Daily Botanical: Sweet Sorghum
I took this picture at the Montreal Botanical Gardens where to my delight they had a bed of cereal grains growing in the edible garden section. I love this place.
The name was too long to put in the title line so here it is: Sorghum bicolor gr. Saccharatum ‘Black African’.
The name gave me some clues to its usage and in looking it up I have discovered that it is indeed used to produce a sweetner called sorghum syrup. The stalks are sometimes made into ethanol.
The internet also tells me that it is believed that the crop was introduced into the Unites States by slaves who brought seeds with them from West Africa.
August 26th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
That is cool! Sorghum is a pretty nutritious grain that is being used increasingly in gluten-free cooking! Also used in indian baking (called jowar)
August 26th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I think they sell sorghum syrup at the Whole Foods near me, near the agave.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Cereal grains!! I know what I’m visiting when we come to Montreal.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Jessica: You’ll love this garden! The greenhouse is my favourite.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
For a minute I thought it was some species of the Blackberry Lily.
Very cool pic. Makes me want to pluck one off and try it. But it’s probably as hard as a popcorn kernel and I’d pay for it in all ways (monetarily with a dentist and in pain).
August 26th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I love landscaping with stuff like cereal grains and other edibles - inspired! I first saw them used in a landscape at Chanticleer near Media, PA.