Plants in the News

[Diane Whitehead]

Does vinegar kill weeds? 

Long ago I went to a garden supply store to get some vinegar to kill weeds.  It wasn't in the main part of the store, but was in a separate room with dangerous chemicals.  I forget whether one needed a permit to buy it.  I didn't get any, and continued my usual routine:  don't let weeds go to seed, and dig them out. 

[David Pilling]

I believe people put vinegar on their fish and chips... can't be that bad.

I went to a garden supply store to get some vinegar to kill weeds.

[David Pilling]

Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'

'Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism".'

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-deliberately-felled-2023-09-28/

[Carlos]

Hi, three of my mate Narcissophiles went in 2021 to the 'deep Galicia' in NW Spain and found one single hybrid cyclamineus × pseudonarcissus.

These are native here, unlike in UK, where cyclamineus is a feral plant, and maybe also pseudonarcissus. But the hybrid appeared here long ago and was namen Narcissus × monochromus.

This eas the first report of a truly wild specimen of this hybrid.

Here is the link to the paper:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12225-023-10129-5

Carlos

[ksayce]

Lost Flower Makes a Stunning Return
From New Scientist, 4 November 2023, in Really Brief section on page 19

The mini galaxy (Moraea minima), a small plant with pale yellow iris-like flowers, is unique to a tiny area of South Africa. It hadn't been seen since 1981 and was thought to be extinct, but it has now been found blooming in the middle of a gravel road.

[David Pilling]

Peace lilies 'flower like crazy' and 'grow faster' when using 13p solution 'once a week'

Posting a picture of her thriving houseplants, She wrote: "I have been watering my peace lily with banana peel water.

It has been flowering like crazy with big flowers and growing faster. I have also been watering my other plants with banana water. All are going great."

Bananas contain a ton of potassium, which is one-third of fertiliser (along with nitrogen and phosphorus).

Potassium helps plants move nutrients and water between their cells. It is especially helpful for plants that flower - like peace lilies.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1833496/peace-lily-flowering-grow-faster

[David Pilling]

Ukraine's national seed bank relocates from Kharkiv to safer place

KYIV, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine's national seed bank, one of the world's largest, has been successfully moved from the frontline eastern city of Kharkiv to a safer location, Crop Trust, a non profit organisation said on Thursday.

"As part of a year-long effort, the Ukrainian genebank system... has successfully and safely transported over 50,000 seeds from Kharkiv to a more secure location," Crop Trust, the body set up by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said in a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-national-seed-bank-relocates-kharkiv-safer-place-2023-11-23/

[David Pilling]

Popular garden plant BANNED after it turns out to be rapid-spreading invasive species

"A popular garden plant has been banned after being identified as a rapidly-spreading invasive species.

The South American giant rhubarb plant, also known as Gunnera (manicata), spreads quickly and chokes native flora."

https://www.gbnews.com/lifestyle/gardening/giant-rubard-banned-invasive-species


(talking about the UK, aka "Brazilian giant rhubarb")

[CG100]

Popular garden plant BANNED after it turns out to be rapid-spreading invasive species

True to a point, apparently. Mentioned on GQT? Somewhere on R4 for sure.

Apparently someone checked the genes of a lot of different Gunnera in the UK and the great majority is a hybrid (details of the other partner, apart from true G. manicata, will be found online somewhere....). The non-mannicata species was already banned, but the principal with hybrid anything is that the hybrid assumes the position of the "worst case" parent.

It really is total nonsense. Whatever the plant is or is not in the UK, it is borderline hardy once you get away from warm coastal areas and the SW.

The plant will not have to be removed from UK gardens, but propagation and sale are now illegal, unless you can prove that the plant is not a hybrid, but genuine mannicata.

I have no idea if it is still there, but there was a Gunnera "forest" around the lake in Paignton Zoo - very, very impressive.

[David Pilling]

I recall many happy gardeners proudly showing off their Gunneras on BBC TV's Gardeners' World - enviro-criminals.

The story is in many of Saturday's UK newspapers. The Telegraph reckons it might be illegal to water the plant.

Shows the powers that be will change the rules when they want to.

[janemcgary]

Interesting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb." In Chile people harvest the stems and not only cook them (after peeling off the spiny outer layer) but also make a kind of liquor from them. Learned that when we happened on a group of locals getting the stems in a stream drainage. They were going to make booze.

[CG100]

Interesting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb."

I don't think that I have ever heard anyone with any kind of gardening interest or knowledge use the name in the UK - it is always called Gunnera.

Otherwise, I suppose it is an obvious common name to pick.

Quite why there is now this hue and cry about it is difficult to understand. Apart from Paignton Zoo, I have never seen anything but (very) modest clumps and in most of the UK it needs to be buried under plenty of straw each winter to protect againgst anything but very mild frosts.

[Robert_Parks]

Interesting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb."

I don't think that I have ever heard anyone with any kind of gardening interest or knowledge use the name in the UK - it is always called Gunnera.

Otherwise, I suppose it is an obvious common name to pick.

Quite why there is now this hue and cry about it is difficult to understand. Apart from Paignton Zoo, I have never seen anything but (very) modest clumps and in most of the UK it needs to be buried under plenty of straw each winter to protect againgst anything but very mild frosts.

Presumably G. tinctoria is already banned? No surprised that it hybridizes freely...they are pretty similar. It volunteers freely in Golden Gate Park, but it appears that gardeners weed it preferentially when seedling appear out of place. Otherwise quite marginal given the frost sensitivity and moisture requirements. There are some impressive stands in the park, often placed under tree ferns (or in some cases, over planted with tree ferns).

[CG100]

Presumably G. tinctoria is already banned?

Yes, banned a few years ago, hence my comment about worst case parent.

If you look at the "logic" of the whole thing, it is being banned because it is a hybrid of a banned species, no other reason. Maybe somewhere down in SW England, or somewhere very close to the coast in the W of Scotland (which actually has a very mild climate over large parts due to it getting "hit" by the Gulf Stream), there are large stands of the plant outside of gardens and parks, "feral"?

I have lived in S Devon and W Scotland, and saw no evidence of any problems.

[Robert_Parks]

Presumably G. tinctoria is already banned?

Yes, banned a few years ago, hence my comment about worst case parent.

If you look at the "logic" of the whole thing, it is being banned because it is a hybrid of a banned species, no other reason. Maybe somewhere down in SW England, or somewhere very close to the coast in the W of Scotland (which actually has a very mild climate over large parts due to it getting "hit" by the Gulf Stream), there are large stands of the plant outside of gardens and parks, "feral"?

I have lived in S Devon and W Scotland, and saw no evidence of any problems.

Sounds like there is someone who has a hate on for tinctoria, and they are well connected or very persistent to drive this. Next they'll try for manicata. I think the next Gunneras in cultivation are quite a bit smaller.