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 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.
One of my favourite insects is the bee beetle / humlebille (Trichius fasciatus). This morning I saw it on one of my favourite onions victory onion / seiersløk (this one is Allium ochotense; the East Asian species – recently separated out as a species). Later I filmed it also on a hogweed (Heracleum spp.).
As we approach midsummer many of my perennial vegetables are beginning to flower and from spring leaves and shoots we are now in the flower bud, scape (flower stem) and broccoli stage. Many stronger tasting plants have much milder upperparts than the earlier growth. This is presumably because the plants transfer their energy from insect defence to seed production.
From left to right: Turkish rocket / russekål (Bunias orientalis); Allium x proliferum (topset onions / luftløk); heartleaf crambe / buskstrandkål (Crambe cordifolia); sorrel / engsyre (Rumex acetosa) and sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima)
I inherited a garden full of columbines / akeleier (Aquilegia vulgaris) and there’s a range of different forms. I took the pictures below yesterday. I tried sucking a couple of flowers for nectar but I guess the bees got there first. I had found a paper documenting that children sucked / ate the flowers for the nectar: “People considered it more a children amusement than a feeding behaviour.” They are not so poisonous that it’s necessary to remove the flowers if children are around which is a custom here in Norway. Ref. Wild edible plants traditionally gathered in Gorbeialdea (Biscay, Basque Country). Otherwise this is a plant that has escaped from gardens throughout the country! I’ll leave them to the bees!
The second observation of speckled wood (skogringvinge) here and still the only place this species has been seen on this (the south) side of the fjord (see the map of observations). Last time, it was a somewhat worn butterfly in July, this time a nice fresh looking individual. Numerous grass species are the larval food plants. Here’s the post about the first record here in Malvik in 2018: http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=18413
At the Væres Venner community garden on the outskirts of Trondheim at Ranheim in an area we hope will remain a green belt, I have been working to create what we call Verdenshagen (The World Garden) in collaboration with KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) and Schübelers nettverk. This is a network of gardens throughout Norway which is being launched in June 2021 in honour of Fredrik Christian Schübeler (1815-1892) was a botanist and professor at the University in Christiania (now Oslo) and director of the Botanical Gardens for nearly 30 years from 1863. He established a network of gardens throughout Norway, often in collaboration with prestegård (rectory gardens) to test out new plants of economical importance (both ornamentals and edibles). Our new network is also planned centred around rectory gardens and other gardens to demonstrate and inspire to grow new plants but also to conserve old varieties of food plants and ornamentals. See more at https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=no&u=https://kvann.no/schubeler The World Garden is basically a 12 m diameter circle where the centre represents the North Pole and houses a garden of Arctic food plants. Largely perennial vegetables are being planted geographically around the circle, currently some 80 plants, many of which can be read about inspired by my own book Around the World in 80 plants (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=30). The garden is surrounded by over 100 old and new fruit, berry and nut trees and another demonstration garden for annual crops. The intention is to add pictures to the album below throughout the year from the World Garden. Our focus is also in creating and improving the habitat at Være for other wildlife, so there will also be pictures of insects, birds and other creatures.
Drone picture from summer 2020
A new sign was put up in spring 2021!
060621: The king of vegetables Sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima)
060621: Sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima)
060621: Cusick’s quamash / stjernehyasint (Camassia cusickii “Zwanenburg”). Camassias were important staple food plants for various Native American peoples although this species didn’t have the best tasting bulbs.
060621: Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (Great waterleaf); Indian salad is from North America
060621: The garden pebble / Kålpyralide Evergestis forficalis (the larvae feed on leaves in the cabbage family)
060621: Probably the beetle Oedemera virescens on dandelion
060621: Probably the beetle Oedemera virescens on dandelion
080621: Udo / Japansk asparges (Aralia cordata) in the Ginseng family is my largest vegetable and can reach 2-3m tall in the course of a few weeks in early summer. I’ve planted 4 in the World Garden and they are growing well!
080621:First flowering of Hemerocallis middendorfii (Amur daylily / Amurdaglilje) is one of the species cultivated for its edible flowers.
130621: Hemerocallis dumortiei (en botanisk daglilje)
130621: Hemerocallis middendorfii (en botanisk daglilje)
130621: Mitsuba / Japansk persille (Cryptotaenia japonica “Atropurpurea” er en viktig grønnsak i Japan.
130621: Allium victorialis is now in full flower
130621: The base of the Voss Angelica (Vossakvann) plants
130621: Musk mallow / moskuskattost (Malva moschata); I love the unopened flower buds in stir-fry dishes
130621: Musk mallow / moskuskattost (Malva moschata); I love the unopened flower buds in stir-fry dishes
130621: Scorzonera / scorsonerrot eller svartrot
130621: Ostrich fern / strutseving symmetry
130621: Noticed this green hairstreak ( grønnstjertvinge resting on the fern
130621: Noticed this green hairstreak ( grønnstjertvinge resting on the fern
130621: Angelica flowers are very popular with insects; here a honey bee / honningbie
130621: White-tailed bumblebee / lys jordhumle (Bombus lucorum) on Angelica
130621: One of the tumbling flower beetles / blomsterbille (Anastis spp.)
130621: Diamond back moth / kålmøll are back
130621: Slugs and snails are naturaland important parts of the ecosystem; here a friendly svartskogsnegl / black slug
130621: I’ve not seen this species in my own garden. I’m pretty sure it’s a Common garden slug / gulsåleskogsnegl (Arion distinctus); it can sometimes be a problem in gardens
130621: I also found a great grey slug or leopard slug / boasnegl eller leopardsnegl (Limax maximus); this species is also generally a helpful slug
It’s not often that I see the resident blackcap singing as it usually sings well hidden in the bushes, but today it sang from the top of a birch tree (see the end of this sequence).
15 years old, my quince / kvede (Cydonia oblonga) is in full flower, a year after the first two flowers appeared (no fruit). I think I got this as a small plant but am not sure as the year before I have a note that I germinated seed but the resultant single plant died in its first winter.
40 years ago this month I came to Norway to find a place for us to live as I was to start work at Institutt for kontinentalsokkelundersøkelser (IKU; Continental Shelf Institute) in Trondheim in October 1981. The flat I found was here in Malvik kommune (Torp). To celebrate 40 years in Malvik I made a salad with 40 different genera. The names of the genera are below the pictures!
Presenting some of this week’s perennial greens and, in the case of the blanched Hosta shoots, perennial whites! Hosta sieboldiana with ramsons / ramsløk (Allium ursinum) and giant bellflower / storklokke (Campanula latifolia)
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
