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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 17, 2008 17:28:25 GMT -5
Go on now, I know at least some of you have already grown these and have pictures  you know who you are. ;D  Plum Milkvetch: prairie perennial that can take dry conditions. The seedpods are edible. Astragalus crassicarpus Prairie Turnip: another prairie legume which produces an edible tuber. Apparently, it's tasty. Looks like a little hairy lupin to me. Psoralea esculenta Experiences? |
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Post by plantsnobin on Dec 17, 2008 17:59:06 GMT -5
Well, I am sitting here with my Prairie Moon Nursery catalog open by the computer, and they carry both of these.
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 17, 2008 18:01:53 GMT -5
Funny that and you just recently mentioned that nursery. You would think I popped right over and visited it? Actually, I have been looking for plum milkvetch for awhile since I saw it given an honourable mention in Gaia's Garden - home permaculture book. As for the prairie turnip, as I scrolling through the aforementioned catalogue, I said, 'hmmm' and some googling later revealed that it was indeed an interesting plant.
Thanks Karen.
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Post by plantsnobin on Dec 17, 2008 18:19:35 GMT -5
I really do like this company. Their catalog is good at providing info on uses of the plants such as butterfly/hummingbird attractors, cut flower use and such, but doesn't have any info on edible uses. Too bad, but I can't expect them to be perfect in every way.
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Post by stevil on Dec 18, 2008 4:38:18 GMT -5
Plum Milkvetch: prairie perennial that can take dry conditions. The seedpods are edible. Astragalus crassicarpus Experiences? Just one bad experience so far and no pictures  - I germinated seed successfully once, planted in the garden, but it did not re-emerge in the spring. I'd like to try again this time in a sand bed. Here it would have to take wet conditions all year. I suspect it prefers stable winter conditions (no thawing and freezing). I've never seen it in botanical gardens in Europe and it's not listed in the RHS Plant Finder in the UK (no suppliers). By the way, membership in alpine garden societies such as the North American Garden Society (NARGS), SRGC and AGS is a good investment for the more unusual wild edibles (a leading US herb gardener told me this many years ago - he had a very interesting collection of unusual herbs sourced through NARGS). Here is this year's NARGS list - www.nargs.org/seed/SeedList-2008.htmlIf you send in seed yourself you can order 35 packets. No crassicarpus though.... Prairie Turnip: another prairie legume which produces an edible tuber. Apparently, it's tasty. Looks like a little hairy lupin to me. Psoralea esculenta No success here either (no germination), although I managed to germinate Psoralea onobrychis, but again that's as far as I got...Esculenta has a similar distribution to the Astragalus and is probably also a bit picky about weather... 4 species of Psoralea are available in the UK, but not this one. |
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 18, 2008 7:42:04 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip about the NARGS. I'll check it out and if my seed works, I'll let you know.
Telsing.
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Post by orflo on Dec 18, 2008 8:02:13 GMT -5
I have the same experience as Stephen: meaning no experience ;D ;D Never tried astragalus, so that's really nothing, and I did get some psoralea seeds once, but, no germination..;and I never ever saw the plant anywhere...So I'm not being helpful here  I'm pretty sure I ordered it somewhere a few weeks ago, but I should check my papers to be sure, I thought I asked it at GRIN, their seeds are coming in, slowly but steadily , so if anyone wants some from that, let me know, and I'll confirm it... For those of you interested: the crambe tatarica already arrived, (Stephen, I know you are...) |
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 18, 2008 9:14:44 GMT -5
It would be a lie to say that I wasn't interested ;D
Telsing.
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Post by stevil on Dec 18, 2008 9:50:41 GMT -5
For those of you interested: the crambe tatarica already arrived, (Stephen, I know you are...) Fantastic - I was hoping you were listening - I'll cross that one off my wants from Frank list, then.... |
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Post by canadamike on Dec 18, 2008 22:41:21 GMT -5
Can I be in on the tatarica???
BTW, I am waiting for these wild russian capitatas cabbages...
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Post by raymondo on Jan 5, 2009 4:04:16 GMT -5
Is it too late orflo to ask for some Crambe tatarica seeds? Just checked it with our quarantine service and it's a permitted entry. If there are no spare seeds, and plenty have already put up their hand so it's likely, could you tell me your source?
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Post by orflo on Jan 5, 2009 12:45:54 GMT -5
Ray, I have to make a bit of an overview for these, they come from USDA/GRIN, I got some 'real' Frenchies that are waiting for it too... |
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Post by canadamike on Jan 5, 2009 15:40:22 GMT -5
If you don't have enough, prioritize Ray, I have a lot of work anyway....
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Post by raymondo on Jan 7, 2009 15:50:26 GMT -5
No problem orflo. I will look at USDA/GRIN. And thanks for that generous thought Michel.
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Post by utopiate on Jan 12, 2009 0:53:22 GMT -5
I ordered some Psoralea esculenta seeds from Prairymoon just recently. If I can figure out how to germinate them the plants might do fairly well here. While not their native plains ecotype, its a semi-arid interior shrub steppe here with similar cold winters and hot summers. I suspect they take several years to reach a usable size though, and I never was too fond of turnips either, but it looks like a lovely ornamental lupine-like plant. I should be able to spare some seeds unless, like others, I just cant get a fair percentage of germination.
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you know who you are. ;D 
- I germinated seed successfully once, planted in the garden, but it did not re-emerge in the spring. I'd like to try again this time in a sand bed. Here it would have to take wet conditions all year. I suspect it prefers stable winter conditions (no thawing and freezing).
