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 In reality, the aforementioned plant is a outdated botanical Latin name for Bull Nettle.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.

American Mistletoe

 Note from the Author: I’ve mentioned this plant before but no real write-up.

 

Here's a good close up

This cluster is growing on a Ornamental Cherry tree near the downtown library.

This larger cluster is doing pretty well, notice how the branch is bent? This is not from weight but the scar tissue and callusing caused by the Mistletoe's haustoria.

Seen from the bridge down the road from the Headquarters library in Downtown Fayetteville.

 

Common Name: American Mistletoe

 

Other Common Names: Mistletoe, False Mistletoe, Oak Mistletoe

 

Botanical Family: Santalaceae (The Sandalwood Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Phoradendron leucarpum (aka P. flavescens, P. serotinum)

 

Description & Habitat:  American Mistletoe like most other true Mistletoe are considered a hemiparasite in that they do have chlorophyll in sufficient quantity to photo synthesize but lack a traditional root system. American Mistletoe is almost exclusively found growing on trees. American Mistletoe uses a root like structure called a Haustoria, that digs into its host plant to extract water and nutrients. These specialized roots can go up or down the branches of a host and penetrate the Xylem and Phloem. American Mistletoe is evergreen and is often spotted as strange leafy blobs seen high up in deciduous trees after the trees have dropped their leaves in autumn. Up close American Mistletoe is best described as medium green in color with oppositely arranged leaves that a leathery to the touch and oblong in shape. This plant’s flowers are inconspicuous to a point of barely being noticed. The flowers are small native species of bees, wasps flies and ants. The flowers might also be marginally wind pollinated. The white berries of American Mistletoe are of note because they are how this plant spreads. Each berry is coated in a sticky substance that causes it to stick to the beaks and feet of birds who then rub the seeds off on surfaces such as other trees. Additionally since birds eat the berries the seeds get dispersed in the usual bird-oriented way as expected.

 

Special Toxicity Note:  This plant is poisonous to People, Cats, Dogs and Horses. Although most references say it is toxic if large quantities are eaten that is relative to body weight of the victim. Symptoms of American Mistletoe poisoning include; Stomach and intestinal irritation with diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, lowered blood pressure, and slow pulse.

 

The primary poison compounds in this plant are Amine, toxalbumin, pharatoxin viscumin (Lectins, Phoratoxins), the berries are the worst part but it is possible the foliage is just as dangerous so don’t take any risks out there.

 

When & What to Harvest: You can harvest sprigs of this plant for holiday festivities but do not harvest this plant as any sort of food or medicine.

 

Related Plants:  European Mistletoe (Viscum album), Pacific Mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum), Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium sp.)

 

Recipe: Not Edible, don’t even try.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phoradendron-leucarpum/

 

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

-if you are determined you can find clusters of this plant in trees all over downtown Fayetteville and those clusters are especially visible in winter.

 

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.

 

Fall Produce:

Garlic, softneck

Soup Kits, Parsnip

Soup Kits, Turnip

Carrots

Celery

Onions

Parsnips

Red Potatoes

Turnips

Sweet Potatoes

 

Plants Coming Soon:

TBA, new stuff in spring

 

 

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 (-): [On Winter Haitus]

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is January 3rd at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Carolina Horsenettle II

Note from the Author: I previously covered this plant on February 16^th 2024.

 

 

It does not take much for these pesky plants to emerge from the earth.

This one was a few feet away from the above one, they probably have rhizomes running for quite a distance under the cement.

This one came up within a fence a few more feet away from the other two.

 

Common Name: Carolina Horsenettle

 

Other Common Names: Radical Weed, Sand Breier, Sand Briar, Bull Nettle, Tread-Softly, Devil’s Tomato, Wild Tomato, Apple of Sodom, Devil’s Potato, Horsenettle, Poisonous Potato and, Thorn Apple.

 

Botanical Family: Solanaceae (The Nightshade Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Solanum carolinense

 

Description & Habitat: You can always Identify Carolina Horsenettle by a few traits that it always seems to have. The leaves of Carolina Horsenettle are typically dull green in color and may have coarsely lobed margins. Additionally, Carolina Horsenettle will have star-shaped hairs on the margins of the foliage. In addition, the stems and undersides of the leaves will have spines that may be troublesome enough to require protective clothing. The flowers are in clusters that can have five to twenty individual star shaped flowers that will be light violent or white in color. The fruit starts as a smooth green berry that turns yellow and becomes wrinkly as it reaches maturity. The berries of this plant may stay attached to the plant through some or all of the winter even though the foliage has died off.  In the urban landscape you will find this plant popping out of random places right about now. As is seen with the included photographs cracks in cement are perfectly applicable places to find this plant. They are not too picky about soil type and can survive our heat and periodic drought just fine

 

Special Toxicity Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous to livestock, people, dogs and cats. This plant produces a toxin in all parts that is known as Solanine and this compound is most concentrated in the fall. The berries, which are bright yellow when ripe are tempting as trail forage but unfortunately they are the most toxic when ripe and have no safe period in which to eat them. The foliage is noted to be less toxic than the rest but still dangerous.

 

When & What to Harvest: This plant is not safe to eat even in desperation.

 

Edible Related Plants: White Potato (Solanum tuberosum), Tomato (S. lycopersicon), Peppers (Capsicum sp.), Eggplant (S. meongena), Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum), Bed of Nails (S. quitoense), Nightshade Greens (S. macrocarpon) and, Njama Greens (S. scabrum).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  Deadly Nightshade (Atropa bella-donna), Tropical Soda-Apple (S. viarum) Black Nightshade (S. nigrum), American Black Nightshade (S. americanum).

 

Recipe:  (None, this plant is inedible)

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-carolinense/

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

-You really do not want to grow this.

 

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, Adirondak (Purple skin with blue-purple flesh)

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Brown Sugar

 

 

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): Sago Palm

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is June 21^st at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Poison Oak (Wild Harvest Tour Special)

 Wild Harvest Tour Special Edition

 

Just to let you all know, the next few blog posts will be covering things that were exclusively seen on the Wild Harvest Tour, these are plants found in the woods of North Carolina. Some of these plants are good, some are bad but they are things you need to know about. I hope you enjoy the focused content folks.

 

https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandhills-Wild-Harvest/61557940700225/?sk=photos

 

This is Poison Oak, not to be confused with Poison Ivy. Note the free-standing upright form this plant takes.

This picture was taken at the end of April, notice the flower clusters, berries will soon follow.

Poison Ivy spreads by rhizomes that move near the soil's surface but below the leaf litter, this isn't one singular plant but a colony of them.

 

 

 

Common Name: Poison Oak

 

Other Common Names: Atlantic Poison Oak, Eastern Poison Oak

 

Botanical Family: Anacardiaceae (The Sumac Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Toxicodendron pubescens

 

Description & Habitat:  Poison oak is a native species that is deciduous and has an upright form that means it is considered a low-growing shrub. This is in direct comparison to its cousin Poison Ivy (T. radicans) which is a vining plant. This plant can grow upwards of 10 feet tall but it usually averages at about 2-4 feet. The specimens photographed for this entry were all about two feet tall. This plant is common in the coastal plains of North Carolina but can be found in wooded areas in the eastern states of the United States. Typically this plant is not found in urban areas, it is instead found in dry sandy areas in forests, natural undisturbed areas or in thickets. Although it does have a role in the wilderness of our state’s forests it is not something you want in your garden. Poison Oak spreads via rhizomes and can form large colonies as we found out on the tour. The specimens photographed were ten or more feet apart and were probably part of a large colony that spread out across a hundred feet or so. You can identify Poison Oak by its upright habit and the slightly fuzzy green, alternate leaf arrangement. Unlike with Poison Ivy Poison Oak leafs tend to be around the ends of their stems leaving bare stalks closer to the ground. In spring the flowers are a yellowish green (seen in pictures) and they are followed by tannish-white fruit which are called drupes.

 

Remember one critical thing when identifying this plant or its similar-looking cousin having three leaflets is not always accurate as many other plants that are not poisonous have three leaflets. Some examples of plants that have three leaflets or similarly shaped leaves are Virginia Creeper (most often mistaken for poison ivy), Strawberries, Barren Strawberries, Ash, Boxelder, Aromatic Sumac and even Boston Ivy. So relying on the number of leaves and their shape is not the best decision. The old rhyme from the boy scouts says: “Leaves of three let it be” and that’s where folks tend to stop. However the full rhyme has two more lines, “Berries white, flee the site, hairy rope don’t be a dope” and so ideally you want to look for two or three identification features to verify that the plant you are dealing with is dangerous. In the case of Poison oak you will find the three leaflets and the berries are close to the noted color but no ‘hairy rope’. Two is good enough to keep you safe but three is ideal, but use your best discretion in the woods.

 

All parts of Poison Oak contain a biologically active compound called Urushiol which is the same hazardous compound found in Poison Ivy (T. radicans) and Poison Sumac (T. vernix). This lovely compound is poisonous and will cause severe skin redness, itching, blistering, and swelling. Symptoms can come from direct contact, or cross contamination from clothing or tools that have been in contact with the plant. Even when in a state of dormancy there is a risk of contact causing health problems. Additionally contact with the smoke from burning this plant or its two aforementioned cousins may cause severe skin and or respiratory conditions and may require a trip to the emergency room. If you even think you have come into contact with this plant I urge that you thoroughly watch your hands clothing and tools with soap and water. At a minimum I suggest using Dawn dish detergent, but at best there are products like Tecnu which can be used as a laundry detergent and a body wash to get the Urushiol oils off your skin and out of your clothes safely.

 

As a final note on what the Latin name of this plant means, Toxicodendron is a combination of ‘toxicos’ meaning poison, and ‘dendron’ meaning tree. The specific epithet ‘pubescens’ means covered with fine hairs. The name alone tells you to look but do not touch, also you should keep your pets away as they can bring it in on their fur.

 

 

When & What to Harvest:

Just to be clear, there is nothing to harvest in the case of this plant. It is dangerous and should be noticed, avoided and left alone.

 

Poisonous Lookalikes:  Poison Ivy (T. radicans) is often called Poison Oak, but their growth habits and leaf morphology are very different. They are not the same plant and Poison Ivy is the one that typically is found in urban settings.

 

Related Edible Species: None.

 

Recipe: None, you really don’t want this in or on your body.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/toxicodendron-pubescens/

 

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

 

 

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.

 

Summer Vegetable Plants (NEW!)

Tomato – Sungold

Tomato – Midnight Snack

Tomato – Sweet 100

Tomato – Chocolate Cherry

Tomato – Lemon Boy

Tomato – Black Krim

Tomato – Paul Robeson

Tomato – Cherokee Purple

Tomato – Brandywine, Suddeth’s Strain

 

Pepper – Ancho/Poblano

Pepper – Ghost

Pepper – Carolina Reaper

 

 

Herbs (New!)

Bee Balm

Garlic

Hairy Balls Milkweed

Lemon Balm

Oregano

Sweet Genovese Basil

 

Garden Plants

Daylilies

Walking Iris

 

Coming Soon:

Dahlias

American Aloe

Yucca

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. 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): Sweet White Violet

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 4^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.