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Author Topic: Cerinthe major  (Read 8333 times)

Offline Cindi

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Cerinthe major
« on: July 18, 2007, 12:21:47 am »
This time of year it is all about bee flowers, right?  This is a beauty, grows about 3 feet tall, has drooping dark blue flowers and the bees love the flowers.  Very pretty, succulent, so it is quite drought tolerant, but of course does much better with lots of water, and that we have no shortage of in our rainforests of southern British Columbia.  This is a plant that self-seeds like the dickens, so once you plant it, it is yours forever more.  Have a wonderful day, great life, Cindi

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2007, 07:55:16 am »
I've got three out front, I could only hope they'd self-sow!  They're not quite as big as yours, I think it's our climate.  But I'm happy they seem to be happy out there.

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2007, 05:50:21 pm »
Here's a couple pictures I took today of some of them.




Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2007, 10:08:32 am »
Ann, beautiful gardens!!!  Got more pics?  Bring 'em on!!!  Is that Datura that I see growing on the right hand side.  I grew it once, but didn't like how fast the flowers died, and it just did not grow well for me.  Probably because I was not overly fond of it. :evil:  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2007, 02:38:01 pm »
Yes, it's a datura, I've got a few of them.  I really love them.  The flowers only last one day, but they smell heavenly and the plants produce many, so I  have a few.  I've got more garden pix, I'll post them later on after I get home from Pilates.

Offline smallswarm

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2007, 09:44:56 am »
Beautiful plants, Cindi and reinbeau. I was also looking for the plant called Fuller's Teasel? I am growing medicinal mushrooms. It is quite a challenge to keep the contamination out when they are being started from spores. Did you know, some species of ants cultivate fungus gardens underground. Health, safety and happiness to your chickens. Like bees and cows, they give so much, and require so little, I feel guilty eating them. I understand why Hindus do not eat cows. What great gifts from Nature to be respected!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2007, 10:37:58 am »
Smallswarm.  You are into a very interesting field, mycology.  I did not even realize that there were medicinal mushrooms, the hallucinogenic species grow prolifically around my area, but these are certainly not of a medical value  :roll:.  Keep up this interesting work, I wish you well.  I would love to hear more about the type of mushrooms you are growing.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2007, 04:27:44 pm »
Beautiful plants, Cindi and reinbeau. I was also looking for the plant called Fuller's Teasel?
You can get Fuller's Teasel from any good herb provider.  Here's a link to the Richter's product listing for the seeds.  Be aware it's a prodigious self-seeder, once you got it, you've got it!  :evil:  My mother usually lets one or two live, and weeds out the rest.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2007, 09:42:09 am »
Ann, I wonder if the Fullers Teasel grows the same in different areas.  How tall does your Mother's get?  I still can't take a picture of mine, but I will when the sun shines (or rains stop).  I'll get my husband to stand beside it for comparison.  He is 6'2" and the last time I took a picture it was way taller than hiim.  I am thinking now these plants are gonna top 15 feet tall.  I am amazed at the heighth.  I will be gathering seed from this monster when the time is nigh. 

I thank you for the advice about the prolific self-seeding nature of this plant.  It is too big to allow to self seed everywhere, so I must take care to prepare for my own gathering of seed, not let nature take its course. 

I still haven't figured out from any research I have done on the teasel if it is a biennial or a perennial.  Do you know?  Ask your Mum for me, kay?  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2007, 10:13:52 am »
Cindi, I think it's your climate.  Around here they get 7-8' tall, they're biennials to short-lived perennials. 

During our herbal weekend I found a delightful use of the water that's cupped in the leaves around the stem.  Gather it and use it to rinse your face - you will become even more beautiful in the eyes of your beloved  ;)

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2007, 10:18:23 am »
Ann, holy mackadooderal!!!  We have had rain for days and days, I bet the flower stalk cups are full of this wonderful face rinse.  Maybe I will venture out in the rain with my turkey baster (which I use for drawing up liquids, not actually even for the turkeys themselves) and draw some tonic.  I will rinse my face and I will let you know if it made a difference  :), I know I could use some more beauty, who wouldn't love enhancement.  Have a wonderful day, best of this beautiful life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #11 on: August 13, 2007, 11:50:32 am »
Update on the cerinthe in my garden - boy, those plants are wimps!  A week or two of over 90 with hardly any rain and just little ole me watering them and they crisp right up!  :roll: :lol: 

Yea, they're crispy critters out there now.  I'm going to have to put them in a different spot next season.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2007, 02:34:33 am »
Anne, I think that these plants are very tender.  They need lots of water. I have been gathering seeds for a couple of weeks, yes the plants are withering up.  Oh brother, I thought they were more hardy.  Certainly not my choice for next year's bee plants.  Nice for a hanging basket.  That is all they are worth, but still very pretty.  Love this day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2007, 10:58:22 pm »
Smallswarm.  You are into a very interesting field, mycology.  I did not even realize that there were medicinal mushrooms, the hallucinogenic species grow prolifically around my area, but these are certainly not of a medical value  :roll:.  Keep up this interesting work, I wish you well.  I would love to hear more about the type of mushrooms you are growing.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi

Actually the science is Myrmecology. There are many genera of ants that grow fungus but it has no human purpose that I'm aware of. I don't even thing it grows wildly and can only be found in the colonies of these ants. Probably the most commonly seen genus is that of Atta which can have some of the largest colonies in the world. You do not want these anywhere near your garden.
http://www.myrmecos.net/myrmicinae/atta.html
These are only found in South America and go as far north as Texas and maybe southern California. There are other genera that grow fungus on a smaller scale that range farther north but these aren't as common. They range as high as New Jersey though and can survive the winter.

I really want to grow some Cerinthe myself for next year. I take it they're a Perennial but when is the best time to plant them, and will I need to go online to find seeds?

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2007, 07:49:55 am »
I really want to grow some Cerinthe myself for next year. I take it they're a Perennial but when is the best time to plant them, and will I need to go online to find seeds?
No, they're annuals, and fairly short-lived ones at that, unless you can keep them in fairly moist soil out of full sun.  They're very pretty, but don't grow them for bee plants, grow them because they're pretty.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2007, 11:31:39 am »
MrILovetheAnts.  I have gathered and am still gathering seed from the Cerinthe.  I will have seed available if you want me to send some to you.

Ann is 100% correct with what she is saying about cerinthe.  They are annuals.  I am not overly pleased with them as a source for the bees.  I have a row growing  in front of the apiary and the only interest is that of the bumblebees, maybe the bees use them at times when I am not looking, like buckwheat, which they work the mornings and late afternoons.  But I haven't seen the bees on them.

The cerinthe I thought would have made excellent plants.  They are more than beautiful to the eye, but I think that they would do best in hanging containers, where the beautiful blue flowers could be viewed from below.  I see that the plants are about 2 feet high and the flowers droop so much that the only way to get a really good view of them is to sit on the ground and look up.  They don't live for that long as far as I can see, before the pretty greyish blue foliage begins to yellow and look kind of ugly.  They are in full sun, and as Ann says, I think they would do better in a shadey spot, but mayb the flowers would not be as pronounced.  I have some growing also on the west side of my house, they are larger plants, but don't seem to be as dense flowers.  I will take some pics and compare, they are still alive.  These plants (as many annals) self-seed like crazy, so once you grow them you probably "got" them for life.

Have a wonderful day, beautiful life and health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #16 on: August 15, 2007, 11:31:32 pm »
Cindi: Sure I'd love some seeds. I'll PM you my address and all that, no rush. Thank you very much.

These are very pretty flowers, and probably the only ones I've ever seen described as "Bees Love Them." Right now all I ever see on the plants outside are Bumble bees anyhow. I do see the occasional honey bee but they are no where near as common, which is saying a lot when you have 3 hives in the same yard.

Are they able to grow inside at all, or would that be to much shade?

Besides sunflowers I've never really had annuals come back on me ever. There was an Impatient once but that was 1 out of the 25 others.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Cerinthe major
« Reply #17 on: August 16, 2007, 01:57:36 am »
Chris, listening.

Annuals often self-seed, some more proficiently than others.  Impatiens (hybrid) sometimes self-seed, but the offspring are not true to the parents.  The impatiens capensis that grow prolfically around my place are not a hybrid, they seed and grow and seed.  They are n full flower now, and the bees love them.  Many annuals sow seeds so much that they can become invasive.  For instance, Chamomille, this is a nemisis to me and I try to leave only a plant or two in a very specific location.  Learned this the hard way. 

Wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service