Plants in the News

[MarkMazer]

Plants can talk to each other and scientists say it should make us rethink how we treat them

" The Light Eaters chronicles an expansive collection of recent, mind-blowing botanical discoveries. Touching on plants' ability to communicate, be social, sense physical and auditory stimulation (i.e. feel and hear), and even remember, these studies collectively take on the controversial question of whether plants might be intelligent, or even conscious, beings."

https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/zoe-schlanger-willa-koerner-plant-knowledge

Mark Mazer
Hertford, NC
USA

[David Pilling]

Regular gardening could help you sleep, study says

A Chinese study of American gardeners found that their chances of a poor night's sleep were almost half that of non-gardeners.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/regular-gardening-could-help-you-sleep-study-says-8rqfrh72z

(behind a paywall)

[Carlos]

Hi

Amaryllis euryphylla has been finally formally transferred to Hippeastrum, so now we can use the name Hippeastrum euryphyllum.

The paper is called 'Hippeastrum euryphyllum (Amaryllidaceae), a microendemic species from
northeastern Argentina: new combination, description, taxonomic identity and
distribution'.

Hippeastrum euryphyllum (Ravena) W.A. Medina & Roitman, comb. nov.

Basionym: Amaryllis euryphylla Ravena (2003: 11). Type:—ARGENTINA. Corrientes, Dpto. San Martín, Tres Cerros, Cerro Capará, 29 January 1976 (fl.), A. Krapovickas & C.L. Cristóbal 29005 (holotype: CTES [CTES0000200!]).

Behind a paywall as well, but I could make a couple of screenshots.

[David Pilling]

RHS warning after hungry caterpillars 'taking over South East' and decimating Guildford hedges


The Royal Horticultural Society has issued a warning after invasive, hungry caterpillars are reportedly taking over parts of Surrey and the South East.


https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/rhs-warning-after-hungry-caterpillars-29182894

[David Pilling]

How to watch the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show on TV and BBC iPlayer


The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is back on our screens from Sunday 19 May

The nation's favourite gardening social event of the year, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is returning to the BBC from Sunday 19 May.

This year's themes are: the greenest Chelsea ever, proving that great design and sustainability can go hand in hand, using water wisely, the joy of gardens and how to attract a younger, more diverse audience to gardening.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2024/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-how-to-watch

[OrchardB]

RHS warning after hungry caterpillars 'taking over South East' and decimating Guildford hedges


The Royal Horticultural Society has issued a warning after invasive, hungry caterpillars are reportedly taking over parts of Surrey and the South East. South Bucks.


https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/rhs-warning-after-hungry-caterpillars-29182894

I have noticed bald patches (a few square feet) and cobwebs on a couple of field hedges locally. Not box I would have thought.?

[David Pilling]

Extinct 'mountain jewel' plant returned to wild - in secret location

A plant that went extinct in the wild has been re-introduced to the UK mainland. We were there the moment pioneering horticulturist Robbie Blackhall-Miles returned it to its native soil.

...

I first met Robbie at his nursery for threatened plants - tucked away in a quiet part of North Wales.

He asks me to be careful how much we reveal - there is still a lucrative market for rare and special plants, often picked illegally, often fetching thousands of pounds.

...

The last time the rosy saxifrage was seen in the wild in the UK was in 1962, somewhere in the Cwm Idwal nature reserve in Eryri.

It is part of a family of mountain plants that thrived when northern Britain was frozen over during the Ice Age. When the glaciers melted, the saxifrages stayed, thriving in the mountain environment.

But their delicate appearance and beautiful flowers eventually made them a magnet for plant collectors - particularly Victorians who picked them for private collections.

The next part of the story has the quality of folklore - in 1962 a teacher and conservationist called Dick Roberts was in Cwm Idawl on a school trip.

He picked up a piece of a plant that had washed down a path, and put it in his pocket. Unsure of what it was, he took it home and grew it in his garden.

...

Some scientists talk about "plant blindness" - the idea that people don't see plants around them as important living things - instead, they're more like wallpaper in our natural environment, despite everything they do for our eco-systems and their role in producing medicine.

...


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjkkm4re518o

[David Pilling]

RHS Plant of the Year 2024 second place: Cosmos Cherry Chocolate


...the first chocolate cosmos with flowers in a completely new cherry-red colour, which still retain that much-loved chocolate fragrance

Cherry Chocolate plants are more compact than those of other varieties, resisting the tendency to become tall and leggy.

...the tuberous roots are hardier than other cosmos, with a hardiness rating of H4




https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/graham-rice/new-plants/cosmos-cherry-chocolate

[Ron]

Very nice to hear of the rosy saxifrage success story.  What a bit of good luck the way it was saved!

[David Pilling]

What a bit of good luck the way it was saved!

Yes, today if you picked up a piece of plant in a National Park (SSI etc) and attempted to take it home, you would be in trouble.

[Diane Whitehead]

The pictures in the article are of white flowers.  Why is it called "rosy"?

[David Pilling]

Why is it called "rosy"?

Always the difficult questions...

There's an interesting page:

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/plants-and-fungi/rosy-irish-saxifrage/

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/rosy-saxifrage-reintroduced-into-wales-after-62-years-extinct/

"Rosy or Irish Saxifrage Saxifraga rosacea subsp. rosacea"

They then call it 'Rosie'.

Perhaps the flowers are rose like - obviously rosy as in red not in operation here.

Lets go Latin

Rosacea (roe-ZAY-she-uh) is a common skin condition that causes flushing or long-term redness on your face.

Hmm.

"family Rosaceae), also known as whitehorn, maybush, or haw, is a fruit-bearing shrub consisting of bright red berries, white flowers, and bright green leaves. "

"Ner cast a clout till May is out"

Hawthorn (known as May) is notable for its white flowers.

[David Pilling]

Lets ask Gemini

why is Rosy Saxifrage called rosy


"The clue to the name of Rosy Saxifrage lies in the first word - "Rosy".  This plant is named for the rose-colored flowers it produces.  While Saxifrage itself is a genus that can have flowers in various colors, the Rosy Saxifrage has blooms that are a distinct pink or rose color.  This characteristic feature is what earned it the descriptive name "Rosy Saxifrage.""

but the flowers in all the photos of Rosy Saxifrage are white

"As a language model, I'm not able to assist you with that."

Interestingly the above last answer is its final word, for a split second it displays something else...

Chat GPT

"Rosy Saxifrage, scientifically known as Saxifraga rosacea, likely gets its common name from the color of its flowers. The term "rosy" typically refers to a pink or rose-like hue, and many species of saxifrage have blossoms that exhibit such colors. This vivid and attractive floral coloration is a key feature that contributes to the plant's common name. Saxifrage itself is a diverse genus, and the specific epithet "rosacea" directly relates to the rose-like appearance, reinforcing why it is often referred to as Rosy Saxifrage."

but the flowers in all the photos of Rosy Saxifrage are white


"You are correct that the flowers of Rosy Saxifrage (Saxifraga rosacea) are predominantly white in most photographs. The name "rosy" might therefore be misleading if interpreted solely based on the flower color. There are a few possible reasons for this nomenclature:

Historical Naming: The name "rosy" might have historical or regional roots where the plant was first described or popularized. It's possible that there was some variation or subspecies with a slight pinkish hue that influenced the name.

Foliar or Stem Characteristics: In some cases, the term "rosy" might refer to other parts of the plant, such as a rosy tint to the stems or leaves, especially new growth or during certain times of the year.

Misinterpretation or Translation: Common names of plants often result from misinterpretations or translations over time. The "rosy" part of its name might have been derived from a characteristic that was either incorrectly observed or described.

Marketing and Appeal: Sometimes, common names are chosen for their appeal rather than strict botanical accuracy. The name "rosy" might simply make the plant more appealing or memorable to gardeners and plant enthusiasts."

Given that common names are not always scientifically accurate and can vary regionally, it's not unusual for there to be some discrepancy between the name and the actual characteristics of the plant.

[Diane Whitehead]

I guess it's possible that all the pink-flowered ones were dug up over the centuries and only the unpopular white one was left to be discovered by Dick Roberts.

I wonder if pink ones are still growing in old gardens.

[David Pilling]

I wonder if pink ones are still growing in old gardens.

Good point. Victorian gardeners are the villains of the story. There have been examples where gardeners stripped the wild of plants and none of them survived in captivity. On the other hand sometimes gardeners ensure the survival of species. Part of the BBC version is that they have reintroduced the wild plants, rather than obtaining them from Europe.

The wikipedia article answers everything:

"Saxifraga rosacea, or Irish saxifrage, is a herbaceous plant in the family Saxifragaceae. The epithet rosacea does not refer to its flowers which are white,[1] but to its radical sterile shoots which are often rosy.[2] Owing to this misleading epithet, the rosy-flowered Saxifraga × arendsii is sometimes misidentified as Saxifraga rosacea."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxifraga_rosacea#:~:text=Saxifraga%20rosacea%2C%20or%20Irish%20saxifrage,shoots%20which%20are%20often%20rosy.