My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

And a few of the natives growing on my own property.

Morus rubra is native to eastern North America and endangered to non-existant anymore in Ontario, having been virtually wiped out because of hybridization with the introduced Asian, Morus alba.

In the wild it normally grows as an understory tree, but in cultivation, it does fine as a specimen in the open. The leaves can be very interesting, and also highly variable, even on the same tree.
Catkins in spring turn into utterly delicious sweet fruits, which resemble blackberries and are ripening now.

Platanthera psycodes is widespread, but not abundant in eastern Canada. Easy and floriferous in the garden.

The beautiful foliage of Rhus copallina, known as Flameleaf Sumac---and in case I forget to do it later, I will show you the "flaming" now. Fantastic!!!!

The Hydrophyllums are woodland groundcovers. Hydrophyllum canadense (with white flowers) has just finished flowering and H. virginianum (blue or white blooms) is at the seed formation phase.

Hypericum kalmianum exists in only one location in my area, on the Ottawa River, growing in rocky, sandy soil. It is a very long blooming, compact shrub with narrow, grey-green foliage and extremely hardy (-40C). I can normally expect 6 weeks of flowering.










 

[Lesley Cox]

Another great set of Pictures Kristl. What an amazing topic this is.

Later, you'll show us the ripe fruit of the Morus please?

I've just planted small MM. albus and nigra. They can hybridize until they're blue in the face if they want, so long as I get to eat the luscious fruit. How long do Morus take to fruit?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Kristl, this thread never ceases to amaze me ! 
Wonderful stuff !

[Katherine J]

How long do Morus take to fruit?

I don't know, but it grows very fast. In our garden appeard a morus seedling 3 years ago (I think it is M alba), and now it is 3 m tall.

[Lesley Cox]

Hopefully before I fall off my perch then.  

[Kristl Walek]

Morus rubra bears fruit anywhere from 4-10 years. Optimum fruit bearing age is 30. And I believe M. alba is a lot more vigorous than M. rubra.

Here is my first batch of fruit...these are SO GOOD it's hard to save any for seed.

I have the same quandary with my Actinidias.

[Lesley Cox]

I feel a pie coming on

[Kristl Walek]

Cystopteris bulbifera is unique in being the only fern that produces bulbils, as well as spore.

It is a smallish (30cm) species, with delicate, yellowish-green, long and narrow fronds. I grow it on my property in various environments, but it is happiest in a moist spot next to the stream. In the wild, however, I normally find it in dryish woods, or carpeting limestone cliffs in shade.

The bulbils line the underside of the fronds and roll off just about the same time as the spore is ripe.

[Paul T]

With all this talk about Morus I finally found out at a nursery today that they were Mulberries.  Had no idea what they were, other than obviously you guys raving about the fruit.  I saw Morus alba and Morus nigra (I think that was the second one) there today.  A bit big for my little yard though.  Unfortunately even one of the weeping Mulberries would be too big.  A friend used to have a massive weeping version at one point.... they had a "door" cut into the back of the branches and the area inside was well big enough to have a small table and two chairs setting in there.  Not sure I've ever actually eaten Mulberries though.

Kristl,

That fern is quite special, although I would imagine that when happy it would be fairly enthusiastic in it's spreading?  I've seen plantlets before, but never bulbils like that on a fern.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, mulberries are luscious. Very sweet but with some tartness as well. Each little juicy blob has a small hair attached to it, I guess where the pollen grain travelled to the ovule. But it's not unpleasant in the mouth at all. Squash the whole fruit with the tongue and then feel the juice slither down the throat. Mmmmmmmmmmmm

The only bad thing is that birds too, love the fruit and when flying over the washing on the clothes line, are apt to drop red,   well,   droppings.

[Kristl Walek]

This is how I deal with ferns:

Because I normally collect in the wild, it is most practical to stuff the fronds into large zip lock bags. It doesn't matter if they get crushed or broken.

I normally collect two zip locks stuffed full for each species. I have learned that this is enough for my needs.

When I get home, these are transferred to large paper envelopes and put on a shelf. I turn the bulk every couple days to ensure it is drying. Once dry, the spore releases inside the bags. Normally this takes from 2-7 days, depending on how moist the fronds were to begin with.

On spore cleaning day, I close the open end and give the bag a good shake to release any residual spore-or reach a hand in and grab a pile of fronds and hit them gently against the side of the bag. I am normally wearing a mask for this task--because of the clouds of spores wafting around my office. I get covered with spore from head to toe (and depending on the colour of the spore, I can become various shades of brown, yellow or white).

The actual cleaning starts with removing the fronds from the bag and then gently pouring whatever is left in the bag into the Phase 1 sieve (this will be fern pieces, chaff, and spore). The whole works. What I end up with in my bowl after this "first rough pass" is remnants from the spore sac and spore.

Then I move on to my Serious Black Sieves. The top is a very fine mesh, the bottom is finer-than-fine (almost cloth-like). They are stacked up and the works is put in.

You can see what is held behind in both the top and the bottom sieves.
Anything textured is NOT spore.
And in the bowl is the finished spore (slippery; like colored talcum powder in texture).

[Kristl Walek]

Recently in the "Flower and Foliage" thread, I talked about Lilium canadense and noted that most thinking is that it is rare or non-existant in Ontario. What I did not say is that I have never quite given up on finding it here. And what I also did not say is that I had recently enlisted a "scout" to check out a particular site for me, about an hours' drive away. The interesting timing of all this is that my friend in fact went to the site this morning and has notified me that the species IS THERE!!!!

I intend to immediately head off on Thursday morning to see the spot (and the plants in bloom).

The local Lilium philadelphicum I have already shown you.

The second native lily (at least in southern Ontario) is L. michiganense, also now blooming here in the garden.

And of course, the third and last, the exquisite L. canadense.

[Maggi Young]

Kristl, beautiful flowers and great information... a real delight every time! 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I'm beginning to understand why Kristl is signing with :

"so many species... so little time"...   

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Luc...."There's often a clue"