Creeping Prickly Pear

 

 

This specimen was spotted during the Wild Harvest Tour out in Camden NC.

 

 

 

Common Name: Creeping Prickly Pear

 

Other Common Names: ‘Lawn Peyote’ (incorrectly) but also, Devil’s Tongue, Eastern Prickly Pear cactus, Low Prickly Pear, Smooth Prickly Pear and, Spreading Prickly Pear.

 

Botanical Family: Cactaceae (The Cactus Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Opuntia humifusa

 

Description & Habitat: Eastern Prickly pear is commonly found all over the Southeastern United States. While its habitat can vary as it can be found in vacant lots, in forests, as part of intentional landscaping and just growing wild it always prefers soil that has excellent drainage. You are more likely to find this plant growing prostrate against the ground in the wild which is why its specific epithet ‘humifusa’ means prostrate or sprawling referring to its wild growth habit. The name Opuntia is a combination of the name of a Greek town called Opus where a similar plant grows and ‘punti’ which means spined. In general you can identify this plant as it will always have waxy green pads that are roughly teardrop shaped and it is covered with a variety of spines of two types, the big ones are simply called spines and the small fine ones called Glochids (Glo-kids). Prickly Pears long ago evolved to have no leaves in the normal sense as the closest thing they have are the spines and glochids and the small temporary leaf-like structures that appear on new pads. The pads themselves are just heavily modified stems that have evolved to make these plants highly resistant to arid environments.

 

When & What to Harvest: There are two things that you would want to harvest here, firstly are the pads which are called Nopales if fully intact, and Nopalitos after the skin and spines are removed or cooked off. The fruit of this plant are called Tuna or Nostle (from Nahuatl). Typically you would harvest the pads as needed, and the fruit is ready for harvest in mid to late summer once it is uniformly colored a rose-red.

 

Non-Dangerous Lookalikes:  A lot of cacti have the same basic features but Prickly Pears are very specific in form and have very few other cacti that look like them.

 

Related Dangerous Species:  None, the Prickly Pears are all relatively safe.

 

Recipe:  Prickly Pear Jelly

 

Ingredients:

 

4 cups cactus fruit juice

½ cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar

2 packages of pectin

 

Directions:

1. Put the juices in a large pot and bring to a full boil.

2. Add the sugar and pectin.

3. Boil until the mixture becomes gel-like in consistency.

4. Pour the mix unto warm sterilized jars and seal them tightly.

5. Allow the jars to cool at room temperature before putting them away in your pantry.

 

 

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/opuntia-humifusa/

 

 

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.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Turnips

Parsnips

Onions

Celery

Potatoes

Garlic Bulbs

Oyster Mushrooms

 

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

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

Houseplants:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

 

*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 (-): [The channel is on Hiatus until 2025]

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is January 18^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Birdfoot Violet

 

This was a small one spotted by a dirt road during one of last year's Wild Harvest Tours.

Common Name: Birdfoot Violet

 

Other Common Names: Bird’s-foot Violet, Bird-foot Violet

 

Botanical Family: Violaceae (The Violet Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Viola pedata

 

Description & Habitat:

Birdfoot Violet is best described as a low-growing perennial that can get about 10” tall with flowers that are roughly the size of those found on cultivated annual Violas or some varieties of Pansies. Typically the flower is the best identification feature because you might spot it from further away as they are dark to pale purple with a white and yellow center. The leaves of this plant are often about ¾ to 2” in length and are deeply cut into 3 to 5 segments that are heavily lobed. The leaf is lobed enough that it is often thought to resemble a bird’s foot hence the plant’s common name. These native perennials are herbaceous and may go dormant at certain times of the year in North Carolina. They prefer dry upland forested sites and can be found sometimes by the side of dirt roads. Unlike other Violets these plants do not reproduce vegetatively and spread only by seed. Their flowers are very visible in the spring in the partial to full shade environments they prefer. which will aid you in locating them. This plant  in the past has been known by the botanical Latin names Viola pedanta var. concolor, V.p. var. lineariloba and, V.p. var ranunculifolia

 

When & What to Harvest:  Since this is a slow-growing herb it is wise to only take what you need and even then it might be wiser to forage on other related Violet species which reproduce faster. With that said, this perennial’s flowers and young leaves are edible raw or cooked and can be added to soups to thicken the broth in the same way one might use Okra. You can make tea from the leaves and the flowers can be candied, a poultice of the leaces can be used to relieve headaches and in the past infusions of this plant have been used to treat dysentery, coughs and the symptoms of a cold. One should take care not to use the flowers of this plant if they are yellow, as this mutation can cause gastrointestinal distress if consumed in large amounts.

 

Non-Dangerous Lookalikes:  As far as I know there is nothing that looks like this.

 

Related Dangerous Species:  None, the Violet family are relatively safe.

 

Recipe:  A basic Syrup recipe using Violet flowers.

 

Ingredients:

2 Cups of loosely packed Violet flowers with all the green parts removed.

3 Cups of water

1 Cup of granulated Sugar

½ Teaspoon of Lemon juice

 

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 cup of water to boiling.

2. Put flowers in a bowl or container that will not be damaged by heat.

3. Pour boiling water over the flowers.

4. stir the flower-water mix to ensure all flowers are properly submerged.

5. Cover the container and let it sit at room temperature for up to 2 days.

6. In a pan add the two cups of water and the sugar and heat until the sugar dissolves.

7. Gently pour the violet-water into the sugar-water mix; you may need a strainer for this.

8. Add the lemon juice.

9. Allow to cool and then transfer to a bottle and then refrigerate.

 

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=vipe

 

You can get seeds and live plants here:

https://www.prairiemoon.com/viola-pedata-birds-foot-violet

 

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.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Turnips

Parsnips

Onions

Celery

Potatoes

Garlic Bulbs

Oyster Mushrooms

 

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

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

Houseplants:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

 

*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 (-): [The channel is on Hiatus until 2025]

 

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

Miner's Lettuce

This picture is courtesy of Mary's Heirloom Seeds who had the best picture of Claytonia. It's a bit early to grow it in the Carolinas right now so stay tuned and I'll have a video about it in 2025.

 

 

Common Name: Miner’s Lettuce

 

Other Common Names: Rooreh, Indian Lettuce, Winter Purselane.

 

Botanical Family: Monticeae (The Claytonia Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Clatonia perfoliata

 

Description & Habitat: Miner’s Lettuce is a succulent plant with slender green stems that grow through the centers of circular leaves on flowering stems. Non-flowering stems can have leaves with a heart shape to them. Non-mature plants can display an array of leaf shapes no part of this plant is toxic or poisonous and this plant is native to the Western Mountain and Coastal regions of North America. This forage-ready plant prefers a cool and damp but not constantly wed environment and the plant will often emerge after the first heavy rains of the year. Miner’s Lettuce is a cold to cool season annual that will readily resow itself and is available in seed form through numerous credible seed vendors with good regularity. Plants can grow about 12 inches tall and flowers are small and pink or white colored. This plant is tied into American history because it was of great important to miner’s health during the California Gold Rush. During Late winter and early spring it was hard for miners to find foods that were rich in Vitamin C and so Miner’s Lettuce became associated with prospectors and warded off Scurvy which is caused by a severe deficiency of Vitamin C in one’s diet. Scurvy as an illness was known as far back as Ancient Egypt however Vitamin C itself was not isolated until 1928 and then was called Hexuronic Acid. The California Gold rush was between 1848 and 1855 so the miners might have known something about Scurvy but possibly not what caused it or how to treat it in specific. It is estimated that about 10,000 men died of Scurvy during the California Gold Rush, part of which was due to ships having to take the long route around the southernmost tip of South America because the Panama Canal would not even be started by the French until 1881. The United State would not acquire the Canal until 1904, and we would not finish it until 1914. So the long trip across the sea and land was partially to blame for making Scurvy so prevalent during the time period. So, how does Miner’s lettuce play into all this? Miner’s lettuce once known as a way to ward off Scurvy may have saved thousands of lives and became a part of the diet of Gold Rush miners.

 

When & What to Harvest:  In the winter and into spring the foliage of this plant is edible and nutritious.

 

Non-Dangerous Lookalikes:  The heart shaped leaves of this plant do somewhat resemble members of the Violet (Viola sp.) family such as English Violet (Viola odorata).

 

Related Dangerous Species:  None are known.

 

Recipe:  This plant is safe enough to be eaten as the main ingredient of a salad in raw form. It also can be cooked like spinach and its flavor is similar when cooked.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=clpe

(Note, the above link has a error on the page where it says Miner's lettuce is in the Portulaca family, it's not in that family.)

 

 

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.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Garlic Bulbs

Blue Oyster Mushrooms

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

 

House Plants for the Holidays:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

*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!

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 (-): [The channel is on Hiatus until 2025]

 

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