A visit to RHS Wisley near Woking just outside London on 28th June 2013, one of my favourite gardens for edibles spotting….I’m resurrecting this album which I only posted on Facebook at the time.
Allium dichlamydeum, Coastal onion from California was eaten by the Pomo (Kashaya) first peoples
Allium dichlamydeum, Coastal onion from California was eaten by the Pomo (Kashaya) first peoples
Wisley’s Allium set trial: this was before I discovered that many of the ornamental onions are also of the best edimentals, like Persian Shallot (Allium stipitatum)
Allium umbilicatum; native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Tajikistan
Allium umbilicatum; native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Tajikistan
Allium umbilicatum; native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Tajikistan
Allium acuminatum; It is found in the Western United States and Canada. It has been reported from every state west of the Rocky Mountains, plus British Columbia. The bulbs were Onions eaten raw, boiled or pit baked by numerous first peoples including the Salish, Thompson and Paiute peoples. One interesting record is for eating the seeds (Seeded heads placed in hot ashes for a few minutes, seeds extracted and eaten; Paiute)
Several of the Alliums I saw were wrongly identified. This isn’t beesianum but probably Allium nutans, angulosum or similar species
This is not Allium caesium either – this is Allium cyathophorum farreri…the big Allium impostor!
This is also not Allium mairei (not) – again Allium cyathophorum farreri
Allium cristophii
Allium gomphrenoides, a Greek endemic
Allium roseum is wild collected for food in Libya
Allium roseum is wild collected for food in Libya
Allium hollandicum Purple Sensation is a species of cultivation and is closely related to some wild edible bulb onions, so worth trying!
Garlic in the vegetable gardens
Labelled Allium unifolium
Aralia elata aureovariegata, this species is an important vegetable in the Far East!
Asparagus setaceus from South Africa has edible shoots
Bistort / Ormerot; important ingrediens in Easter Ledge poudding from northern England (young shoots; see my book); the flower shoot is also good to eat…
Calabrese trial
Calochortus spp – important traditional North American food plant
Japanese Plum Yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia fastigiata has edible fruit
Cornus kousa chinensis “Schmetterling” has curious edible fruits
Cornus kousa
Cornus kousa
Cornus Venus is a cross between Cornus kousa and Cornus nuttallii.
Courgette trial ground
Crambe maritima at the front of this ornamental border!
Crambe maritima, Sea Kale / Strandkål and forcing pots
Cymbaria muralis “Alba”, a minor edible but bitter.
Drimys andina…as I walked pass a small guided tour passed and the leader told that the leaves were used as pepper and offered a taste saying that the strong taste lingered for a long time…she was right; A native of Chile and Argentina
Eleutherococcus sieboldianus “Aureovariegatus” is a great edible shrub; one use related by my friend Kyle: On the fiveleaf aralia – for the first time. I prepared it in the traditional Japanese way of boiling for a short period, then chopping and mixing with rice. This is known as “ginseng rice” in Japan, and was a traditional way of adding nutrition to a rice meal, especially during famine. I would describe the flavor as “bittersweet”, almost exactly half bitter and half sweet” (see more on my Edimentals FB group)
Erythronium trial: see my blog post about how Erythroniums are used for food around the world: https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=9442
Erythronium trial plants
Gunnera tinctoria, now banned in the UK, it is just as edible for that! The leaf stems are used in the national dish of Chile and the peeled stems are tasty and thirst quenching raw!
Gunnera tinctoria, now banned in the UK, it is just as edible for that! The leaf stems are used in the national dish of Chile and the peeled stems are tasty and thirst quenching raw!
Allium schubertii is wild collected for food in Turkey
Jerusalem Artichoke / Jordskokk in the vegetable garden
Hosta “Blue Mouse Ears”. For the new range of mini perennial veg perhaps?
Hosta “Masquerade” – all Hostas are probably edible
Hosta, one of my favourite perennial vegetables – see my book and blog!
Hosta fortunei “Striptease” – all Hostas are probably edible
Hypoxis hemerocallidea / African Potato is an important South African medicinal
Lettuce “Rushmoor”
I thought this was a grass on first glance, but it’s Lavandula “Grosso”, lavender /lavendel
Lilium hansonii: one of the lily species used for food in the Far East (edible bulbs)
Lilium hansonii: one of the lily species used for food in the Far East (edible bulbs)
Grafted tomatoes
Ostrich Fern /Strutseving in the woodland garden: delicious and nutritious perennial veg – see my book for more information (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Ostrich Fern /Strutseving in the woodland garden: delicious and nutritious perennial veg – see my book for more information (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Onion “Vulcan”
Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, Bath Asparagus; see my book for more
Persicaria (Polygonum) alpina
Runner Bean / Blomsterbønne trial
Phlomis tuberosa
Magnificent Puya chilensis, mostly known as a fiber plant, but very young shoots can be eaten in salads according to PFAF.org
A series of pictures taken of edible plants that I spotted in the “ornamental collections” at RHS Wisley Gardens on 11th April 2024. Admittedly, some will be obscure or “emergency food” edibles, but all have been used somewhere for food and have an ethnobotanical story to tell! See also an earlier post from a visit on 28th June 2013 at https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=32483 I was also shown around all the great work being done by the Wisley Edibles Team later the same day; see
See the picture captions for names and use:
1. Smyrnium perfoliatum, perfoliate alexanders. From Cornucopia II: “The blanched leafstalks are eaten raw in salads or used as a potherb. It is considered superior to S. olusatrum, as it not only blanches better, but is more crisp and tender, and not so harsh flavored”
2. Cardiocrinum giganteum? A starch was extracted from the bulbs and used in central and western China; other species were similarly used in Japan ; young leaves were also eaten and a flute was made with the hollow stem!
3. Matteuccia struthiopteris, ostrich fern (strutseving); see my book for more about this great edimental
4. Polygonatum hirtum (P. latifolium); many solomon’s seals (Polygonatum sp.) were traditionally used in the kitchen. Young shoots make an excellent sweet tasting spring vegetable and the rhizomes are also used
5. Trachystemon orientalis, early flowering borage; see my blog post “Trachystemon orientalis, a new Edimental for the dry forest garden” https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1269 written having discovered this was edible on a trip to Bulgaria:
6. Saxifraga fortunei, the fortune saxifrage is used in tempura in Japan
7. Hosta «Decorata» (Se https://www.hostalibrary.org/d/d.html) (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental; you can try any Hosta)
8. Kalopanax septemlobus; the young shoots are eaten in the Far East; a friend on my Edimentals FB group has tried but writes: “Kalopanax has a grassy/piney/soapy/bitter taste that the chojang doesn’t fully mask”
9. Gunnera “manicata” (it has recently been announced that the G. manicata found in the UK is actually a hybrid with G. tinctoria, so that both are now banned from being sold as tinctoria has become an invasive species in parts of the UK); I tried the stalks in September when I did a walk and talk at the Edinburgh Botanics some years ago; the taste was good!
10. Hosta undulata var albomarginata (se https://www.hostalibrary.org/u/u.html) (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental; you can try any Hosta)
10a. Hosta “Snowden” (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental; you can try any Hosta)
11. Primula denticulata; this hardy species from East Asia is edible. I use the flowers often in spring mixed salads.
12. Hosta plantaginea var japonica (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental; you can try any Hosta)
14. Caltha palustris, marsh marigold (soleihov); although quite strong tasting even after cooking various Caltha sp. were used traditionally sa reported in Cornucopia II: “Young leaves are eaten like spinach, especially after having been boiled in two or more changes of water and cooked in a cream sauce. Flower buds are pickled in vinegar and used as a substitute for capers.”
15. Wisteria floribunda “George F Wilson”; flowers of all species are considered edible and there are traditional uses; in Japan, young leaves and flowers are boiled; other species have been used as fritters
16. Hemerocallis sp., day lily / daglilje (see my book Around the World in 80 plants for much more about probably the world’s oldest documented vegetable)
17. Hemerocallis “Little Wine Cup” with flower buds (see my book Around the World in 80 plants for much more about probably the world’s oldest documented vegetable)
18. Bistorta officinalis, bistort / ormerot (see more about this traditionally foraged vegetable, particularly in Easter Ledge Pudding and survival food for Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in the arctic in my book)
19. Satureja montana, winter savory / vintersar
20. Pinus mugo “Humpy”, dwarf mountain pine; A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood
20. Pinus mugo “Humpy”, dwarf mountain pine; A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood
21. Gingko biloba “Mariken”; Fresh ginkgo nuts (seeds) Are eaten as a seasonal delicacy, having a mild, sweet, crisp flavor (are preerved and sold in oriental stores around the world and harvested by ethnic communities in Central Park in New York where it is widely planted as a street tree.
22. Muscari comosum, lampascioni is an important edible in the Mediterranean where it is sold on markets; see my blog post about an edimental variety:https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1670
23. Silene uniflora, the sea campion is probably edible like the closely related Silene vulgaris (see my book)
24. Halesia carolina, silver bell tree, wild olive: From Cornucopia II -he ripe fruits are chewed for their acidity. Unripe ones are sometimes made into pickles
24. Halesia carolina, silver bell tree, wild olive: From Cornucopia II -he ripe fruits are chewed for their acidity. Unripe ones are sometimes made into pickles
25. Erythronium pagoda (see my blog post about Erythroniums in the kitchen at https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=9442; Pagoda is probably the best and is a hybrid between Erythronium tuolumnense and Erythronium californicum ‘White Beauty”); see my blog post about Erythroniums in the kitchen at https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=9442
25. Erythronium pagoda (see my blog post about Erythroniums in the kitchen at https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=9442; Pagoda is probably the best and is a hybrid between Erythronium tuolumnense and Erythronium californicum ‘White Beauty”); see my blog post about Erythroniums in the kitchen at https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=9442
27. Tradescantia (see my book for more about the edibility of this genus)
26. Wisteria floribunda “Strella” (flowers of all species are considered edible and there are traditional uses; in Japan, young leaves and flowers are boiled; other species have been used as fritters)
28. Allium nigrum (used traditionally in the kitchen in Italy including Sicily and Croatia.)
29. Crambe maritima (sea kale / strandkål); see my book for much more about this “King of the Edible Vegetables”
29. Crambe maritima (sea kale / strandkål); (sea kale / strandkål); see my book for much more about this “King of the Edible Vegetables”
30. Campanula poscharskyana; there are many members of the bellflower family used for food around the world (see my book for more)
31. Yucca rostrata (beaked Yucca); edible flowers and flower shoots); the tasty edible flowers of many Yucca sp. are used as are young flower shoots and buds.
33. Yucca filamentosa “Garland’s Gold” (edible flowers and flower shoots)
34. Asphodeline lutea (Jacob’s Rod); One of the best tasting edible flowers!Cornucopia II: The ancient Greeks and Romans roasted the roots like potatoes and ate them with salt and oil, or mashed them with figs.
35. Allium cernuum – probabbly my favourite edimental onion: see much more in my book! I’ve not heard the common name Lady Leek before.
36. One of the first lowering Hemerocallis sp. (day lily / dagilje)
37. Primula veris (cowslip / marianøkleblom); edible flowers and leaves
38. Hosta plantaginea var japonica (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental)
39. Hosta shoots (see my book and other blog posts for the importance of this amazing edimental; you can try any Hosta)
40. Polygonatum sp. (solomon’s seals / konvall); young shoots of most if not all species are used cooked and ae surprisingly sweet…
41. Magnolia “Phelan Bright” (unknown parentage); Many Magnolia species are used, mainly in the Far East, young flower buds and flowers
42. Hosta “Ufo”
44. Hemerocallis “Green Gold” (young day lily shoots are used as a vegetable.
43. Cercis giganteus (closely related to Cercis chinensis); buds and flowers are widely used from other Cercis sp.; C. chinensis flowers are widely used for the extraction of natural edible red pigment.
45. Chinese bladdernut, Staphylea holocarpa “Innocence” a species with huge edimental potential! The young leaves are eaten cooked and taste great, and the unopened flower clusters are also edible and can be cooked almost like a small cauliflower (see my Edimentals FB group).
45. Chinese bladdernut, Staphylea holocarpa “Innocence” a species with huge edimental potential! The young leaves are eaten cooked and taste great, and the unopened flower clusters are also edible and can be cooked almost like a small cauliflower (see my Edimentals FB group).
45. Chinese bladdernut, Staphylea holocarpa “Innocence” a species with huge edimental potential! The young leaves are eaten cooked and taste great, and the unopened flower clusters are also edible and can be cooked almost like a small cauliflower (see my Edimentals FB group).
46. Hosta fortunei “Albomarginata”
47. Decaisnea fargesii (Blue sausage fruit)
48. Musa basjoo, the Japanese Banana (nectar can be used and leaves used as wraps)
49. Oplopanax horridus (devil’s club) has edible spring shoots
50. Drimys winteri (winter’s bark) – the bark is powdered and ground as a pepper substitute (southern South America)
51. Phormiums (important plant for the Maori; nectar; fibre)
52. Phormium cookianum subsp hookeri (important plant for the Maori; nectar; fibre)
53. Phormium “Yellow Wave” (important plant for the Maori; nectar; fibre)
54. Cordyline australis “Salsa” (Ti-kouka, Cabbage tree); Root baked, pith of the stem and young shoots; a important food plant of the Maori people
55. Trachycarpus fortunei (the young inflorescence is eaten in much the same way as bamboo sprouts. Fresh flowers and the terminal buds have also been used)
56. Paulownia kawakamii (presumably the flowers can be eaten as with P. tomentosa – served with miso)
57. Alliaria petiolata (hedge garlic; løkurt); leaves and flowers
58. Pachyphragma macrophylla (edible leaves and flowers)
59. Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii “Caerulea Group” ( Leichtlin’s camass, wild hyacinth / praerielilje) ; From Cornucopia II: The bulbs are eaten raw, boiled, baked in pits, fried, used in pies, or dried for future use. They were boiled down to a molasses which was used on festival occasions by various Indian tribes.
59. Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii “Caerulea Group” ( Leichtlin’s camass, wild hyacinth / praerielilje) ; From Cornucopia II: The bulbs are eaten raw, boiled, baked in pits, fried, used in pies, or dried for future use. They were boiled down to a molasses which was used on festival occasions by various Indian tribes.
60. Opuntia lindheimeri (Texas prickly pear); both ripe and unripe fruits, young pads, flowers and flower buds are also cooked.
61. Allium akaka -in Anatolia, the fresh leaves areconsumed as vegetable. Fresh onions are used in pilaf. And also, it is grown in gardens for daily consumption. People uproot them from the nature and plant in their gardens; in spring they use their leaves as daily vegetable.
62. Tropaeolum leptophyllum
63. Allium aff. elburzense: this is an endemic Iranian plant which grows in the Elburz Mountains. It is known locally as “Valak”, and its aerial parts are used as food.
64. Allium tolmiei var platyphyllum
65. Cyclamen persicum: the leaves of this species were used Cooked with rice and meat, or raw as salad in Palestine
65. Cyclamen persicum: the leaves of this species were used Cooked with rice and meat, or raw as salad in Palestine
65. Cyclamen persicum: the leaves of this species were used Cooked with rice and meat, or raw as salad in Palestine
66. Allium grosii
67. Lewisia columbiana: the roots of this and other species of Lewisia were cooked and eaten by first peoples in North America
68. Allium libani
68. Allium libani
69. Phyteuma scheuchzeri (see my article about the Phyteuma genus here: https://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Phyteuma_Final-1.pdf
70. Silene uniflora “Rosea”; sea campion
71. Silene uniflora “Rosea” can probably be eaten like big sister Silene vulgaris
72. Oxalis obtusa “Sunset” is a South African species – corms of several SOuth African Oxalis species can be used
73. Wisteria. Different Wisteria species flowers are variously cooked, eaten raw and fried in oil as fritters in different parts of the world
74. Saxifraga spathularis, St. Patrick’s Cabbage: along with several other Saxifraga species this one can probably be safely eaten
75. Trillium chloropetalum – It’s generally not recommended harvesting to eat in North America except where super abundant. The young shoots while the leaves are drooping or folded can be eaten raw and coooked (Sam Thayer in Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants); I find the leaves to have a pleasant nutty taste; I sometimes decorate spring salads with flowers.
76. Polypodium glycyrrhiza “Lawrence Crocker”; a North American licorice fern – it is chewed for flavor by numerous Native American groups, including the Squamish, Shishalh, Comox, Nuxalk, Haida, and Kwakwaka’wakw (wikipedia)
On a short visit to England to visit my mum, I visited RHS Wisley yesterday to do a 2 hour walk and talk for the Edibles Team (and a few others who were interested!). I hopefully added a new dimension to their work by pointing out all the wonderful perennial veg and other edibles hidden incognito in the ornamental collections, everything from Hostas to Rudbeckia to Gunnera! Still getting my head around the fact that there is such a thing as an Edibles Team across the RHS gardens! Next week I’m following this up with a webinar about Edimentals for all the gardens! …and I’d just like to congratulate the team for the World Food Garden! It’s very impressive with quite a few perennial veg already and looks and I imagine tastes fantastic! Thanks for the warm enthusiastic welcome to leaderSheila Das and the rest of the team! Wisley is a garden I’ve visited many times over the years to do a spot of edible spotting, so great to be able to pass on some of the knowledge! #edimentals #edientomentals #edientoavimentals #hiddenedibles #RHSEdiblesTeam #worldfoodgarden #extremesaladman
Since my last visit to RHS Wisley 5 years ago there have been large changes, notably the RHS Hilltop building and adjacent World Food Garden. Last Thursday I was fortunate to be invited to visit by head of the RHS Edibles team, Sheila Das, who had attended my talk on home territory in the autumn (see https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=31687). I was bowled over by the scale of what has already been achieved and the ambitious plans for the future moving away from the “conventional” towards organics, food forests, food diversity, no dig etc. and firmly anchored in improving biodiversity – pollinators, habitat, the important role of fungi etc (less cutting, more untidy and irregular), sustainability and climate friendly gardening. After showing me the plans, Sheila took me on to rooftop of Hilltop to get a bird’s eye view of the World Food Garden before walking around. The rigid rectangular growing beds of old are gone, replaced by curved beds in all shapes and sizes and gone also are the straight lines, replaced by irregular intercropping and demonstration of the incredible diversity of food crops available to the UK grower. Edible climbers were being trained up the outside of the perimeter wooden fence. You can already see a number of perennials in the 1 acre World Food Garden (my own Word Garden at 12m diameter now seems tiny in comparison!). Below can be seen various pictures that I took on a tour of what has become probably the most popular part of RHS Wisley – amazing to witness this transition of the RHS as largely an organisation for ornamental gardeners to an organisation where more than 50% of members today note growing food as their main interest. Of course, edimentals can help bridge the gap between the two gardening camps! See the pictures and captions below for more!
Perennial kale
Asparagus “Guelph Millenium”
Cardoons intercropped with broad beans
Flowering kales – in the past they would probably have been dug up at this stage, important for pollinators and for seed
Ethnic communities contributed to dishes made with their vegetables (see the next picture)
Display booklet inspiring people to use unusual vegetables through recipes
Hops “Golden Tassels” is an edimental
Perennial French sorrel Rumex scutatus
Egyptian onion (Allium x proliferum)
Oenanthe javanica “Flamingo” (would love to try this ornamental “seri” again if anyone can help with a starter)
Oenanthe javanica “Flamingo” (would love to try this ornamental “seri” again if anyone can help with a starter)
I was surprised by the size of the wasabi, but how big will the roots be?
Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga) “Crugs Zing”
More wasabi!
Sugar cane
Licorice with broad beans
Variegated wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) and winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata)
Winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata) and mustard greens (Brassica juncea)
Kale “Emerald Ice”
Hops (Humulus lupulus)
The central axis of the World Food Garden
The grape vine on the outer wall of the World Food Garden had been trained into the letters RHS!
Some pictures of RHS Wisley’s National Rhubarb collection in mid-April 2009. It comprised some 151 plants including a few “ornamental” rhubarbs as well as species.
You will find more about using rhubarb as a perennial vegetable in my book Around the World in 80 plants!
An album of pictures from my visit to RHS Wisley Gardens on 11th March 2019 just outside of London, one of my favourite gardens for edimental spotting which I’ve visited many times over the years. I’ve added comments of edibility to most pictures!
Wisley Gardens
Hylotelephium spectabile “Brilliant” (a good spring salad plant)
Artichokes or cardoon
Gunnera
Gunnera shoots
Stachyurus chinensis “Celina” has longer flowers than the species. S. praecox flowers are reported eaten cooked with oil and salt
Primula hybrid
Erythronium “Pagoda”
The inner bark of Edgeworthias are used for making paper (e.g., in Nepal and China)
Ostrich fern was already almost past the best time for harvesting (2 months ahead of my part of Norway)
Erythroniums are edible
Ligularia stenocephala is one of the species eaten in Japan (I haven’t tried it yet)
Magnolias were emerging…the buds and flowers are eaten in different parts of the world and some I’ve tried have been delicious!
The trial grounds at Wisley are always interesting to the edimentalist!
Trial of Nepetas
Sanguisorba trial…there are about 18 species and most are grown only as ornamentals, but only salad burnet (S. minor) is mentioned as edible. The truth is that this one is probably the least useful as a vegetable /salad crop
Sanguisorba trial bed
Lily trial…it would be interesting also to do a taste trial of the bulbs!
Trial of Echinacea
Trial of Hibiscus syriacus, both leaves and flowers are edible…lucky is he/she who can grow these (I can’t)
The rosemary trial is nearing the end
List of rosemary cultivars being trialled
Raspberry trial
Raspberry trial
Trachycarpus fortunei is best known as a fibre plant and ornamental. I’ve never heard of the fruit being eaten but Cornucopia II states “The young inflorescence is eaten in much the same way as bamboo sprouts. Fresh flowers and the terminal bud are also apparently consumed.”
Red Admiral butterflies are now known to overwinter in mild winters in the UK
A great specimen of Japanese pepper tree (Zanthoxylum piperitum)
A great specimen of Japanese pepper tree (Zanthoxylum piperitum)
Dandelion sculpture by artist Robin Wight
Dandelion sculpture by artist Robin Wight
Dandelion sculpture by artist Robin Wight
Magnolia “Ian’s Red” – the buds and flowers are eaten in different parts of the world and some I’ve tried have been delicious!
Magnolia “Ian’s Red” – the buds and flowers are eaten in different parts of the world and some I’ve tried have been delicious!
Magnolia x loebneri – the buds and flowers are eaten in different parts of the world and some I’ve tried have been delicious!
Magnolia – the buds and flowers are eaten in different parts of the world and some I’ve tried have been delicious!
Not edible Corylopsis spicata
“Ornamental” onion bed
“Ornamental” onion bed
Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum), a leek relative
Protected (against frost) apricot flowers
Bracken winter protected fig
Black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) are at last becoming better known in Europe
National Fruit Collections ae administered by the organisation Plant Heritage who I gave a talk to the same night!
The National Rhubarb collection consists of 125 cultivars
The National Rhubarb collection consists of 125 cultivars
A dwarf broad bean was already in flower
The fruit field has over 1,000 different fruit cultivars including 700 apples, planted in 1948!
The fruit field has over 1,000 different fruit cultivars including 700 apples, planted in 1948!
Apple “Pixie”
Typha spp. (bulrush or cattails)
Flower buds on Aloe vera in the glasshouse
Begonia soli-mutata in the glasshouse (many Begonias are edible)
Edgeworthia underplanted with daffodils
An Edgeworthia cultivar
Hamamelis x intermedia “Aphrodite” (medicinal)
Cardiocrinum (Giant Himalayan Lily) has edible bulbs
Cardiocrinum spp. (edible bulbs)
Erythronium tuolumense is edible
Ypsilandra thibetica flowers early (a medicinal plant in its homeland)
I was surprised to see Trilliums in flower!
I was surprised to see Trilliums in flower!
In the alpine house (under glass), a food plant of the Palestinians, Cyclamen persicum)
There was a nice collection of Hepaticas (not edible)
There was a nice collection of Hepaticas (not edible)
In the alpine house (under glass), a food plant of the Palestinians, Cyclamen persicum)
Tulipa biflora var major
Winter veggies: broad beans and chards
Chitting (sprouting) potatoes in a greenhouse
Overwintered leeks
Trachystemon orientalis (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1269)
Trachystemon orientalis (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1269)….just a few flowers left
A giant Hippophae sinensis is passed by most visitors to Wisley and is the largest specimen in the UK (Champion Tree) and the only species in the genus (sea buckthorns) that grows into a tree! Impressive!
One of the world’s most spectacular edimentals was in flower at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland where I was doing an edimentals walk and talk at the weekend! Related to other great edimentals like Agave and Yucca, the Mexican Lily or Patleamole is sadly not likely to be hardy in my part of the world (Yucca filamentosa is hardy though!). Beschorneria is a small genus consisting of seven species that range from the southern US, Mexico and Central America. Mexican lily’s habitat is rocky massifs and cliffs in canyons and ravines from 2600 to 3,400 masl in pine-oak and fir (Abies religiosa) forest (Ref. 1). In the same reference, it is noted that “….the flowers are edible, after being boiled and fried.”
Please let me know if you have go :)
Cházaro-Basáñez, M.J. and Ramirez, J.V. 2015 Introducing the Succulent Flora of Mexico: Beschorneria yuccoides (Agavaceae). Cactus and Succulent Journal 87(6): 271-272
One of the world’s most spectacular edimentals was in flower at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland at the weekend! Related to other great edimentals like Agave and Yucca, the Mexican Lily or Patleamole is sadly not likely to be hardy in my part of the world (Yucca filamentosa is hardy though!). Beschorneria is a small genus consisting of seven species that range from the southern US, Mexico and Central America. Mexican lily’s habitat is rocky massifs and cliffs in canyons and ravines from 2600 to 3,400 masl in pine-oak and fir (Abies religiosa) forest (Ref. 1). In the same reference, it is noted that “….the flowers are edible, after being boiled and fried.”
RHS Wisley; 28th June 2013
RHS Wisley; 28th June 2013
Brest Botanical Gardens, 28th April 2010
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
