On my way back from the Future Heirloom event in Copenhagen, I had a few hours between trains to visit one of my favourite Botanical gardens in Gothenburg, Sweden, Göteborgs botaniska trädgård. Apart from a very short visit on my way to Austria and the UK by train in January 2020, the last time I had visited was on 30th August 2017 when I did an edibles walk and talk with my friend Bosse Blomquist (see https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=13658). Afterwards, I did two talks (as the first was sold out) and even got to stay the night in the flat in the gardens! Thanks again to Johan Nilson for showing me around behind the scenes and telling me about the big changes happening at the gardens with new glasshouses being built where the old ones had been! Below are pictures of edible plants I spotted in the gardens during my latest visit:
The garden entrance: easily accessible by tram from the railway station
Sorbus ulleungensis: this endemic to Ulleung-do Island between Korea and Japan. It has large quite sweet berries. I hadn’t noticed that there was a row of this species planted next to the garden entrance! The garden had collected this and other species from an exhibition there (see my article on Dystaenia takesimana here: https://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Dystaenia_fin-3.pdf)
Sorbus ulleungensis: this endemic to Ulleung-do Island between Korea and Japan. It has large quite sweet berries. I hadn’t noticed that there was a row of this species planted next to the garden entrance! The garden had collected this and other species from an exhibition there (see my article on Dystaenia takesimana here: https://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Dystaenia_fin-3.pdf)
Rubus parviflorus (labelled as Rubus nutkanus), the Western Thimbleberry; I planted this at the Væres Venners Community Garden this summer.
Allium scabriscapum in the bulb house is a beautiful yellow flowered species.
Umbilicus tropaeolifolius in the bulb house
Allium oschaninii is a crop near relative to Allium cepa and was traditionally wild foraged
Beautiful autumn foliage of Hosta “Harry van Trier”
Rubus palmatus is wild foraged in Japan
Rubus palmatus is wild foraged in Japan
A decent sized Toona sinensis (Chinese mahogany, Chinese cedar, Chinese toon, beef and onion plant or red toon) is widely cultivated in the Far East for its young shoots which have an oniony taste due to the presence of organosulfur compounds; a popular tree in permaculture / forest gardening (I didn’t see any shoots coming up around the tree)
A decent sized Toona sinensis (Chinese mahogany, Chinese cedar, Chinese toon, beef and onion plant or red toon) is widely cultivated in the Far East for its young shoots which have an oniony taste due to the presence of organosulfur compounds; a popular tree in permaculture / forest gardening.
Vitis coignetiae
Corylus fargesii (Chinese Hazel) has a tree form like Turkish Hazel.
PInus armandii var mastersiana is the Taiwanese form of Chinese White Pine, one of the sources of commercial pine nuts.
Elaeagnus sp., autumn olive
Smilax china (see https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Smilax+china)
Eleutherococcus sp.
Gingko biloba
Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed) has shoots resembling pokeweed, Phytolacca americana. Some species of milkweed including this one are considered edible, eaten boiled and in moderation.
Allium cernuum “Monarch White”
Rudbeckia laciniata (sochan, Cherokee greens): Samuel Thayer recommends in particular the autumn broader and blunter leaves (I’ve never seen this in my gardens)
The wonderful rock garden area (Klippträdgården) is my favourite area of the garden with many perennial vegetables I’ve not seen elsewhere! Plants are organised geographically.
The wonderful rock garden area (Klippträdgården) is my favourite area of the garden with many perennial vegetables I’ve not seen elsewhere! Plants are organised geographically.
Smilax rotundifolia
Smilax glauca
Azorella prolifera
Oemleria cerasiformis, Indian plum, Osoberry: I don’t remember seeing this in other botanical gardens in Europe
One patch of spreading Allium wallichii!
Allium thunbergii or close relation
Saxifraga fortunei: my friend @aiahnoack in Denmark calls this tempura greens from its use
Saxifraga fortunei: my friend @aiahnoack in Denmark calls this tempura greens from its use
Allium ulleungense: good to see that the garden has followed the recent changes, splitting the Allium victorialis into 5 species!
Actinidia arguta
Codonopsis bomiensis from Tibet
Towards the East!
Smilax nipponica
Cephalotaxus harringtonii var nana (yew plum)
Aralia continentalis
Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus
Pinus koraiensis, an important source of pine nuts
Actinidia arguta
Vaccinium smallii, an Asian blueberry
Aralia elata (devil’s walking stick)
Aralia elata (devil’s walking stick)
Patrinia gibbosa seed (some Patrinia species are foraged for the shoots in Japan, but are a little too bitter for me)
Cephalotaxus harringtonii var nana
The Japanese Dell is my favourite area of the garden. There are some 500 species planted here and many (1/3?) are edible plants (so-called sansai)a
Gaylussacia dumosa, dwarf huckleberry
Another spreading Allium wallichii accession
Staphylea colchica is a bladder nut from the Caucasus (the young shoots are more useful )
Papaw (Asimina triloba) has, I’ve heard, produced ripe fruit in this area
Like Sherpa onion or Nepalese onion Allium wallichii, which features in my book Around the World in 80 plants, chiugok (small bird’s garlic) as Allium macrantum is known in Lithang, Tibet is the latest emerging Alliums in my garden. I often wonder if they are still alive when, in a cold spring they haven’t emerged by the end of May, but both species have overwintered now for almost 20 years.
A nice large group of Allium macranthum in the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens in Sweden on 26th May 2008Spring shoots in the Tromsø Botanical Gardens on 4th June 2009
I’m not sure where my oldest plants came from but my second accession came from Vojtec Holubec’s seedlist, collected in Szechuan in China. It’s native to Bhutan, Sikkim, Gansu, Shaanxi, as well as Szechuan and Tibet and grows in wet places at elevations of 2700–4200 metres (Flora of China).
The roots are fleshy and could no doubt be eaten like the fleshy roots / rhizomes of Allium wallichii and Allium hookeri are.The roots of Allium macranthum (on the left) are similar looking to larger Allium wallichii (right)
By early July the old roots are withering away and new roots are growing as the flower scape appears:
The flowers are gorgeous hanging on long pedicels. Note that the flower colour varies and the Szechuan accession is pink with green pedicels and has relatively many flowers.
My oldest accession emerging
Few-flowered
The accession from Szechuan has paler flowers and relatively many flowers
The accession from Szechuan has paler flowers
One of my multi-species salads with Allium macranthum flowers in the centre: Seed heads on 6th September: Seeds ready to share or trade:
Ethnobotanical records I searched Google Scholar for evidence of Allium macrantum being used traditionally for food and there were indeed a few ethnobotanical studies recording its use as a food plant. Although not the most popular food Allium in the Himalayas, it is reported to have been one of several species eaten both in Arunachal Pradesh in North East India, the Eastern Hills of India (along with more commonly used Allium wallichii, Allium hookeri and Allium fasciculatum) and used as a spice with meat in South Central Tibet. In Lithang, chiugok “is cleaned and cut into small pieces. It is mixed with butter, tea, roasted barley flour (tsampa), salt, and chilly. Tsampa may not be added. The sauce so obtained is eaten with Tibetan dumplings (mokmok) and fried meat-filled pancakes (shapakle)” (in Traditional knowledge of wild food plants in a few Tibetan communities). The taste is in my experience relatively strong and therefore best in mixed salads and cooked dishes. Allium macranthum has also been moved into gardens as an ornamental and has also been used medicinally, including, along with other Allium species, as a cure for altitude sickness!
In 2019, a very interesting paper was published giving a very good case for splitting the geographically widespread Allium victorialis species complex, at the same time describing a new endemic species to the island Ulleung between Korea and Japan. The paper also mentions that the species is “Rare in natural habitats, but widely cultivated in Korea as an edible plant named ‘Myeong-i-na-mul’ or ‘Sanmaneul.’” Reference: “Allium ulleungense (Amaryllidaceae), a new species endemic to Ulleungdo Island, Korea” by Hyeok-Jae Choi, Sungyu Yang, Jong-Cheol Yang and Nikolai Friesen in the Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy Those who follow my blog and FB posts will maybe remember my article on the Giant Ulleung Celery, Dystaenia takesimana, another edible endemic to this island which I’m growing in my garden from two sources, one of which is the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens in Sweden (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=24998) Figure 4 in the paper (below) shows a map of Allium subg. Anguinum showing the disjunct distribution of what was earlier classified as Allium victorialis, now split into Allium victorialis, microdictyon, ochotense and the new species Allium ulleungense together with other species in the section like Allium ovalifolium. The article has a useful table and pictures showing the differences between microdictyon, ochotense and ulleungense. I have about 10 different “Allium victorialis” accessions in my garden both from Norway, Kola (Russia), the Alps and the Far East. Having read the paper which documents that the Ulleung victory onion has both broader and longer leaves I noticed that one of my plants had very different and broader leaves than my other ones and was particularly vigorous. I had lost the label of this plant. Johan Nilson of the Gothenburg Botanical Garden wrote on the Alliorum forum thread about this species: “I believe we might grow this” (they had had an expedition to the island some years ago and this onion and Dystaenia had been collected). Johan had given me various edibles on a visit to Gothenburg a few years ago and I wonder if he might have given me this plant? Anyway, the morphology of this plant fits well to the newly described species with several leaves 12 cm wide (ochotense reaches 10 cm and microdictyon 6 cm); leaves up to 26-27 cm long (the other two species reach 25 and 21.5cm) and yesterday I measured the white tepals which are slightly longer in the new species and this also matched with 7mm length (the others reaching 6.5). The rounded leaf apex of my plant also matches ulleungdense, acute in the other two species (and other Japanese accessions I have in my garden). I now need to propagate it and plant it in the Allium garden Chicago at the Ringve Botanical Garden.
Rice lily or riceroot (Fritillaria camschatensis) is a great hardy edimental, and exclusive root vegetable, although don’t expect large yields. The small (but many) sweet tasting tubers often lie right on the surface all winter! One of the hardiest plants found in Western North America from Oregon to Alaska, Northern Japan and the Russian Far East…and quite a common ornamental, grown for its almost black flowers (I’m still trying to establish the yellow flowered variant shown here in Gothenburg Botanical Gardens). See also my blog post Riceroot and Hog Peanuts (http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=480). It’s currently in full flower, so here’s a few pictures of my biggest expanding patch!
I also walked around the outside gardens during my visit to the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens on Saturday 25th January 2020. In the mild weather, there were many people out walking and running in the garden. Here’s an album of pictures of edibles and other interesting plants and a video of the large Actinidia arguta in the Asiatic woodland garden.
Hotell Krypinn: a great insect hotel
Cornus mas flower buds swelling
Hemerocallis shoots
Hemerocallis fulva var littorea
Ficaria verna (Lesser celandine / vårkål)
Yucca filamentosa “Color Guard” is a great edimental! (Edible flowers, shoots and fruits)
Magnolia stellata “Centennial” (the buds may be edible like other Magnolias)
Flowering Hamamelis (witch hazel)
Fertile fronds of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Crambe cordifolia buds
Eleutherococcus setchuenensis: A family / genus with many edible plants, but no ethnobotanical information on this one
Eleutherococcus nodiflorus: A family / genus with many edible plants, the root is recorded stewed with chicken in China
Serratula coronata var insularis (the young shoots of this species is recorded eaten in China, but the bitterness is first boiled / soaked away)
Claytonia parviflora from North America (I haven’t tried this species)
Smilax rotundifolia (edible shoots)
Cardamine californica (all parts are edible)
January flowering Rhododendron dauricum
Zanthoxylum piperitum (Japanese pepper, sansho)
Acanthopanax koreanum: A family / genus with many edible plants, but no ethnobotanical information on this one
Lonicera caerulea var kamtschatica already in leaf
Polypodium vulgare (sisselrot, sweet fern)
The world famous Gothenburg Rock Garden
Garden art on a dead oak tree which is also beneficial for insects by UK artist Stuart Ian Frost
Garden art on a dead oak tree which is also beneficial for insects by UK artist Stuart Ian Frost
Cyclamen (leaves of some species are eaten)
I also visited the greenhouses for the first time, but that will have to be a separate post
On my way north from Vienna to Oslo, I found myself unexpectedly with a 4 hour wait in Gothenburg in Sweden, and there was no hesitation to visit one of the great botanical gardens. I had no idea what there would be to see in January but with the mild winter I was surprised how much there was to see. Here are a collection of wierd and wonderful edibles in the unique bulb house!
The bulb house is unique with open sides
Lomatium canbyi (Canby’s biscuitroot) was used by native americans in the Pacific NW and North California!
Lomatium canbyi (Canby’s biscuitroot) was used by native americans in the Pacific NW and North California)!
Claytonia rosea (Madrean or Rocky Mountain springbeauty) grows in dry pine and oak woodland in USA
Viola trinervata (from NW USA)
Young shoots of Cymopterus planosus (Rocky Mountain springparsley); Cymopterus is a genus of native american food plants. I grow C. sessiliflorus, failed with planosus
Scorzonera spp.
Lomatium nudicaule (pestle parsnip) is also used by native americans and is one of the easiest to grow.
Lomatium ciliolatum (Yolla Bolly biscuitroot) is endemic to California
Tropaeolum polyphyllum (soldadito grande de la cordillera; meaning great soldier of the mountains)
Tropaeolum polyphyllum
Megacarpaea gigantea in the Brassicaceae is in a genus with at least two important edible plants. This one is from Central Asia.
Crocus kotschyanus is one of several species where the corms are used for food (in Turkey)
I was asked if it is possible to grow papaws (Asimina triloba) in Norway. I don’t think it’s impossible, but I suspect they need warmer summers than most parts of Norway can offer. I have seen good size trees in Malmø (Southern Sweden) with one fruit at the end of July in Åke Truedssons garden and a good size tree in the Gøteborg Botanical, pictures in both sites are from 29th-30th July 2008. I don’t know how these trees are doing today. I’ve tried a couple of times. I’ve managed to germinate seed, but the plants hardly grow in my cold summers! See more about papaw (which is not the same as the better known tropical pawpaw or papaya) on the wiki page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
1) In Åke Truedsson’s garden in Malmø with a fruit!
A picture album of edible species spotted in the Gothenberg Botanical garden on the last day of August 2017! Thanks to Johan Nilson for showing me around!
Hosta “Halcyon”
Diphylleia cymosa is in the Berberidaceae …the berries of D. grayi are used in Japan
Alchemilla (Lady’s Mantle)
Gaylussacia dumosa, Dwarf Huckleberry from North America
A nice group of Allium wallichii
Allium wallichii
I’ve never seen North American Plantago cordata before, somewhat different leaves than other Plantagos
Canadian wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) is a good edible nettle (use leaves and stalks) from North American woodlands!
Labelled Allium taquetii, a synonym of thunbergii, nice in bud!
Saxifraga fortunei “Conwy Snow” : the leaves of this species (and a few others like stolonifera) are used in tempura in Japan. See http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=5495
Lilium auratum, one of the edible Asian species”
Doellingeria scabra is the new name of one of my favourite edimentals, Aster scaber (Korea Aster; see my book for its use!). I don’t think I’ve seen this one in botanical gardens before!
Allium ovalifolium
Allium cyaneum
Begonia chinensis has edible flowers
The Japanese woodland has a good stand of edimental Ligularia fischeri (see edimentals.com for more)
Next to the Ligularia, there is a big stand of Cacalia delphiniifolia…I saw the leaves of this for sale in Japanese supermarkets, also used in tempura
Saxifraga fusca
Thanks to Johan Nilson for showing me round the bulb houses, where there are many Alliums!
Eryngium maritimum, sea holly, being grown for replanting in nature
I nice light blue variant of Allium beesianum growing alongside a normal flowered form
Nice to see a good form of dandelion (Taraxacum) ;)
Umbilicus tropaeofolius….I’ve never seen this Iranian brother of the European navelwort
A large Asian form of Oxyria digyna was interesting
Allium thunbergiii, one of the late flowering species
Allium hookeri var muliense, a good yellow flowered form!
I visited Bo “Bosse” Blomquist last year outside of Gothenburg and despite it being a bit late in the day and almost dark at the end, I was really impressed by his collection of edible trees, shrubs and bushes! He works in Gothenburg and is a regular visitor to the gardens! We agreed to meet before my talk and a group of friends also joined us!! It was great to walk in the garden with Bosse as he knew all the interesting edible woody plants! Thanks!! Here are a selection of pictures!
A walnut I’ve never seen before, Juglans microcarpa (Little walnut/Texas walnut)…this tree was surpisingly old, almost 90 if I remember right!
Juglans microcarpa (Little walnut/Texas walnut
Another surprise, Sorbus devonensis, which I first saw in Martin Crawford’s forest garden about 11 years ago :)
Another surprise, Dystaenia takesimana, a plant in the carrot family that I haven’t succeeded with…sometimes called Korean celery due to the taste of the leaves
…and then Aralia cordata var. sachalinensis, Sakhalin-udo!!
Aralia cordata var. sachalinensis, Sakhalin-udo!
Rubus peltatus from Japan (is in my Japanese foraging book)
Another thing I’d missed earlier in the day (looking down too much) was the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta I think) which has climbed right to the top of this conifer…
Bosse pointed out this bamboo with relatively thick shoots: Phyllostachys atrovaginata…
Large clump of Hosta (Sum and substance?)
Another patch of yellow flowered Allium hookeri var muliense; Yellow Hooker’s Onion
I hadn’t noticed this large Toona sinensis either….extensively cultivated in China for the young shoots, often served as a onion-like flavouring with omelettes!
Bosse shows us Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Northern China Pepper), one of several species for which the spicy seeds and leaves are used
Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Northern China Pepper)
Matteuccia orientalis is as far as I know not used like Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris
Sinofranchetia chinensis, an unusual fruit from China
Giant lily, Cardiocrinum…the bulbs have been foraged in Japan!
Japanese ginger, Zingiber mioga
Cephalotaxus harringtonia, yew plum
Hardy kiwi..
Torreya nucifera from Japan is a popular edible seed!
It was a great honour to finally get to talk at the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens last night….not just once but twice as the first talk (picture) was sold out…and as I told them Gothenburg is my favourite edible garden anywhere there was a big cheer (second talk). The garden has around 30,000 accessions and with an estimated 1/3 of all plants edible, that makes for a huge diversity of food plants all in one place…. I just hope the garden doesn’t have problems with “grazing” after my visit ;)
Thanks to Johan Nilson, Mats Havstrøm and the staff for making me feel welcome, to Johan for the tour around the greenhouse collections of Alliums and much more and the garden “forage”. Finally, it was great to meet Bosse Blomquist and friends who guided us around the more unusual collections of edible nut and fruit trees, many of which I hadn’t seen before!
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
