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Tag: Seed of the Week (Page 65 of 142)

Seed of the Week: Wolfberry or Thornbush

March 19, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Our mystery seeds from last week came from a wolfberry or thornbush, genus Lycium.

wolfberries-multiple

At least ten different species of wolfberries or thornbush grow in Arizona. Some common species are the Anderson thornbush, Lycium andersonii, Berlandier wolfberry, Lycium berlanderi, and the Fremont thornbush, Lycium fremontii.

wolfberry-berries

They are known for their lovely orange to red fruit.

wolfberry-plant

The plants can grow to be large, somewhat messy-looking shrubs.

wolfberry-flower

Regardless of their appearance, wolfberries are wonderful for wildlife gardens. Bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds will visit the purple to lavender flowers.

wolfberry-flower-and-fruit

A variety of birds and other wildlife eat the berries, which are often on the bush at the same time as the flowers.

The berries of the most species are also edible for humans. In fact, two species of Lycium from Asia have been used for their medicinal properties for thousands of years.

Caution: Wolfberries are related to some plants that can be poisonous – the nightshades- which can also have red berries and purple flowers. See for example the bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara. Also, avoid unripe berries.

Wolfberries are drought tolerant and grow easily in the desert. They can be started from seeds or purchased as plants from the nursery.

If you are interested in growing wildlife-friendly low-water-use plants, give wolfberries a try!

Interested in learning more about berries that grow in the West?

wild-berries-book

Wild Berries of the West by Betty B. Derig and Margaret Fuller

Paperback: 235 pages
Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company (June 1, 2003)
ISBN-10: 0878424334
ISBN-13: 978-0878424337

Seed of the Week: Poison Ivy

March 12, 2013 / / 6 Comments

Both Sara and Deb recognized the white berries from last week as poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans.

poison-ivy

Because poison ivy is toxic and can cause an itchy rash on contact, this is a plant that it pays to be able to identify. One of the favorite mantras is “Leaves of three, let it be,” the ‘leaves’ in this case being technically leaflets of a compound leaf.

The leaflets can vary quite a bit in shape, being toothed or lobed along the edges depending on season and age of the leaves.

One characteristic that is less variable is the fact that the petiolule (the thin “stem” that attaches the leaflets to each other) of the center leaflet is a much longer than that of the two side leaflets, which you can see on the center leaf in the photograph. Although this isn’t the best focus, you can also see the flowers at the top, along the stem where the leaves attach.

poison-ivy-berry

In the fall the flowers produce clusters of white to beige berries.

poison-ivy-vine-on-tree

In this case the poison ivy plant is the vine that has attached itself to the trunk of a tree. Poison ivy may also grow along the ground or have a shrubby appearance. Botanists aren’t sure whether the very different growth forms are different varieties of one species or are actually separate species.

poison-ivy-vine-on-tree-2

All the deep red to golden yellow leaves in this picture are the fall foliage of the poison ivy.

By the way, one identifying characteristic of poison ivy vines is supposed to be having a lot of fine aerial roots giving the vine a hairy appearance. Obviously the experts did not tell this vine, because it is definitely poison ivy and it doesn’t have numerous aerial roots.

Poison ivy occurs throughout much of North America, where it is native, and it has also been introduced to other areas throughout the world. Poison ivy is often found growing along roadsides and trails or other areas where the habitat is disturbed.

Does poison ivy grow where you live? Does your family have another saying to help with identification besides “Leaves of three, let it be”? Be sure to let us know.

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