Fort Liberty Series – Bull Nettle

 Note from the Author: New wild plant!

 

 

This plant is a great example of look but don't touch. Turns out I'm kinda immune to it though since I handled it just thinking it was somewhat prickly and not dangerous; go figure.

 

Common Name: Bull Nettle

 

Other Common Names: Finger Rot, Spurge Nettle, Tread Softly.

 

Botanical Family: Euphorbiaceae (The Poinsettia Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Cnidoscolus stimulosus

 

Description & Habitat:

          Bull Nettle is a plant that catches the eye because it looks so strange that one has to wonder if it even belongs in the landscape at all. It is a perennial member of the Poinsettia family that has an upright stature and is commonly found in Long leaf Pinelands, Turkey Oak Scrub lands, by the roadside and in fields that have been allowed to lay fallow in North Carolina. Bull Nettle’s leaves are palmately lobed and may have anywhere from three to five lobes that make the leaf resemble a fig or grape leaf in shape. Two of this plant’s alternate names are apt warnings as it is known as Finger Rot and Tread Softly because the plant is covered in stinging hairs much like Stinging Nettle. The hairs on Bull nettle are why its specific epithet is ‘stimulosus’ which when translated from Latin means to goad or to prod.  The issue with this plant is that it has a long taproot and is very difficult to transplant, it also in the garden is noted to become weedy and hard to control. Although the white tube flowers are very pretty and the foliage is interesting, this plant may be one that has no use in foraging except as some form of defensive landscaping.

 

Special Toxicity Note:  

          This plant contains an as yet unidentified cyanogenic glycoside and thus is not suitable for use as a food, herb or medicine.

 

When & What to Harvest:

          This plant is not considered safe to eat.

 

Related Plants:

          None are noted in reference material however, some online sites suggest that (Cnidoscolus urens) is a different plant. In reality, the aforementioned plant is a outdated botanical Latin name for Bull Nettle.

 

Recipe:

          Unfortunately, there are no recipes for this one.

 

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cnidoscolus-stimulosus/

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

None known.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

Spring Plants

Basil, Sweet Genovese

Onion, Yellow Salad

Pepper, Carolina Wonder Bell (mild)

Pepper, Ancho/Poblano (spicy 1-2k SHU)

Pepper, Jalafuego (spicy, 4-6k SHU)

Pepper, Ghost (hot!!, 1-1.2 million SHU)

Pepper, Carolina Reaper (hot!!! 1.5-2.2 million SHU)

Tomato, Lemon Cherry

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Midnight Snack

Tomato, Black Krim

Tomato, Lemon Boy

 

Summer Plants

-TBA-

 

Garden Supply

Live Mushroom Compost, 1 Gallon

Live Mushroom Compost, 3 Gallon

 

Plants Coming Soon:

Spineless Prickly Pear

-Others TBA-

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): ‘Phenomenal’ Lavender

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 16^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. If you can’t make it to the City Market come on down to the North South Brewery Market which is at 304 Williams Street (Right off West Russel Street), between 1pm and 5pm every Saturday.

Jewels of Opar

Note from the Author: I have never covered this plant before…

 

 

A good look at the ovate foliage and it's color. There are variegated versions of this plant.

Note the orange seed pod on the right.

A close up of the flowers and new seed pods.

The entire plant as seen in the test garden. It has overtaken the intended Zataar plant that is supposed to be there

 

Common Name: Jewels of Opar

 

Other Common Names: Flame Flower

 

Botanical Family: Talinaceae (The Talinum Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Talinum paniculatum

 

Description & Habitat: In the urban environment this plant may be found growing under the cover of shrub hedgerows and along roadsides or appearing in lawns or old garden beds. The leaves of Jewels of Opar are roughly ovate in shape and are borne in alternate arrangement on the plant. The foliage is also widely considered to be succulent or semi-succulent and has a rich medium green color with a pronounced central midrib. The flowers are tiny pink and bear five petals. The seed capsules of this plant can be orange, red, gold, brown or gray in color. This plant has a long bright orange colored taproot that can reach several feet across a hard surface to find soil. Plants may be up to five feet tall and have a three-foot spread and this plant is a hardy perennial in zone 8b.

 

Special Toxicity Note:  According to at least one credible source this plant may contain a small amount of Oxalic Acid in its foliage. This source goes on to state it gives a sour or tangy taste however most other sources indicate the flavor of this plants foliage is mild. It is unknown if this is just a trait of a specific population of plants or a normal thing.

 

When & What to Harvest: The foliage can be harvested as a leaf green and the flower stalks cut for fresh floral arrangements or dried in dried arrangements due to the brightly colored seed pods.

 

Related Plants: None are of note.

 

Recipe:  Since the foliage of this plant is used like spinach it can be concluded that it can be substituted in any spinach recipe.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talinum_paniculatum

 

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

https://www.southernexposure.com/products/jewels-of-opar-fame-flower/

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

Fresh Produce:

Blueberries, Rabbiteye

Figs, Magnolia

Peppers, Banana Drop Hybrid

 

Summer Vegetables:

Nightshade Greens, Gbognome

Nightshade Greens, West African Njama

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Potato, Adirondack (Purple skin with blue-purple flesh)

Spinach, Egyptian

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Basil, Sweet Genovese

Chives

Yarrow, Parker’s Gold

 

 

Flowers:

Flowering Tobacco

Hibiscus, Luna Red

Marigolds

 

Plants Coming Soon:

Green-Fruit Nightshade Greens

Rainbow Quinoa

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Milk Thistle

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is July 12^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Daylily II

 Note from the Author: I previously covered Daylilies on March 17^th 2023

 

Tawny Daylily

'Gentle Shepherd' Daylilies in the afternoon sun.

An unknown Hybrid Daylily created by Rodger Mercer.

'Gentle Shepherd' Daylilies in morning light.

 

 

Common Name: Daylily

 

Other Common Names: Day lily.

 

Botanical Family: Asphodelaceae (The Day Lily Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Hemerocallis species

 

Description & Habitat: Dayliles are generally found in one of their hybrid forms in the urban landscape. Typically they will be a clump-forming herbaceous perennial which can produce flower stalks that are up to 2.5 feet tall in some species. Daylilies are native to Asia and parts of Europe and have become naturalized in North America. Daylilies are not a true lily and their genus name comes from the Greek words Hemera meaning day and Kallos meaning beauty. Speaking strictly in terms of Hybrid varieties Daylilies have leaves that clasp the central stem and are roughly lanceolate in shape with no discernable petiole. The foliage on hybrid Daylilies is almost always plain green and the leaves will be long enough to bend in the middle forming an arch. Flowers are borne on stalks above the foliage and depending on the specific hybrid’s traits there will a variable number of flowers per stalk but in general the individual flowers only last a day. Daylilies can be found in the urban landscape most plentifully along the roadside of the Interstate where they have been planted by the hundreds to help with erosion and for beautification purposes.

 

Special Toxicity Note: Unfortunately the entirety of the Daylily is toxic to Cats. This means the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase full of Daylilies poses a threat. A small amount can cause fatal kidney failure in Cats and this will manifest in less than three days. The toxin itself has not been specifically isolated but if you see the known signs of lily poisoning in your Cat get them to a veterinarian immediately. Symptoms include drooling, vomiting and loss of appetite in the first 12 hours or so. After this your Cat will display signs of kidney damage and will urinate more frequently and will suffer dehydration as a result. Kidney Failure follows within a day or three. Only early treatment at the first sign of illness can prevent permanent damage to your pet.

 

When & What to Harvest: Young leaves and shoots, unopened flower buds and Opened flowers and the tubers.

 

Edible Related Plants: Tawny Daylily (H. fulva).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  There are a lot of plants called ‘lily’ such as Canna Lilies (Canna), Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis), Water lilies (Nymphaea) and Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia).

 

Recipe:  Sautéed Daylily

 

Ingredients:

    2 Cups of unopened Daylily buds

    1 Tablespoon salted butter

    2 Tablespoons olive oil

    Half of a red onion

    Harlem Garlic Pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry daylily buds.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in skillet and sauté onion until lightly caramelized.

3. Add daylily buds and sauté until softened.

4. Season with Harlem Garlic Pepper and serve with rice.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hemerocallis/

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=282203

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

-Numerous garden centers, nurseries, botanical gardens and order-by-mail/internet vendors sell daylilies of all shapes sizes and colors.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the Plant Sale at Smith Recreation Center on Slater.

 

Summer Vegetables:

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Potato, Adirondak (Purple skin with blue-purple flesh)

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Brown Sugar

West African Njama Nightshade Greens

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Chives

 

Flowers:

Balsam Impatiens

Batchelor’s Button ‘Blue Boy’

Batchelor’s Button ‘Black Boy’

 

Plants Coming Soon:

Green-Fruit Nightshade Greens

Gbognome Nightshade Greens

Rainbow Quinoa

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Perennial Ground Cherry

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is June 14^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Spiny Sowthistle

 Note from the Author: This post isn’t technically a redo but more of a full-on correction. On April 7^th 2022, I did a fill write-up about Sow Thistle and did not notice at the time my photos were of Spiny Sowthistle a close relative. So today we have a fully corrected post for all of you to enjoy.

 

 

This Spiny Sowthistle emerged later in spring between stonework in Downtown Fayetteville and has likely been stepped on a few times and possibly string trimmed.

This SPiny Sowthistle was found at the PWC facility in early spring.

 

Common Name: Prickly Sowthistle

 

Other Common Names: Spiney Sowthistle, Spiny-leaved Sow-Thistle, Rough Milk Thistle and, Sharp-Fringed Sow Thistle.

 

Botanical Family: Asteraceae (The Aster Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Sonchus asper

 

Description & Habitat: Prickly Sowthistle is a cool-season annual or biennial that can reach a height of six feet tall. When found in the urban landscape however, this non-native plant is often less than half of the aforementioned height. A prickly Sowthistle’s leaves are in alternate arrangement on the plant’s hollow stems and the leaves are roughly lanceolate in shape. The leaf shape can vary somewhat due to curls and lobes on the leaf which can cause misidentification as Prickly Sowthistle can sometimes resemble Prickly Lettuce or a number of other members of the Aster family. There also appears to be some variation on leaf shape relative to where this plant’s seed germinates and when it germinates. Prickly Sowthistle can be found in disturbed sites like roadsides, fields, railroad intersections, and in embankments. It also will appear in garden beds, between the cracks of concrete or asphalt and in fields, yards and occasionally in potted outdoor plants. The best time to look for this plant is in spring while the plants are small, but developed enough to tell them from other similar looking cool-season annuals.

 

When & What to Harvest: With Prickly Sowthistle, the parts you want are mainly the leaves while they are no longer than 4”. The taproot before the plant flowers is viable as a food source also the flowers can be used in the same ways one might use Dandelion blossoms.

 

Edible Related Plants: Annual Sowthistle (S. oleraceus).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  None are known.

 

Recipe:  Sautéed Sow Thistle

 

4 cups of chopped young (1-4" long leaves) Spiny Sowthistle

Butter or oil

1 cup of Bone broth (any other form of broth can be substituted)

1 tsp of dried garlic (4 cloves if fresh)

1 tsp. flour

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Wash your greens thoroughly and cut away the spiny bits if they are too firm.

2. Heat the oil/butter in your pan and then add the leaves.

3. Stir the leaves to make sure they get a nice coating of the oil.

4. Bring the pan with the leaves to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

5. Add the garlic the flour and the salt and pepper.

6. Stir everything and add another tablespoon of butter or oil and cook until the greens are fully soft.

7. Serve with rice.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sonchus-asper/

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

As far as I know, there is no credible vendor that sells the seeds for this plant.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Spring Plants:

Chicory, Italian

Chicory, Garnet Stem

Ground Cherries, Perennial

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Rice, Upland

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Midnight Snack

Tomato, Lemon Boy

Tomato, Brown Sugar

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Chives

Milk Thistle

Morenga

Savory, Summer

 

Ornamental & Flowers:

Castor Bean, Giant

Flowering Maple, ‘Orange Hot Lava’

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Za’atar

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 10^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.