Daily Botanical

February 26, 2010

4 Comments

Amomum

This is a tricky one as I haven’t yet properly identified it. Perhaps you can help? I took this picture at Papillote Gardens in Dominica. The tag read, “amomum cardamomum”, but both are actually words for cardamom and together do not make a botanical name. It was definitely a type of cardamom or at the very least, something in the ginger family. It turns out that there are a lot more ginger family plants than I ever imagined so my claim to knowledge in this area is forever humbled.

My best guess is that this is some kind of black cardamom (Amomum subulatum) or Amomum subulatum fresh off the plant. I have searched high and low but have been unable to find a photo of the plant with fresh pods to confirm its identification. My other thought is that it could be some kind of related, inferior (or false) cardamom that I’ve never heard of.

And so I put it out to you. What do you think it is?

As Davin was holding the open pod, the purple colour staining his skin (which I might add he picked and opened without encouragement from me) he kept saying, “I hope this isn’t poisonous.” I suggested that if there was any doubt, he should wash his hand immediately and refrain from sticking it in his mouth anytime soon. And then, you know, hope that skin contact doesn’t act as a good delivery system for this particular poison. Two months later he is still alive so apparently it wasn’t.

The life of a botanical hand model is wrought with peril.

Leave a comment

February 25, 2010

7 Comments

Echeveria ‘Doris Taylor’

This morning I set out to find a bright and cheery photograph that might bring some colour to our day. But this soft and fuzzy echeveria called out to me.

I took this picture a few weeks back on my trip to speak at the Montreal Seed Fair. I first noticed the plant in the Botanical Gardens store and coveted it right away. The leaves are soft, plush and invite you to touch. There were even little pups growing alongside. I had to have it! But as my friend Gwynne remarked, “We can’t give in to all of our desires. Then where would we be?”

And so as not to become a giant ball of id, I decided this was one botanical desire that would remain a nice memory.

On my second day at the Seed Fair, I ducked out for a bit and went into the cactus and succulent greenhouse. And there it was in a big mass of soft leaves and long, gnarled, messy stems.

I immediately made a beeline back to the store and bought it.

Leave a comment

February 22, 2010

7 Comments

Beehive Ginger

I first came upon this incredibly strange ginger (Zingiber spectabile) while touring a wonderful garden and wilderness retreat in Dominica called Papillote.

Leave a comment

February 19, 2010

4 Comments

False Roselle

I need some colour today so I decided to pull out a photo of a false roselle (Hibiscus acetosella) flower, one of the most beautiful plants I learned about in St. Lucia.

Our friend David called it bronze roselle, but I haven’t been able to find references to that name online. I believe it is called false roselle because it is closely related to Hibiscus sabdariffa, the plant that is used to make sorrel. However, the part that is typically used to make the drink (the calyx) is small, hard and tough on this plant and didn’t seem like it would extract much flavour while the calyx on real sorrel (also called roselle) is plumper.

I’m planning to grow it this year but I imagine it is going to prove to be a bit of a challenge. The plant is big; David’s plants were about 5-7 feet tall. I think I’m going to have to sacrifice one of my the garbage bins I typically save for growing tomatoes. It’s also a long season plant — I’m planning to start my seeds next week to get a good jump on the season. Even if I don’t see flowers before the first frost I can’t imagine being disappointed. The deep red foliage catches the sunlight so beautifully and should pop when sat next to tall, green indeterminate tomatoes.

Leave a comment

February 18, 2010

8 Comments

Frangipani Tree (Barbados)

I thought I’d post a sunny photo today since we’ve been living under grey skies all week and I’m about to collapse into a no-sun, low-energy coma. Although, scrolling through folders of photos of us frolicking in the Caribbean a few months ago is kind of miserable in its own way.

I took this photo on the first of a short four-day stay in Barbados, where I saw lots of wonderfully fragrant fragipani (Plumeria) trees in bloom. If you have never smelled a real frangipani bloom I hope you get the chance someday. They are extremely sweet, soft and rich. For many they epitomize tropical floral fragrance.

We walked for miles through the countryside on that first day trying to see as much as we could. It’s a good thing I soaked it all in while I had the chance because I don’t believe I saw a single frangipani through the following three weeks. Frangipani plants do not like their roots to be waterlogged. Barbados has a MUCH drier climate than Dominica so I figure that has got to be the reason.

Here’s a link to the photo and story of the very first frangipani plant I had a chance to see and smell, ten years ago.

Leave a comment