the making of ‘Pasche’ or ‘Pace’ eggs.

The primrose is a plant of the woodland edge, clearings, hedges, and coppice, as well as old heavy grassland. A plant that can be gently teased apart to make additional plants every two to three years as a clump has grown large enough. Grown in half-shade and sandy soil, the plant makes a fantastic feast for many. Bee fly species with their long proboscis will feed and pollinate the primrose, along with bees, moths and butterflies. Leaf miners will make a meal of the leaves, leaving behind their tunnels, while ants feed on the waxy coating of the seeds, the elaiosome, which is rich in protein.

In addition to being attractive to pollinators, primrose flowers display a rather interesting set of characteristics.

As the accompanying images detail, we can see that there are two different types of flowers on primrose plants. The flower on the left is called the pin-eyed flower and has the stigma at the mouth of the flower and the pollen-covered anthers deep in the throat of the flower. To the right, the thrum-eyed type, which has its sexual anatomy the other way around.

The insect collecting the nectar, which is in the throat of the flower, from the pin-eyed flower to the left, will collect pollen on its head. This pollen can only be passed on to a flower of the thrum-eyed type.

Equally, as the insect collects nectar from the thrum-eyed flower, pollen is collected on the insect's body. This pollen can only be passed on to the stigma of a pin-eyed flower, which is brushed on to it as the insect delves deep to retrieve the nectar.

To ensure the success of this approach, each individual plant will only have either pin-eyed or thrum-eyed flowers, this enforces the intended cross-fertilisation.

Segments taken from: http://notesofnature.blogspot.com/.../primroses-or...

Check out the following Instagram reel from the Woodland Trust: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq02WDnL5R6/...

#ForestGarden #NativePlants #NatureReserve #InternationalPlantAppreciationDay

13th Blogiversary!

I started this blog 13 years ago today. 

What started as a blog to document camping trips and bushcraft, took a turn deeper into nature, and particularly, flowers, when I became ill with ME and for a while was mostly housebound.

Since I started this blog, I've published over 800 posts ranging from flower IDs to research, from historic gardens to my activities as a town councillor and local volunteer.

During this time, I've gotten married, had two children, moved house, along with many other changes - but I always come back to this blog.

I want to thank everyone that's come along for the ride thus far - some of you have been here for around a decade!

𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔 (𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔)

Stinking Hellebore

At first glance, some hellebores are really nothing to look at, especially with face down to the soil as many
have evolved to grow. This can often be extreme enough that those in a border may be dismissed as a clump of foliage or missed altogether. However, with a bit of attention, their beauty mesmerises, and they shine.

While hellebores are well grown in gardens as a reliable perennial herb, Britain is the native home to only two species, which are woodland plants: stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) and green hellebore (Helleborus viridis) known as green lily in Wiltshire.

Research published in 2010 discovered that yeast in the nectar of H. foetidus actually warms the flowers. As the yeast feed on the sugars within the nectar, their metabolic activity can raise the temperature of the flowers upwards of 2 °C above the ambient temperature. Bees show a preference for these heated flowers early in the season when temperatures are colder.

There is some traditional knowledge that I do not encourage you to attempt. In the past green hellebore has been used against worms in children. However, in 1762, two children died from such treatment at Fisherton Anger. It seems that they were treated with stinking hellebore, rather than green hellebore – perhaps showing that those in the past could be just as ignorant of the nature around them as some today. Further north, it is said that green hellebore was used to treat swollen udders in cows.

These days, I would suggest that hellebores are used purely for their aesthetic value as the plants are considered poisonous.

An interesting feature are the nectaries, which are the true petals on the plant and have evolved into tube-like structures to hold nectar for their pollinators, primarily bees and flies. These can be seen between the stamen and the sepals, which take over the petal's duty of being the 'showy' part of the plant. There are so many variations of colour and designs of hellebore flowers, from white to chocolate and green to shades of pink.

The sepals of hellebores can remain on the plant well after the sexual parts of the flower have finished their job. They turn themselves to photosynthesis, possibly contributing energy to the development of the seeds.

The bulging seed cases, show that it's been a good year for the hellebores.

The robust seeds of the hellebore are apparently difficult to get going and even after 8 weeks in a fridge can take up to 18 months to fully germinate.

Seed pods

#forestgarden #naturereserve #wildlifegardening #calnecommunitynaturereserve

Calne Town Council - Hedgehog Heroes Roll of Honour

I am pleased to say that after emailing the Director of Council Services at Calne Town Council in September 2022, he agreed to the Council becoming a member of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. 

The Council have now affixed the strimmer warning stickers appropriate equipment.

The hedgehog species that you will see in Calne is the European Hedgehog, a vulnerable to extinction species with an expected lifespan of only 3 years.

It is critical that this species gets the support and exposure that it deserves, even with small acts, such as checking equipment and spaces before work is carried out.

For more information check https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

and Chippenham Hedgehogs.

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐱 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 #𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐃𝐚𝐲

 -1-

"Thneed's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need"

The Lorax taught me that we can all fall victim to needing the new big thing. The thing that professes to be a magical thing that can help you improve your life. And that's ok - if it is something that's truly useful to you.

But we need to consider where it comes from and how it was made. An excellent example being the Forest Stewardship Council who ensure that wood with their logo is from woodland managed appropriately. More on FSC here.

It's also important to consider what you're going to do with your 'thneed' when it breaks or you want the new model: Recycle - Reuse - Reduce.

-2-

"I biggered my money, which everyone needs."

It's so easy to become so consumed with biggering everything around you; your money, hour house, your car. But this immediately makes me think of another quote often attributed to the Cree Indians:

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲."

I think that the Lorax would agree.

- 3 -

Because of The Once-lers actions, the Lorax eventually has to move all of the forest creatures out. One of the things he says to The Once-ler is that:

"No one can sing who has smog in his throat."

London had the same problem with smog, including The Great Smog of 1952, which is thought to have killed at least 4000 people. Laws were put in place to ensure that this never happened again. But in Beijing, smog is now a very real and current problem. Although sadly, it seems that instead of sorting the cause of the problem out - they're using a workaround. If you haven't seen it yet - check out this big screen sunrise: https://world.time.com/2014/01/17/sunrise-in-smoggy-beijing/

Check out Sustainable Calne for action you can take.

-4-

The Once-ler yelled at the Lorax:

"Well, I have my rights, sir, and I'm telling you.

I intend to go on doing just what I do!".

Human rights are frequently on the news and seem to allow us to do whatever we like - even to the astonishment to other humans. It's right, of course, that we have our rights, but so do the other inhabitants of the world. In the story the Lorax speaks for the trees.

In our world we have many organisations like the WWF, Greenpeace, etc that speak for nature. In the future we may find ourselves finally transcending up through the evolution of ethics to speaking for the animals, plants and even the rocks of the world - and finally the universe.

Volunteer with local action groups River Warriors Calne and Calne Clean Up Crew show your voice by litter picking, keeping the river clean, and planting trees.

But from where we're at right now, this just doesn't feel like enough - I have that feeling a lot. It brings me on to the final thing that the Lorax taught me...

-5-

"The word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.

UNLESS someone like you care a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better. It's not."

I care. Many of us do. Life can be so difficult at times that thinking of the trees in the Amazon or some plant somewhere becoming exctict before anyone knew it even existed can seem so pointless. But it's not pointless. We can have an impact.

The Internet brings us closer to the things in life that we consider wonderful, whether that be the Kardashians or trees or both. There are many sites that carry environmental petitions, including the UK Government e-petition website. So even if signing a petition is all you have time and energy to do - please do it. Get your voice heard. Let people know that you do care.

The Lorax taught me that it's important to care. Even if like in the story, you only plant one tree - know that planting one tree is worthwhile. As a message to the people around you, including your kids, and for the wider benefit to us and the environment.

If you'd like to plant a tree - or a hundred trees - get in touch with Avon Needs Trees.

The things I've mentioned here are important and emotive. If there's anything you'd like to say, please add a comment. I enjoy hearing from you all.

Check out my favourite song from the animated version:

#worldbookday2023

Mindful Minute at Lacock Abbey Rock Bridge

Mindful Minute at Lacock Abbey Rock Bridge, which stands next to the Bide Brook,
which makes its way to the River Avon, Wiltshire.

𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐋 (𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐩)

Hazel quickly followed the birches in establishing themselves and recolonising Britain after the last ice age. However, they cannot tolerate deep shade and cannot grow tall enough to reach the light (growing up to a maximum of 30 feet), therefore they are likely to be one of the first species you see on the edge of deciduous woodland.

The flowers of Hazel are incomplete, to make up for that, the tree is monoecious, so it has both the male and female flower on the same plant. This differs from plants such as holly where the male flowers are on one individual and the female flowers on a different individual.

The flowers are wind pollinated and without petals. The tiny female flower is enclosed in a series of bracts (photo above) and shows only the stigmas, which are reddish. The male flowers are a bit more obvious as they are catkins, sometimes quite bulky, which dangle down and move in the wind.

They are often multi-stemmed and has been well used in cultivation for coppicing. Hazel famously grows quickly with straight branches that are often used as poles - particularly often for growing peas and beans.

Other uses of hazel include being employed as a 'nurse' species for more commercially valuable species such as walnuts (my breakfast) and cherry. This is due to the strong early growth of hazel, which provides shelter and shade for the main crop - the shade reducing the growth of brambles and other 'weed' species.

Quick to develop roots, layering in the winter is a common way to propagate new plants - however these will be clones and won't increase the gene pool.

The flowers themselves are wind pollinated. If intending to gain a crop, then two pollen-compatible hazel trees must be planted within an orchard or food forest setting, as they are not self-compatible.

While, hazel doesn't have many pests and diseases, the ones it does have seem to concentrate on foliage (deer and livestock) and nuts (grey squirrels / beetles / nut weevils). Protection along with clearing up fallen nuts is an effective way to control pests.

Lacock Abbey Garden: A short wander

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire is well known as a filming location for the Harry Potter films. However, its story goes much deeper in history than this.

Founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order, it was garrisoned in the English Civil War by Royalists and was eventually turned into a residence. 

One resident that owned this beautiful collection of buildings was none other than William Henry

By William Fox Talbot (1800-1877) -
National Museum of Photography, Film and Television collection,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4525845

Fox Talbot, a pioneer in the science of photography, inventing the Calotype process. Famously, taking this photo of the Latticed window at Lacock Abbey in August 1835. A positive from what may be the oldest existing camera negative.

These days the Abbey and most of the village are owned by the National Trust. They rent many of the cottages and lease out the village and Abbey for filming of many television series and movies.

Here are a few winter photos of the wonderful gardens that I have enjoyed for many years.

Winter aconites with the Abbey in the background.

Winter honeysuckle with its sultry scent.

The monumental Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani).

Snowdrops

Hellebore

The rock bridge with the Bide Brook flowing over the cascade.

I would recommend anyone with the opportunity to visit this beautiful location that covers so many interests.

Wordless Wednesday: Mindful Minute Rain