We may know that some of are most spectacular butterflies like red admiral (admiral), painted lady (tistelsommerfugl), comma (hvit C), small tortoiseshell (neslesommerfugl) and peacock (dagpåfugløye) may lay their eggs on nettles (Urtica), but did you know that just here in Norway there are 51 species of moths that do the same and two of the most beautiful were in the garden this morning: 1. The burnished brass / mindre båndmetallfly (Diachrysia stenochrysis) 2. The small magpie / nesleengmott (Anania hortulata) So, please keep a patch of nettles in the garden all summer (you can still eat the young shoots)…there are also several birds such as bullfinches (dompap) and finches such as brambling (bjørkefink) that eat the seed in winter!
One of the few plants in my garden which isn’t edible is my large Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush / sommerfuglbusk), a wonderful entomental (loved by insects and an ornamental appreciated by Homo sapiens too!). It is strategically placed beneath the balcony so that I can look down from above. As chance has it, I had also planted old man’s beard / tysk klematis (Clematis vitalba) to climb up onto the balcony. The latter is equally popular with late summer pollinators, mainly hoverflies. So this is one of the best spots for watching and photographing the local insect life. However, after coming into flower 2-3 weeks ago there were no butterflies, but a rare 20C day brought them out and both painted lady (tistelsommerfugl; the first since the bumper year two years ago and only the second recorded this summer in Trøndelag county), red admiral (admiral) and comma / hvit C were out yesterday! But it’s at night that the butterfly bush is covered with pollinators, notably an estimated 200 large yellow underwing moths (hagebåndfly)
The balcony with old man’s beard and Buddleja, both now in flower
Buddleja davidii from the best view point, the upper balcony
Comma / hvit C
Red admiral / admiral
Painted lady / tistelsommerfugl
But it’s at night that the butterfly bush is covered with pollinators, one of an estimated 200 large yellow underwing moths (hagebåndfly)
But it’s at night that the butterfly bush is covered with pollinators, one of an estimated 200 large yellow underwing moths (hagebåndfly)
But it’s at night that the butterfly bush is covered with pollinators, one of an estimated 200 large yellow underwing moths (hagebåndfly)
The first painted lady (tistelsommerfugl) of the year in the garden (2 years since the last one during the 2019 invasion year). On teasle / kardeborre (Dipsacus).
With only a few inflorescences left on my Buddleja plants, the red admiral and painted lady (tistelsommerfugl) butterflies are transferring their attentions to other flowers in the garden, notably and most importantly Eupatorum cannabinum (hemp agrimony / hjortetrøst, seed of which came original from the banks of the River Itchen in Hampshire). Other flowers of choice at the moment are Anise hyssop (Agastache), Monarda and Marigold.
In the first video, the Red Admiral defends its hemp agrimony flower against a bumblebee!
There are record numbers of butterflies in the garden at the moment, crowding on the last Buddleja flowers. A few days ago, I counted 35 butterflies, about equal numbers of painted ladies (tistelsommerfugl) and red admirals (admiral) with a few small tortoiseshells (neslesommerfugl) as well as a lot of silver y moths (gammafly). All are seen in this video taken from my balcony which overlooks the largest Buddleja.
When I saw this larva in the garden on a cultivated Malva sylvestris (common mallow / apotekerkattost), I didn’t imagine this was a painted lady / tistelsommerfugl (Vanessa cardui), but it turns out that mallows (Malva spp.), other members of the Asteraceae and comfrey (Symphytum) can all feed the larvae!
The Allium garden at the Ringve Botanical Garden (Chicago) in Trondheim contains a collection of old Norwegian onions used for food from all over Norway including Allium fistulosum (Welsh onion), A. x proliferum (Egyptian and Catawissa onions), A. oleraceum, A. vineale, A. ursinum, A. scorodoprasum and A.victorialis (the last four are wild or naturalised species that have been moved into gardens in the past for food and, in the case of ursinum and victorialis are currently being domesticated in a big way!
In addition, a collection of wild species and ornamental cultivars have been planted to demonstrate the diversity of the Allium family!
I’ll be adding pictures to the album below on a regular basis.
See more pictures on my FB album here: https://tinyurl.com/y489yldy
Norsk:
Allium hagen ved Ringve Botaniske Hagen (NTNU) i Trondheim inneholder en samling av gamle norske matløk samlet fra hele Norge i perioden 2008-2019. Dette inkluderte Allium fistulosum (pipeløk), A. x proliferum (luftløk), A. oleraceum, A. vineale, A. ursinum, A. scorodoprasum og A.victorialis (de fem siste er vill- eller naturaliserte arter som har blitt flyttet til hager som matplante før i tiden, og dette er fortsatt gjort når det gjelder ursinum (ramsløk) og victorialis (seiersløk) i økende grad!
I tillegg kan man her se en samling av ville arter og pryvarianter plantet for å demonstrere mangfoldet av Allium-slekten!
Hagen er støttet finansielt av Landbruksdirektoratet, og Genressurssenteret.
The garden outline can be seen in this recent aerial picture (centre towards the right)
Concerning the Norwegian onions, we received 118 tips from the public, 92 were received and 57 of these have been planted (13 species and hybrids). About 90-100 species can be seen here. The garden was cultivated during Autumn 2016, 260 accessions were planted in 2017 and a further 76 in 2018!
23rd July 2018
The first Allium to flower in 2019 was this species from mountains in China, Allium humile.
270519: Allium chinense planted in the garden!
210519: With the director of the Ringve Botanical Garden, Vibekke Vange in the Allium garden!
210519: With the director of the Ringve Botanical Garden, Vibekke Vange in the Allium garden!
11th June 2019
11th June 2019
11th June 2019: There’s been the biggest invasion of Painted Lady (Tistelsommerfugl) butterflies in Norway ever seen with an estimated 100 million and they are everywhere including mayn in the Ringve Botanical Gardens and they love Alliums to feed on, here on a chive (Allium schoenoprasum)
11th June 2019: Allium schoenoprasum “Pink”
11th June 2019: Allium schoenoprasum
11th June 2019: I’ve started making an accurate map of the Allium garden, plotting in the coordinates of each plant
11th June 2019: I’ve started making an accurate map of the Allium garden, plotting in the coordinates of each plant
200619
200619: Stephen Barstow 2 hrs · Edited · 200619: One of the tall chives gressløk) had collapsed in the recent heavy rains!
200619: Stephen Barstow 2 hrs · Edited · 200619: One of the tall chives gressløk) had collapsed in the recent heavy rains!
200619
200619
200619
200619
200619: One of the Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk) accessions in bud
200619: Allium moly
200619: One of the Norwegian roof onions (Knut Bryn) in bud (Allium fistulosum) – see my book
200619
200619
200619: Allium decipiens
200619: Allium karataviense
200619: Dwarf white chives (gressløk)
200619: Pink chives (gressløk)
200619: The earliest Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk)
200619: Red-tailed bumblebee (steinhumle) were common on several Alliums.
200619: Allium douglasii
200619: Allium brevistylum (there are two accessions of this in the garden from Utah and Wyoming)
200619
200619: This Japanese Allum victorialis has dark flowers
200619: Allium pskemense x cepa
200619: Pink chives (gressløk)
200619: Allium crenulatum
200619: Red-tailed bumblebee (steinhumle) on chives (gressløk)
200619: Allium fistulosum (welsh onion / pipeløk)
200619: Painted Lady (tistelsommerfugl) on chives (gressløk)
200619: Egyptian / Catawissa onions (luftløk)
200619: Allium pskemense x cepa
200619: Allium fistulosum (welsh onion / pipeløk)
190619: Setting off cycling for the Ringve Botanical Garden this week with more onions for the Allium garden!
200619: Setting off cycling for the Ringve Botanical Garden this week with more onions for the Allium garden!
Nothing on these chaps, so-called Onion Johnnies, from Brittany in France, who sold onions from door to door in England up to about the 1960s (I remember them!!) Read more here: http://blog.holidayfrancedirect.co.uk/2013/02/last-of-the-onion-johnnies/
300719: Allium cyaneum
300719: Allium sphaerocephalon (it’s not often I’ve managed to overwinter this one, the round-headed leek); donated by Eirik Lillebøe Wiken
300719: Allium sphaerocephalon (it’s not often I’ve managed to overwinter this one, the round-headed leek); donated by Eirik Lillebøe Wiken
300719: Allium macranthum
300719: Allium macranthum
300719: First flowering of not hardy Tulbaghia violacea (Society garlic), indigenous to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Province). I’m including a few plants within the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allioideae in the Chicago Garden!
300719: I’m a bit late dead-heading Allium fistulosum…now done!
300719: I’m a bit late dead-heading Allium fistulosum…now done!
300719: Allium flavum “Blue Leaf”
300719
300719: Allium flavum
300719: Allium cyaneum
080819: Allium nutans from IPK Gatersleben
080819: Allium denudatum (syn. Allium albidum) from IPK Gatersleben
080819: Allium nutans “Isabelle”
080819: Allium flavum “Minus” and Allium cyaneum
080819: This is a spectacular Allium which I received from my friend Hristo in Bulgaria. He was sent it from Kazakhstan. It is maybe a hybrid between Allium flavescens and nutans. It has white flowers and masses of satellite (secondary) flowers
080819: This is a spectacular Allium which I received from my friend Hristo in Bulgaria. He was sent it from Kazakhstan. It is maybe a hybrid between Allium flavescens and nutans. It has white flowers and masses of satellite (secondary) flowers
230819: Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic or Ovacik garlic) is endemic to the Munzur Valley in Tunceli, in eastern Turkey. It has a garlic odor and taste and is used locally like garlic. It is more closely related to leek than garlic, but is hardier than leek.
230819: Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic or Ovacik garlic) is endemic to the Munzur Valley in Tunceli, in eastern Turkey. It has a garlic odor and taste and is used locally like garlic. It is more closely related to leek than garlic, but is hardier than leek.
230819: Allium montanostepposum
230819: Allium tuberosum
060919: Allium carinatum pulchellum (rosenløk) flowers for a long time. There are still a few open flowers at the bottom of the inflorescense
060919: Allium ericetorum is one of the last Alliums to come into flower, often in October in my garden; see alsohttp://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=2584
060919: Allium ericetorum is one of the last Alliums to come into flower, often in October in my garden; see alsohttp://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=2584
Garlic bulbils maturing…this is a variety with masses of small bulbils that I call Cledor from Ingrid, who was a forum friend from Sweden, which she gor from Törnvik Frö (http://tornvik.se). I’m not sure if this really is 060919: Cledor as the description on the website (they still sell it) states that it produces many cloves, but mine only produce a few, sometimes only two.
060919: Eristalis rupium (Blank droneflue)?
060919: Allium tuberosum
060919: Allium macranthum in fruit
060919: For completeness, I planted a few Allium cepa, common bulb onion! A white skinned variety called Snowball at the front.
060919: Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum)
060919: Spring onions / Allium cepa and Allium fistulosum.
060919: A Japanese Allium fistulosum
060919: Allium cepa? “Apache”
060919: Allium “Red Toga”
300819: A brown hawker, brunlibelle (Aeshna grandis) landed in the garden while I was working!
060919: Hoverfly on Allium spirale
300819: Red admiral on late flowering Allium spirale from Nordgen (Alnarp)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: There’s a big difference in the resprouting of the Allium x proliferum (luftløk) accession
130919: Seed heads (frøstander) of Allium macranthum
130919: Stephen Barstow 3 mins · 300919: Allium pskemense is a close relation of Allium cepa (bulb onion / kepaløk)…this accession has been grown at Ringve for some years (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1940 and http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=22827)
130919: Stephen Barstow 3 mins · 300919: Allium pskemense topset onions (right) compared with Allium x proliferum (Egyptian or Walking onions / luftløk)
101019: Allium “Millenium” still going strong
101019: Allium “Millenium” still going strong
101019: Allium sacculiferum, still in bud and unlikely to open in time before winter!
101019: Allium sacculiferum, still in bud and unlikely to open in time before winter!
101019: Allium fistulosum having another go!
101019: Allium tuberosum “Sibbo”, a Swedish heirloom from Erik de Vahl
101019: Allium tuberosum “Sibbo”, a Swedish heirloom from Erik de Vahl
101019: Allium schoenoprasum and Allium fistulosum
101019: Allium tuberosum with flat-leaved shoots from bulbils!
061219
061219
061219
3 videos of Painted Ladies (Tistelsommerfugl) on Allium schoenoprasum on 11th June 2017
After a very cold start to the summer, Malvik has had record warm weather over the last month which has helped the populations of butterflies! They love my edible garden and, in particular, peacock (dagpåfugløy) has been recorded more times than anywhere else in this area, half of the total of 15 observations were made here between 2006-2010. Hoping for the first peacock since then! The favourite plants at the moment are my two Buddleja davidii (sommerfuglbusk, sadly only edible for insects as far as I know), one of which is bigger than ever as I didn’t prune it last winter. In the last few days I’ve noted up to 20 small tortoiseshell (neslesommerfugl), 1 painted lady (tistelsommerfugl), up to 7 red admirals (admiral), 1 dark green fritillary (aglajaperlemorvinge; I think, a first here) and 2 comma butterflies (hvit C).
Dark green fritillary (aglajaperlemorvinge)? Anyone confirm (no other shots)
3 of in total over 20 small tortoishells (neslesommerfugl) today!
I think he loves her…their larval food plant (nettle) is nearby!
Small tortoishell (neslesommerfugl)
Red admiral (admiral)
Red admiral (admiral)
Comma butterfly (hvit C)
My largest Buddleja davidii
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
