Today I will tell you about a very interesting tree --- Chekalkin Nut.

It blooms very beautifully, and its fruits are edible!

Rowan-leaved walnut, or Chekalkin Walnut, is a deciduous tree or shrub, in cultivation up to 4 m in height.

The trunk is intricately curved, the crown forms a thick cap of leaves, similar in shape to rowan leaves, which is reflected in the name.

At the latitude of Kyiv, it blooms simultaneously with lilac, until the foliage completely dissolves, with large, 25 cm, clusters of large white flowers with a red throat, dotting the entire tree.

Extraordinarily effective. Some dendrologists consider it one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs.

After flowering, it forms round boxes the size of a walnut,

Of which, when ripe and cracked, from 5 to 17 pieces fall out. round dark brown nuts, reminiscent of small hazelnuts with a thin skin.

Nuts are edible both raw and roasted and contain up to 64% fat.

Care: does not tolerate stagnant water, especially in at a young age, needs good drainage, a sunny, warm place for planting. Like all nuts, it does not like to be transplanted; it is recommended to sow and plant immediately permanent place. Grows quickly. Frost-resistant, according to some data, down to -30 degrees C.

Reproduction: seeds.

Attention! The seeds do not have a dormant period and do not require stratification - if you collect the seeds from a tree and sow, they will immediately germinate and be exposed to frost. It is recommended to sow immediately in a permanent place in the spring months, since the nut produces a strong taproot, which makes further successful replanting difficult. There are indications of the possibility of propagation by root cuttings.

Seeds are stored in burlap in a cool, damp, well-ventilated room. Seed germination during such storage lasts up to 1.5 - 2 years. It must be remembered that the seeds are easily eaten by mice. Planting depth is 4 - 5 cm.

The perennial plant Chekalkin nut or xanthoceras is a tree 2 to 4 meters high. It blooms in May with white flowers with pink hues and loves sun and moisture. Xanthoceras rowan-leaved belongs to the Sapindaceae family, and the genus has a single representative. It grows wild in northern China in areas with hilly terrain. The main way in which the chekalkin nut propagates is by growing from seeds.

Cultural growth, territory

There are xanthoceras plantings in Russia, Crimea, Ukraine and Georgia. The discovery belongs to the botanist A. Bunge, thanks to whom the minted nut spread to France and then to Russia. Xanthoceras is grown for agricultural purposes (the fruits are edible) and also as an ornamental plant.

Description

Chekalkin nut has leaves similar to rowan, up to 5 cm long and up to 1.2 cm wide with serrated edges. They attract with dark greenery on top and light greenery at the bottom; they turn yellow in the fall. Cultivated specimens of this deciduous tree do not exceed 3 m. The trunk and branches of a sinuous shape are considered very decorative. The dense crown has the geometry of a wide pyramid, and the developed root system has a taproot.

A special feature of the tree is its beautiful flowering with an abundance of large (up to 4 cm in diameter) white flowers on the shoots, collected in a raceme up to 25 cm. The plant is bisexual, which allows you to get fruits from a separate specimen. The color of the flowers inside is yellow, and after pollination this middle part turns red.

At the end of flowering, the leaves bloom completely.

The fruits are round in shape - boxes up to 5 cm, reminiscent of chestnuts without thorns or the shell of a walnut. When ripe they turn from green to dark brown. Seeds up to 1.8 cm in size are edible. They are fried or eaten raw. A mature box cracks, revealing up to 17 nuts.

Growing nuts from seeds

What conditions does the Chekalkin nut like? Growing from seeds is one of the ways to propagate it (the main one). The second method is root cuttings, which show low survival rate.

At all stages of growth, it prefers the following conditions.

Sufficient lighting, sun.

Nutritious soil with neutral acidity.

The soil needs good drainage, so add a little sand.

Stagnation of moisture should be avoided, which is especially important for young plants. But drought is also not recommended. The nut may lose its leaves. It is necessary to choose moderate watering during the drying period of the soil.

Sowing and caring for seedlings

When choosing seeds, you need to give preference to the original tree from the local climate. The collected nuts are stored in a humid room without stagnant air (with ventilation). Then germination can last up to 2 years. Chekalkin nut, which can be grown from seeds using two methods (in the ground or in a container), has a germination rate from 20 to more than 60%.

Two methods of germination from seeds

One way is to land directly in open ground. Due to the vulnerability of the root system, this is done in the spring in place of permanent growth. The seeds are buried at a depth of 4 or 5 cm. The frailest sprouts may die first, the rest develop until the autumn period. Outside the house, it is better to cover them for the winter. A three-year-old plant grows 1 meter, and over the next year it doubles in size, but the trunk remains thin.

To sow in a container, nuts are soaked for 24 hours, and a fragment of the skin is cut off in the area where the sprouts appear. After treatment with a growth stimulator, they are placed in damp cloth and wait another 12 hours at 20 degrees C. Planting is done in deep containers with drainage at the bottom. The soil mixture must be moistened in advance, so there is no need to water when sowing. However, they make a greenhouse to preserve moisture and protect it from unfavorable factors. The crops are kept at 20 degrees C for a week, wetting the soil to prevent it from drying out. The emerging seedlings are placed in the light in the same container and begin to be watered. They are transferred to garden holes when the weather stabilizes, far from frost.

Chekalkin rowan nut, or Xanthoceras rowanifolia(Xanthoceras sorbifolium) is a graceful deciduous tree or shrub native to northern China. In cultivation, this plant, under favorable climatic conditions, can grow up to 4 m. It is valued for the beautiful bend of the trunk and a dense crown of leaves, reminiscent of mountain ash in shape. But xanthoceras is especially spectacular during the spring flowering period, when long clusters of beautiful large white flowers with a red throat flaunt against the background of the leaves beginning to bloom. Therefore, the chekalkin nut is rightfully classified as a beautiful flowering woody plant that delights gardeners in the spring, simultaneously with.

The round seed pods of the chekalkin nut, resembling in appearance, contain inside several round brown nuts with a thin shell, similar to. The edible kernels of these nuts contain a lot of fat and useful substances They are eaten fresh or fried.

Xanthoceras seeds do not have a dormant period; they are able to germinate quickly without stratification immediately after ripening. However, autumn sowing of nuts risks exposing weak plants to severe cold, which can destroy young plants. Therefore, it is recommended to sow xanthoceras seeds in spring after storing them in a cool, ventilated place with high humidity. Under such conditions, their germination persists for about 2 years. When sowing nuts in the garden after storage, the percentage of chekalkin nut germination can fluctuate between 20-70 percent, which must be taken into account when growing seedlings.
Nuts treated with kerosene (from mice) are buried 4-5 cm into the soil.

Before sowing xanthoceras nuts in the garden, you need to choose a suitable place for the plants so that you do not have to replant the seedlings later - this plant does not like having its long tap root disturbed or damaged.

Chekalkin nut develops well in a warm, sunny place without stagnant water, in permeable, fertile soil with good drainage. In a suitable location, this frost-resistant plant (zone 4) develops quickly. It overwinters successfully without the roots becoming entangled.
Various unfavorable factors can greatly retard the development of chekalkin nut seedlings, and adult plants with a long tap root become more unpretentious.

During heat and drought, regular watering of xanthoceras is recommended, otherwise the plant drops its leaves and can shed them completely if the soil dries out too much. However, do not despair and remove it from the site - this plant is quite hardy. When soil moisture is normalized, the root system is gradually restored and dormant buds on the shoots are awakened. After this, the affected chekalkin nut wakes up next spring and begins to grow: it expands the crown and resumes flowering.

The chekalkin nut also runs the risk of being damaged by rodents, especially when the bush is still small and is completely under the snow - mice that get to it can destroy the buds. Therefore, before wintering xanthoceras, it is necessary to provide for its protection from.

Considering that this plant reaches a fairly large size, when grown in a small garden, regular pruning and crown formation are carried out. Thinning and sanitary pruning of xanthoceras should be done, as with lilacs, in early spring before the buds open. However, if necessary, you can prune the plant immediately after flowering, so that the growing young branches of the chekalkin nut have time to form flower buds that will bloom next spring. Pruning the plant during the gardening season is also possible, but then this will affect its flowering next year.

Reproduction and cultivation of chekalkin nut, xanthoceras

I accidentally came across this incomparably and abundantly flowering bush (or rather, a small spreading bush-like tree) in a city park three years ago. This plant interested me with its wonderful flowers, vaguely reminiscent of flowers.

However, the catalpas growing in the parks of our city are tall trees. And the flowering tree that intrigued me reached a height of no more than two meters. It grew in a narrow clearing among thickets, spirea and... Getting closer to it, I realized that it was not a catalpa, but a plant completely unfamiliar to me.

Upon closer examination, the mysterious tree no longer reminded me of a catalpa - both the flowers and the leaves are not the same. Its graceful, pointed at the ends, serrated, odd-pinnate leaves are more reminiscent of, and they have nothing in common with, the large, whole leaves of the catalpa.
Having had enough of admiring the flowering of an unknown plant, I left the park, having previously photographed this blooming mystery...

I remembered this unfamiliar plant the following spring, again walking in the park with a camera. Having climbed into the already familiar park thickets, I discovered this tree, which had lost its decorative qualities, with many dry branches, and there was not a single flower on it...

That summer in the park, I climbed into the treasured thickets several more times to check whether this unusual tree had begun to grow. However, no miracle happened. It seemed to me that the mysterious tree was dying.

However, last spring I was in for a surprise. Imagine my joy when I once again looked (just in case) into that overgrown clearing of the park and discovered this seemingly almost dead tree - it was not only revived, but also blooming! Among its young green leaves were long flower clusters.

And in the summer... My surprise knew no bounds when I saw ovaries on the branches of a revived tree. The seed pods hanging on the tree reminded me of green hedgehogs. Only this tree’s seed pods were not prickly, but rather shaggy.

Autumn came, and in each of the bursting fruits of the mysterious tree I found several (from 3 to 6 pieces) small spherical seeds with a diameter of 8-12 mm. Interestingly, these seeds seemed to be small copies of chestnuts...

This time I left the park not only joyful, but also with booty - carrying two dozen seeds of an unknown tree in my pocket.

In the photo: leaf, seeds and seedling of chekalkin nut

That same day I sowed the collected seeds in the garden. I sowed them in two plastic containers with holes to drain excess moisture.
Expanded clay was placed at the bottom of the containers to ensure drainage, and a ready-made soil mixture for growing seedlings was poured on top.
I buried containers with crops in open ground so that the seeds could overwinter and undergo stratification under natural conditions.

In the spring, only four sprouts appeared from the many seeds sown. Of these, one plant turned out to be completely stunted and weak; it soon died.

So, now I have only three seedlings growing in my garden - three future beautiful trees. And I'm so happy about it! I hope I can grow this in my garden unusual plant, whose name remained a mystery to me for a long time. Thanks to a plant connoisseur and the possibilities of communication on the Internet, I found out that I was growing chekalkin nut, or xanthoceras rowan-leaved, from seeds.

Try to grow this wonderful plant in your garden to enjoy the decorative appearance and unparalleled flowering of chekalkin nut. Moreover, it will give xanthoceras to your family healthy nuts, the smell and taste of which resembles hazelnuts.

Tatyana Petrova (Poltava region)
http://www.tanynadacha.ru

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I studied very carefully the issue of plant compatibility in the garden according to scientific work and in practice. I will share my conclusions with you.

Some plants in the garden don't get along with each other. Reasons for plant incompatibility there are the following:

1) the roots of neighboring plants lie at the same depth and prevent each other from growing,
2) one neighboring plant releases substances that are harmful and unpleasant for another neighboring plant,
3) neighboring plants simultaneously consume nutrients (some category), which is why both lack them,
4) one plant attracts or provides “shelter” for pests of a neighboring plant.
There are other reasons.

Respectively good friends there may be plants , whose roots are located in different levels, which release substances useful to their neighbors, do not compete due to nutrients. You also need to take into account the watering regime. It happens that one plant needs abundant watering, while another prefers to receive watering only a few times a year. It is clear that it is very undesirable to plant them next to each other. Well, you need to think about the shadow. If one plant grows and shields its neighbor from the desired sun, then such a neighbor will not be able to grow well and bear fruit abundantly.
That is why it is very advisable to take into account which plants in the garden can be placed next to each other and which cannot.
But here we must warn you that the various compatibility tables that you find on the Internet are often not based on scientific information. The point is that serious in-depth research You won’t find anything on this topic during the day. Who will lead them in the absence of funding? So all these tables are often compiled based on the observations of individual gardeners and their exchange of experience.

Eat a few more nuances to consider when placing plants in the garden, they are not related to compatibility and incompatibility, but they will certainly be useful to you when planning your garden.

1) We try not to plant those shrubs under the trees on which the berries ripen during the period when the trees need to be sprayed. So that the poison does not get on the fruits of the bush. This approach applies not only to shrubs, but also to other “edible” plants. And not every poison needed to protect a tree should be allowed to its short-growing neighbors.

2) If our neighbor has good healthy pears near our fence, then perhaps we will also plant pears on his side so that they pollinate each other. Pollinators are also important to consider.

I will give a table in which I have summarized information about the compatibility and incompatibility of the following plants in the garden: apple tree, pear, quince, cherry, black cherry, plum, cherry plum, apricot, peach, rowan, viburnum, walnut, hazelnut, hawthorn, serviceberry, black currant , red currant, golden currant, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry, honeysuckle, sea buckthorn, barberry, dogwood, rose hip, grapes, actinidia, Chinese lemongrass, strawberry. From it you will learn what can or even should be planted with in the garden, and what cannot be planted with.

Table of compatibility and incompatibility of trees, shrubs, vines, strawberries and other plants in the garden

Many gardeners note that it is good to plant in the garden spice plants anise, basil, coriander, lemon balm, parsley, thyme, tarragon. Their odorous substances repel many pests and inhibit the spread of diseases. But beware of eating such garden plants after they have been sprayed with pesticides

Let me make a reservation right away - we don’t have a vegetable garden in our garden (pardon the pun). And here we will only talk about perennial plants. I have nothing against pumpkin flowers, quinoa leaves, chicory shoots, artichoke heads, baby chickweed, etc. Nothing against it...except that all these plants are young plants. All vegetables (and other “ruderals” = weeds) need fertile, loose, constantly moist soil... Which they need to prepare annually... They need to be renewed regularly... And most importantly, annuals and young plants do not tolerate competition (they need in obligatory weeding) and are almost unable to create long-term communities.

Simply put – one- and two-year-old vegetables are too labor-intensive and unsustainable without regular care. And on our heavy clay (and with our abundance of precipitation), weeds reach a meter in height by May... In nature, they occupy temporarily free niches or occupy places with periodically disturbed soil, where there is no competition from perennial plants. I’m not against the garden and vegetables... both “conventional” and non-traditional... very tasty and healthy... we’re just talking about something a little different here.

We are talking about perennials here. About perennial herbs, about trees, vines and shrubs... About the fact that once planted, it gives an “unusual” (and unseasonal) harvest for several years. Sometimes - for many years. Yes, not right away. Yes, care is still required (for the harvest to be noticeable). In the first year or two, care is simply necessary... But when the seedlings take root, care becomes minimal. Pruning (once a year), two or three cuts of nearby grass, annual mulching with any organic matter, watering in severe drought (throw in the hose twice during the summer), and...harvesting. And most importantly, even if you completely neglect care, there will (most likely) be some kind of harvest... and the plants will not die! For this to be exactly the case, it is very important to choose and place the plants correctly, based on the conditions of your garden (climate, soil, light, topography).

And I’ll also make a reservation that the article describes only those plants that performed well in the conditions of the foothills of the Krasnodar Territory. Naturally, a lot can grow where the winters are colder and the summers drier... Moreover, some things (from what is described below) feel much better “there” than in our “almost subtropics.”

So what makes a real harvest of edible leaves and flowers? What perennial plants can be a worthy alternative to vegetables? Not spices/seasonings/a pinch in tea/decorate a salad/surprise guests/bragging about on Instagram, but just like that - an alternative to vegetables?

Grape

Southerners know very well that not only the fruits of the Grape are edible, but also the young shoots, inflorescences, and leaves. And “non-southerners” have probably tried dolma at least once. There is nothing special to write about it; information on agricultural technology (as well as recipes for using leaves) is easy to find.

It is important to consider the following: shoots and leaves must be clean (from dust and chemicals), juicy and young (ideally after short pruning). Those that have finished growing and are rough will ruin your entire impression... The taste is nothing special, but nothing unpleasant either. Grass-grass, pleasant sourness. Large young grape leaves completely replace kale.

It is worth pointing out that nutritional properties all types and hybrids of grapes have similar ones. With the same success as Cultivated Grape (Vitisvinifera), you can use the widely grown Amur Grape (Vitisamurensis), Labrusca Grape (Vitislabrusca, “Isabella”) and others... The last two species are more winter-hardy and resistant to many pathogens, their (and not only them) were repeatedly used in hybridization, therefore, all grape varieties are “mestizo”.

Hibiscus

Perhaps the most productive and interesting as a “vegetable” is the shrubby Syrian Hibiscus (Hibiscussyriacus). It is widely grown in gardens in southern Russia, Central Asia, Moldova and Ukraine. Winter hardiness zone is approximately 5, it requires a fairly long and warm summer... Prefers well-moistened places, is light-loving, unpretentious to the soil, and is rarely affected by pests and diseases. The height of the bush is usually 3 meters (sometimes up to 5 m), the diameter is usually about 2 meters (up to 6 m). Many decorative varieties of Syrian Hibiscus have been developed with different colors and flower sizes. There are also terry ones. These are the most “vegetable” ones, especially those that bloom for a long time (sometimes more than 2 months).
The taste of the flowers (or better yet, the buds, they are juicier and there are no insects there yet) is quite soft, pleasant, the consistency is crispy, there is a slight slimy aftertaste... there is a pleasant nutty aftertaste... in general, it is very similar to leaf salads. Productivity, size and consistency of buds vary significantly among varieties.

Yes, in addition to flowers, you can eat young leaves and the tops of young shoots in the spring. Moreover, this applies to all Hibiscus, including herbaceous species, which are often cultivated in regions with harsher winters.

Flowering in some double varieties of Hibiscus Syrian continues from the end of June to mid-September... the spring greenery at this time has already become coarser/faded, and their buds are just “in tune”. The yield is very decent; you can get a cup of buds from an adult bush. At a time. And this is every other day/every day for 2 months. As a supplement to the diet, two or three bushes (even for a large family) are more than enough. Unless, of course, you are rabbits.

Klekachka (“Klykachka”, “Jonjolie”)

IN southern regions In Russia (mainly in the Caucasus Mountains), the pinnate weed (Staphyleapinnata) and the Colchis weed (Staphyleacolchica) grow wild. Both are in the Red Book. In the botanical gardens of the European part, there are several more American and East Asian species, as well as hybrids between them. All of them are quite close to each other, winter-hardy (at least USDA zone 4), successfully bloom and bear fruit in both capitals.

Klekachki are long-lasting, rather tall (about 3, rarely up to 5 meters) and wide (diameter 4-5, rarely up to 8 meters) shrubs. For undergrowth plants, they are very drought-resistant, not very demanding on soils (they only cannot tolerate waterlogging in the upper layers), and are very responsive to care. They can develop normally both in the sun and under the tree canopy (including, with sufficient moisture, under the crowns of Nut trees). In the shade, flowering is not so abundant, but the leaves remain tender a little longer. The period of active growth in Klekachek is quite short; the shoots ripen by the beginning of summer. Root system powerful, branched, superficial. Klekachki do not produce root shoots; they reproduce well by seeds (autumn sowing) and tree-trunk shoots. They do not require special pruning, they tolerate sanitary pruning normally. They are not seriously affected by pests and diseases. The flowers have a pleasant aroma, are readily visited by bees, flowering bushes are very decorative (no worse than weigel, deutzia, mock orange, etc.).

Blooming young leaves, young shoot tips, buds (dzhonjoli) and flowers have been consumed as food (in the Caucasus for a long time). When fresh, the taste is quite pleasant, delicate, slightly spicy (reminiscent of watercress). In garden conditions, the yield is high. What is especially valuable, Klekachek produce a harvest from the beginning to the end of spring, when vitamins are especially needed... Nut fruits (the size of a pea) are also edible, but they are relatively few and cannot be compared with the yield of “classic” nut-bearing fruits. Klekachek flower clusters are a delicacy . They are easy and pleasant to collect... Indispensable for salads. Suitable for fermentation and pickling (these are the same “dzhonjoli”).
In culture, Klekachki are very, very rare, it is not clear why... Occasionally found in botanical gardens and among hobbyists rare plants. There are no plantations in sight... The most valuable plants are very promising for many regions of Russia (including the Middle Zone, southern Siberia and the Far East) and adjacent countries. Farmers and restaurateurs, a...

Nettle

In Russia (and throughout Eurasia), stinging nettle (Urticadioica) is widespread (and used everywhere for food). It is a well-known plant (for many it is a “weed”), but it is not specially grown, collecting greens from wild plants. But they don’t grow it in vain...
In garden conditions (with minimal care), Nettle is very productive, reaches 2 meters in height, and produces 3-4 cuttings of greenery per year. Prefers rich (or better yet, very rich in organic matter), moist (but not too swampy) soils. Grows well both in the sun and in partial shade (including under the crowns of Nut trees). It propagates very easily by dividing the rhizomes (the rhizomes grow sideways on loose soils up to 40 cm), self-sows, is very durable on rich soils, is responsive to mulching, and successfully competes with weeds.
It grows very early (in our conditions - from the end of winter), is resistant to return frosts, which allows you to do very early forcing of greens by covering the plantation with film. Cooled shoots are stored for two to three days. With regular cutting, the tops of the shoots do not become coarse (in moist partial shade) until mid-summer.

The nutritional uses of Nettle are very diverse. I send you to the Internet for recipes... Personally, I really like lightly fried nettles (crush, add a LOT of butter, a little salt and spices... fry for just a minute, until dark... mmm... you can pour melange - you get an omelette) . Are you still buying pale slimy lettuce in the spring?

Xanthoceras (“Chekalkin nut” or “jackal nut”).

The North Chinese-Korean shrub, Xanthoceras Sorbifolium, is even rarer in Russian gardens than Klekachki...
Much of what was said above about “dzhonjoli” can be repeated here word for word... edible flowers and young leaves... very spectacular and abundant flowering... flowering time... edible nuts (the size of small hazelnuts, taste of raw chestnuts or peanuts)... winter hardiness (3-4 winter hardiness zone, bears fruit in the south of Siberia) and resistance to return frosts... short period of shoot growth... dimensions... Much, but not all.

Xanthoceras is a plant of continental or monsoon climate with dry cold winter, in our “warm-humid conditions” he is not very comfortable. Therefore, even adult Chekalkin Nut plants may unexpectedly die in the spring. Not from frost, no... and not from return frosts in March. From mushrooms or bacterial infections, developing in non-freezing soil, immunity from which this plant has not developed. So, if you get seedlings or seeds, find the most ventilated, drained and dry place for them (we’re talking about the northwestern Caucasus). And replant periodically, trying to select the most adapted plants. For guarantee.

True, the seed propagation of Xanthoceras is a whole story... The dormancy of the seeds is shallow, they do not require stratification, and they are not afraid of drying out during storage. So it makes sense to sow them not very early in the spring (or even early summer) in warm soil. But even if shoots have appeared, it’s too early to rejoice. Firstly, a quarter (or even a good half) of the seedlings turn out to be not green, but...white. Such plants do not contain chlorophyll and do not live long (on food reserves from the seed). It is better to remove them immediately so as not to provoke the development of various rots, which very easily damage Xanthoceras seedlings in damp spring weather. I had a case when out of 100 seeds sown, all 100 sprouted, but only 2 plants survived until summer... You can sow either in a permanent place or in (tall) pots. There is a greenhouse - you can put the pot there, in the sunniest place, and in the summer, without disturbing the coma, plant it in the garden. In indoor conditions, seedlings feel much worse.

The rest of the “agricultural technology” is simple. Do not allow weeds to overgrow (especially while the plants are young), mulch occasionally, when emergency– water... Replanting Xanthoceras plants, as well as loosening the soil under them, is strictly not recommended in our conditions. Prefers well-lit places. Yes, Xanthoceras is considered the “king” of flowering shrubs... And this is true.

In general, Chekalkin Walnut is worth growing here. Let there be nuts not every year (flowers and ovaries do not like spring dampness)... But further north and east (for example, in the Volga region or in the Black Earth region) he will be much more comfortable! Not to mention the southern regions of Siberia and the Far East, where it comes from... And vice versa, all attempts to grow Xanthoceras in the humid subtropics (Sochi) ended in failure. I took both seeds and plants in containers there... The result was zero. Who is complaining about the bad climate?

Daylily (“Day Lily”, “Krasodnev”)

The Russian name “krasodnev” (like the Latin Hemerocallis) hints at the lifespan of an individual flower. Yesterday there was a bud, one day (or night) it bloomed, tomorrow it withered... Fortunately, there are many flowers and they bloom gradually. The flowering period of Daylilies is from a week to a month. Accordingly, collecting and eating all the buds (today) will not affect flowering in any way (the day after tomorrow). This is the answer to “...how can you eat such beauty.”

All species of the genus Daylily are herbaceous perennials, native Eastern Siberia And Far East(from Japan to Altai). Due to their unpretentiousness, bright flowering and durability (!), they are very widespread in gardens and parks of Eurasia and America. Many hybrid varieties have been bred with different flowering periods and different colors... Surely you have at least one Daylily growing in your garden. Not in your flower garden, but in your neighbor's... But in their homeland, in China, Daylilies are ordinary vegetable plants! It is called "Yellow Flower Vegetable".

I will not dwell on agricultural technology; there is a lot of information on the Internet and in gardening literature on growing these most popular plants. I will only note longevity (up to half a century without replanting), preference for partial shade (in the south) and relative moisture-loving properties.

Almost all parts of the Daylily are used for food... from fleshy roots and young leaves to buds and flowers. But we prefer buds. It’s easy to collect, there are no insects inside (unlike flowers), it’s more convenient to cut, and the taste is juicier. I would like to note that Early Daylily and L. Middendorfa are the most winter-hardy (they grow wild up to Yakutia) and bloom much earlier than most other species and hybrid varieties... But the latter have noticeably larger buds... And one more thing... the taste of the buds varies from species to species and the varieties are very different... some are tasty, and some are bitter or have a specific taste... most often, the weaker the aroma of the flowers, the tastier the buds. Varieties with double flowers naturally have more “fleshy” buds.

Daylily buds are suitable for salad (instead of lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini), they can be stewed, fried, pickled, dried, candied... What, is it still a pity to eat buds or flowers?

Linden

All species of Linden (and there are many of them) traditionally use inflorescences for food. They are dried to be used later for brewing. linden tea. But few people know that not only the flowers of the Linden tree are edible, but also the young shoots with tender leaves.

Linden prefers deep, fertile soils and is quite moisture-loving.

Growing linden for flowering and for producing “salad” shoots is radically different. Abundant flowering begins at about 8 years of age for trees growing freely in a lighted place, without radical pruning. Formative pruning (shaping the skeleton) is quite acceptable and even desirable. In order for the tree to bloom profusely and at the same time make it convenient to collect flowers, it is better to form flattened crowns of the “palmette” type.
And when growing linden “for greenery,” it is necessary to plant it in partial shade and cut the tree short every few years (or annually). In this case, the shoots will be tender, the leaves will be large, and the yield will be high. Linden tolerates short pruning well, however, in this case it grows in a bushy manner.
The “harvest” begins early in the spring (if you “thin out” the blossoming buds) and continues until mid-summer (subject to short pruning in winter). Young Linden greens are a worthy alternative to spinach.

Robinia (White Acacia)

Robinia pseudoacacia is another well-known and widespread tree whose fragrant inflorescences are beautiful. food product. The inflorescences are used for salads, for main courses, fried in batter, candied... It blooms in late spring. There are varieties of Robinia that bloom continuously throughout the summer.

For the convenience of collecting inflorescences, sparse planting in lighted places and the formation of a wide, low crown are necessary (with free growth, the trees are quite tall). After heavy pruning (or after freezing), Robinia forms a lot of root shoots, often at a great distance from the mother tree. Therefore, formative pruning should be carried out carefully and regularly, starting from a young age.
In our conditions, Robinia is drought-resistant, heat-resistant, light-loving, and unpretentious to soils. The yield is decent and blooms every year.

Smilax (Sarsaparilla, "Ekala")

Smilaxexcelsa is widespread in the forests of the Caucasus. This is a tall (usually up to 10, sometimes up to 50 m) semi-evergreen woody vine with greenish strong stems covered with very powerful thorns. Heart-shaped leaves with light spots.
Young shoots of Smilax (growing, tender tops reddish color) are eaten both raw (tasting sour, juicy, with a slight bitterness) and boiled (including for the Georgian national snack pkhali). They can be pickled, fermented, etc. Harvesting is the first half of summer.
Winter hardiness - approximately zone 6, demanding on the amount of summer heat. In our conditions it does not freeze and bears fruit every year. Easily propagated by seeds (sowing before winter). Prefers partial shade and rich, moist soils. It is necessary to control powerful growth by regular pruning so that Smilax plantings do not turn into impenetrable thickets and produce many young shoots. It is not recommended to use trees as a support for Smilax, given its powerful growth and spine.

Snooze

Common warbler (Aegopodium podagraria) - widespread in the Northern Hemisphere herbaceous plant, to many gardeners Middle Strip it is known as a difficult weed to eradicate. And indeed, on moist, loose soils in partial shade, Snake is capable of growing at a high speed (the growth of rhizomes to the sides is up to a meter per year). In our conditions, Snot grows not so powerfully, apparently, the reason for this is heavy soils and summer droughts.

Young leaves of Snyti are a wonderful “spring” delicacy. The slight specific taste does not spoil the impression at all. It grows early, the yield is high. The uses are varied.

Those who have never collected Snyti and do not know it by sight should remember that in the Umbrella family there are several poisonous plants, similar leaves to Snitch.

Yucca

Several species of the Yucca genus are widely grown in southern Russia and neighboring countries. They are valued for their exotic “southern” appearance, spectacular flowering (inflorescences are often higher than 2 meters), evergreen leaves and unpretentiousness. The most common in Russian gardens and the furthest to the north is Yuccafilamentosa. This species does not form a stem (unlike many other Yuccas), and its leaves are not as tough. The latter is a definite “plus”, given that the leaves of all Yuccas end in sharp needles that can cause serious injury. Yucca filamentous blooms in mid-summer, other species - earlier or later.
Winter hardiness of Yucca filamentous is zone 5, Yucca glorious is zone 6. The plants are light-loving, prefer fertile soils, drought-resistant, and responsive to care. In our conditions, Yuccas do not produce seeds (due to the lack of pollinators); they reproduce only by rooting lateral rosettes (which is very simple) or by root cuttings. It is possible to grow from seeds of North American origin.
Yuccas are grown everywhere as ornamental plants, only a few know about their edibility... All types and hybrids of Yuccas have edible flowers with a very pleasant nutty flavor. The consistency is slightly crispy and dense. A real delicacy! The flower yield is very high. It is advisable to eat not open flowers, but formed buds; there are no insects there.
Sliced ​​Yucca buds are especially good in a summer salad, seasoned with oil and balsamic vinegar. Goes great with cheese, tomatoes...

Bear onion (“ramson”, “chanzeli”)

There are many edible plants among the Onions, but most of them are light-loving and prefer well-drained, loose soil. Accordingly, as practice has shown, most types of Onions (including Onion, Slime Onion and Chives) are not very suitable for a “problem-free” culture in our conditions. But our local forest species, rhizomatous bear's onion (Allium ursinum), showed itself very well.

Bear onion tolerates winter waterlogging well, is shade-tolerant, and requires rich soil. Easily propagated by sowing fresh seeds and dividing rhizomes. In our conditions, it self-sows, settling independently in damp places in the garden.

Traditionally, young shoots of wild garlic are used for food, harvested in the forests using rather barbaric methods. When growing in the garden, it is not at all necessary to plow the entire plantation with a hoe in order to obtain the February-March vitamins... It is much more reasonable to cover the Ramson with a film, and then collect the early harvest of leaves above ground. And not entirely, but selectively, so as not to excessively weaken the rhizomes. Flower shoots and buds of Cheremsha are also edible; they can be collected much later, when the leaves have already become coarser.

The leaves, peduncles and buds of wild garlic have a sharp garlic taste; you can’t eat much of it fresh... They are usually fried (like nettles, see above), stewed... and for storage - pickled or fermented.

Ramson grows well under the crowns of deciduous trees (including trees of the Walnut family); its leaves in the spring easily penetrate even a thick layer of leaf litter. Ramson is an excellent option for planting under Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Ginkgo... and under any fruit trees. Its above-ground part dies off by mid-summer and does not interfere with the subsequent harvest of fruit and nut-bearing species.

Tree pruning to produce salad greens

Once again I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in order to receive large quantity high-quality “green mass”, woody plants need special pruning.

• 1. The first 2-3 years after planting (developed seedlings), the plants are not pruned. At this stage, the main thing is good rooting and root growth. For this purpose, in the first years, the seedlings are regularly watered and mulched; if necessary (poor soils), complex mineral fertilizer can be applied.
• 2. When the seedlings have begun active growth (last year's growth is more than a meter), they are pruned short in early spring (at a height of 10...20 cm from the soil surface, but it can be higher, up to 1 meter). The shoots that grow later can be used for food, but there is no need to pick everything. It is advisable to thin out (usually a lot of buds wake up), leaving 3-4 of the strongest ones.
• 3. A year later, in early spring (or winter), the remaining branches are also greatly shortened, but this time higher, about 40...50 cm from the soil surface (or 20...30 cm above last year’s cuts. Young ones regrown in spring shoots are already producing a noticeable harvest.Among them, you also need to leave the strongest, evenly spaced, to form a branched “skeleton”.
• 4. Subsequent pruning is carried out in the same way, greatly shortening all last year’s branches in early spring, while simultaneously removing everything weak and thin. When harvesting, several strong shoots are left along the outer perimeter.
• 5. It is very advisable to regularly feed such “tree-bushes” with any organic matter, the easiest way is by mulching, in order to stimulate powerful growth.

Naturally, this is far from a complete list of “non-traditional” perennial edibles... I briefly spoke only about those that are really productive, reliably tested in the region and feel good in the 365 Botanical Garden. Still growing and waiting in the wings are edible Bamboo, Kupena, Butterbur, Angelica (Angelica), Manchurian Aralia, Siberian Hogweed, Chinese Cedrella (tuna), Colchis Ruscus, Rhubarb, Maples, Hostas, Beechs...

Some (tested as food) plants did not perform very well... according to various reasons... Among them: many Onions (which turned out to be short-lived and low-yielding), Lovage (does not tolerate wet, warm winters), Reinutria (Buckwheat) Sakhalin (grows excessively and contains a lot of oxalic acid), Asphodeline yellow (a young plant, it’s tedious to collect flowers, although they delicious), Cercis (the flowers are very small, it’s tedious to collect, although the trees develop well).
Finally, a little about safety. I hope you will accurately identify the plant BEFORE you eat it... Check whether it can be eaten raw, or is it better to boil it... AND you will NOT (immediately) absorb food that is new to you in large quantities...

Pah-pah, that's me, just in case. Bon appetit, leaf-eaters and florophages

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