On 4th April 2017 I visited the University of British Columbia botanical garden in Vancouver, Canada. It was more dfficult to find by public transport as I had imagined and smaller, but nevertheless an interesting garden with, in particular, a good collection of Asiatic plants. I’ve known of this garden for many years as I was a member of their garden forums, one of the most active on the net before Facebook: http://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca
Here’s an album of pictures I took, mostly, but not all, edible plants…and there’s not many gardens you can find breeding eagles!
Lilium henryi var. citrinum is one of the Asiatic lilies used for food!
Lilium martagon, another edible lily
Thalictrum spp. – T. aquilegifolium is eaten in Japan, presumably cooked to detoxicate as this plant is in the buttercup family
Trachystemon orientalis, an edible woodlander from SE Europe I’ve blogged about this one before..
Actinidia spp.
Chinese Rosa mulligannii (I consider all rose shoots as edible)
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus
Chinese Bergenia emeiensis
Acer mandschuricum was noted as the most hardy maple, from Korea and Northern China, one of a collection of 100 species in the garden
Ostrich fern, Matteuccia
Polygonatum odoratum, shoots eaten in the Far East
Saxifraga stolonifera is eaten in tempura in Japan
Chinese Sorbus megalocarpa has large inflorescences
Rubus rolfei (Formosan carpet)
Magnolia sargentiana flower buds
Claytonia is a native here
Urtica spp, (nettle) spreading in open woodland
Urtica spp, (nettle) spreading in open woodland
Finger food? Decaisnea insigna (Dead man’s finger)
Fuki (Petasites japonica “Gigantea”)
Rubus tricolor shoots
Magnolia zenii (Zen Magnolia) is an endangered species
Magnolia zenii (Zen Magnolia)
Senecio cannabifolius is considered edible in the Far East
Magnolia sargentiana “Pale flowered selection”
Cardamine spp.
Licorice fern (Polypodium glyccyrhiza): as the European species, the rhizomes of this one were used as candy!
Habitat of Licorice fern (Polypodium glyccyrhiza)
Habitat of Licorice fern (Polypodium glyccyrhiza)
Polgonum bistorta (bistort)
Native Mahonia
Not heard of this one before: Melliodendron xylocarpum (Parasol-styrax tree)
Melliodendron xylocarpum (Parasol-styrax tree)
There aren’t many botanical gardens with resident eagles!
Hemerocallis flava var. angustifolia
Typha spp. (cattails/bulrushes)
Cardamine trifolia
Arctostaphylos x media
Hemerocallis minor
Opuntia polyacantha
Opuntia humifusa
Opuntia aff. polyacantha
Opuntia “Pony” (Pony Prickly Pear)
Native Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian plum
Native Trillium ovatum
Native Achlys triphylla (Vanilla leaf)
Rhus glabra
Petasites palmatus
Petasites palmatus
Myrica californica
Fragaria chiloensis
Taxus brevifolia (Western yew)
The vegetable garden with Szechuan pepper (Xanthoxylum)
An area set aside for Garry Oak ecosystem plants like camas and Allium cernuum
An area set aside for Garry Oak ecosystem plants like camas and Allium cernuum
Allium cernuum!!
Dodecatheon
Arbutus menziesii (the only evergreen broadleaf tree in Canada)
Lomatium utriculatum is found in this habitat
Ostrich fern, Matteuccia
Nice to see Rubus spectabilis, salmonberry in its native environment. I was suprised to find it in flower this early!
Invasive Alliaria petiolata
…and Equisetum arvense, an important vegetable in the Far East.
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden