Prickly Pear Cactus

 

Missouri is home to many wild edibles, but one in particular stands out. The prickly pear cactus, paddle cactus, or devils tongue is a native cactus growing throughout out state. When we think of cactus, we typically think of dry, arid deserts, and with good reason as that is where most cactus grow. The prickly pear does seem to prefer arid, rocky glades in their native range; however, they have adapted well to seemingly any weather conditions and are found through much of the North America, south of Canada. The name prickly pear is in reference to the fruit the cactus produces in mid to late summer after the blooms have faded away. Some use the term to describe the plant itself, and it certainly is prickly. This cactus bites, as I have been bitten many times by mine. Tiny, clear spines are difficult to remove from skin!

 Prickly pear is in the genus Opuntia and was named after the ancient Greek city of Opus. It was said an edible plant grew there and could be propagated just by rooting its leaves. While prickly pear does not technically have leaves, the paddles containing the spines are modified stems of the plant. However, if you place a cacti pad on the ground, water it for a few weeks, it will root itself and start a new plant. They are exceedingly easy to grow. They will spread out about three feet or more and reach heights of around twelve to fifteen inches.  The pads will be blue-green or green and have ¼ to ½ inch spines covering them. The bright yellow flowers appear in mid-summer and once those blooms have died off, the reddish colored fruit appears. This fruit is often referred to as tuna, which comes from the Spanish or Haitian name for the plant. 

By The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia. - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Ludmiła Pilecka using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21213670

 

 

 

 

 

Prickly pear holds significant cultural importance to the Mexican people, so much so, that their flag contains an image of the prickly pear cactus with an eagle holding a snake. The significance of the image comes from an Aztec legend. During the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries the Aztec people governed most of the land we know of today as Mexico. One day an Aztec priest approached his people and told them that Huitzilopochtli, the God of sun and war spoke to him. He was instructed to tell his people they had to leave and set up a new capital city. To find this new location they were to travel until they spotted an eagle atop a prickly pear cactus devouring a snake. Eventually they came upon such a place and named it Tenochtitlan, which translates to “place of the prickly pear cactus.” This ancient city is now at the center of Mexico City. To honor this legend, the Mexican flag contains the imagery associated with the legend.

The pads of the cactus are called nopales, and are used in many remedies, including one for burns, much like using aloe vera for the same purpose. Drinks to treat hepatitis can be made from the juices of the pads as well as to help control diabetes. Raw pulp lowers the absorption rate of sugar in the blood, thus helping avoid insulin shock. Traditionally this plant has been used to treat inflammation, acid reflux and other digestive disorders, urinary tract infections, as well as skin conditions.

The diversity of this hardy cactus seems never-ending. The Aztecs used the juice as a form of adherent. They would soak the cactus pads overnight in water, and in the morning, they would be incredibly sticky. They would mix the sticky pads with mortar to create a strong glue-like substance that is still used in parts of Mexico today in construction.  Wheels overheating on your cart? Well, we have a solution for that too. Apply the juices of this cactus to the wheels and no more burning wheels. 

By Photogir - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89434822

 

To this day there are borders of prickly pear throughout Mexico to mark boundary lines for property. No need for manmade barbed wire when nature provides a suitable alternative. Not only have humans found they can protect their property borders with this gnarly plant-----animals also benefit from its protection. Birds, rodents, and other small creatures will burrow or nest under the safety of the cactus pads. After all, not many predators would want to tackle those sharp spines to gain a meal.

Probably my favorite use for prickly pear is in the culinary department. There is a plethora of dishes that can be made from the juices of the pad, as well as the fruit. Anything from salads, soups, wine, desserts, main dishes, breads, and candy are all options for creative cooks willing to try something nature provides. You will not only find yourself experiencing new and unique recipes but gain the potential health benefits from this vitamin and mineral packed plant. Happy harvesting but be mindful of the stickers (they bite).

 

 

Mayflies--Natures Bioindicators

 

So often we as humans complain about not having enough time in our lives to get everything done that we want to. Whether it is traveling to far off places, reading those books we meant to read or spending more quality time with family, there just never seems to be enough time to get it all accomplished. Now, imagine if you will, that you are a mayfly. Mayflies, also called shadflies or Canadian soldiers, are insects in the family Ephemiperidae, a Latin name which translates into “short-lived” an apt name for these insects. As a mayfly nymph, after a long underwater existence you will rise to the surface buoyed up by the air accumulated between your first and second layers of skin. Once at the surface you will shed your outer skin (subimago) and take a maiden flight to a nearby leaf, at this time you will shed your skin a second time which results in your final adult form. Then the urgency sets in; you are now on a mission to find a mate, and lay eggs; shortly thereafter you are destined to die…all in the span of less than 24 hours. Some species of mayflies, like the American sand burrowing mayfly, have mere minutes to accomplish this feat. This truly gives meaning to making the most of the time we are given. With more than 650 species of mayflies in North America there is no shortage of species to see. They are more common in the Eastern half of the United States, with only a few species calling the Western portion of the United States home.

The lifecycle of a mayfly begins underwater as a nymph with seven pairs of gills. They live in the bottom sediment of fast-moving streams, slow moving rivers, ponds, and lakes. The nymphs feed on sediment; diatoms and several species are even predatory and feed on other aquatic insects. The presence of mayfly nymphs indicates that a water source is clean, unpolluted, and highly oxygenated. As such they are bio-indicators for healthy watery habitats. This allows environmentalists, scientists, and fisheries biologists to correct potential problems in those environments before the damage is irreversible. The subimago are a favorite food of trout and are often used by fisherman as bait. Trout fishermen also use mayflies as a model for the flies that they tie for bait. Mayflies are the only group of insects to have this subimago stage into adulthood. As a subimago they do not fly well, cannot reproduce, and lack the coloring of the adult form that would attract a mate 

 

Time is of the essence, when you only live a day or two, or perhaps only mere minutes, like the aforementioned black-brown mayfly, there is no time to waste on frivolity. Soon after mating, the female will drop her eggs upstream in the water; the current will carry the eggs downstream and deposit them on the substrate in the bottom of the stream. If the eggs are laid in lakes or ponds, she will drop them willy-nilly on top the water, and the eggs sink to the bottom.

In some parts of the world the emergence of mayflies is a remarkable sight, they all seem to appear at once in a mass exodus. Mayflies are frequently encountered at pole lights and other places well-lit at night especially in the early part of summer. In some parts of the world, hatches are so large they attract tourists from all over the world to witness the phenomena that is the mayfly hatch. In 2014 a hatch of black-brown mayflies in Lacrosse, WI was so large it was imaged on weather radar. It rose 2500 feet into the air and resembled a significant rainstorm. In areas of large emergences such as this, they quickly amass large die offs that pile up on roadways and other areas in a slippery, slimy mess, even upon occasion causing accidents. Millions of mayflies rising up out of the water in one large swarm, landing on every available surface, may seem like a nuisance to many humans, but these little insects serve a major role in the lifecycle of other species. Mayflies are not only consumed by trout and other fish, but birds, frogs, toads, other insect eating creatures get in on the all-u-can-eat buffet of mayflies as well.

Although their large numbers can be intimidating, they are completely harmless to humans. They cannot bite; in fact, they do not have fully functioning mouth parts. However, they do have stomachs, although no food will ever pass through it. Instead, it is filled will air which allows it to fly into the air in a buoyant flight pattern. This lack of mouth parts means they do not feed. Their only reason for existence it would appear is to mate, reproduce, and to be sustenance to other creatures. I did find one resource during my research that claimed they eat fruits and flowers, but in my opinion, this would be fallacy. Most likely they are sipping liquid from the fruit or nectar from the flowers. I know of no mayfly that has the ability to eat, nor do they live long enough to worry about eating even if they could.

In 1909 a woman named Lillian Bland, from Ireland was intrigued by photographs she had seen of early planes. So impressed was she by the manmade flying machines she embarked on a mission to create her own. Out of this evolved the “Bland Mayfly” the first female created aero plane. The maiden flight, in 2010, was more of a glider, and the success of this unmanned machine prompted her to mount a 20-horsepower motor on her invention and take flight. She successfully flew this plane until the middle of 2011, when her father, worried for her safety, bribed her to stop flying in exchange for a car he would give her. It appears she gave up the life of flying in exchange for a safer four-wheel mode of transportation.

 

George Crabbe, author of the poem “the newspaper” written in 1785, compared the brief life of the mayfly to the brevity of the newspaper. He waxed poetically the following:

                “In shoals the hours their constant number bring

                Like insects waking to the advancing spring

              Which take their rise from grubs obscene that lie

In shallow pools, or thence ascend the sky.

Such are these base ephemeras; so born.

To die before the next revolving morn.”

 

As summer progresses be on the lookout for the newly emerged mayflies that may pay a visit to your porch lights at night. They are delicate, beautiful creatures, and worth taking a second glance at. Keep in mind however that the mayfly you see tonight will be long gone by tomorrow night, having already left behind her eggs and the chance for future generations.

House Flies--Natures Pesky Pest

Shoofly! Shoo! How many of us have said those words, or heard someone say them? They become part of our spring and summertime vocabulary as we try to keep pesky flies away from our food, drinks, and… well, US! It is a constant battle; that we are sure the flies are winning. House flies rank right up there with mosquitoes and ticks as being loathsome and unwanted. Where do they all come from and what good are they?

House flies (Musca domestica) are probably the most common fly encountered by humans. Even their genus name of domestica hints at their domesticated nature, and their association with humans, livestock and pets. In fact it has been reported that up to 90% of all flies encountered by humans will be the house fly. House flies are in the order Diptera, which means Two-Wings, and like all flies they only have one set of wings, or “two-wings.” All other winged insects have two sets of wings, or “four-wings.”

House flies are relatively small at approximately ¼ of an inch. They have gray bodies with four longitudinal stripes on their thorax (behind the head). Their bodies are covered with hair-like projections. Females are slightly larger than males. How do you tell a male from a female? Look at the eyes; the females have eyes that are wide set, whereas males will have eyes that practically meet in the middle, or touch each other.

Females are capable of laying up to 500 hundred eggs in their lifetime. These tiny white eggs will be laid on garbage or animal dung and usually hatch in less than 24 hours. It will take the maggots approximately 5 days to reach their full size, then they will drop to the ground and burrow into the soil. They will remain in this underground chamber to pupate and will emerge in a few days as fully grown adult flies. So we can easily see how we end up with so many flies…with each female producing hundreds of eggs, and those eggs going from maggot to adult in less than 1 ½ weeks, and then they are ready to mate in less than 3 days and start the cycle all over again. It has been estimated that if all the offspring of a single pair of house flies were to survive throughout one breeding season beginning in April and ending in August, they would have produced 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 progeny. Thankfully though, not all will live, many are consumed by other insects, birds, and frogs or are outwardly killed by humans. A typical adult house fly will live up to 25 days, but may live up to 2 months if suitable food can be found. They are particularly fond of sugars. According to a study conducted in Texas, breeding site suitability (in descending order), was horse manure, human excrement, cow manure, fermenting vegetable, and kitchen waste. However, another study found that structures containing swine, horse, sheep, cattle, and poultry varied in fly abundance, with swine facilities containing the most and poultry the least. Fruit and vegetable cull piles, partially incinerated garbage, and incompletely composted manure also are highly favored sites for breeding.

House flies have the potential to spread many diseases, including typhoid, cholera, dysentery, viral hepatitis, cocci, salmonella, and many other unsavory pathogens. These are spread to humans through indirect contact, meaning it is passed through their feces, vomit and from the hairs on their bodies. Think about where a fly hangs out….then he comes to join your family picnic and lands on your food. The fly will vomit, defecate or sometimes both right on Aunt Mabel’s potato salad. Then we consume Aunt Mabel’s potato salad and voila….we get sick! So the next time someone in your family yells Shoofly! Shoo! There is good reason for it……these little beasties should be kept away from food meant for human consumption. The transmission of diseases is more prevalent in areas where hygiene is poor. Washing and cooking raw vegetables controls the spread of these pathogens. When outside, keep food covered to deny the fly access. Remember, that fly has been crawling around on garbage and manure, then landing on your food….!

Controlling flies is a difficult endeavor that involves removing animal waste, garbage and other materials they find suitable for mating and laying eggs. Killing the adults will help, but remember one fly can produce 500 eggs, so if you do not remove the areas where eggs are laid, an infestation will occur. This is especially true near livestock farms.

When being asked where do they all come from, and what good are they; I point out their prolific lifestyle and their ability to produce numerous offspring. I try to find something good in all manner of creatures, including flies. They are instrumental in breaking down waste which aids in adding nutrients back in the soil. They are also a food source to numerous other creatures. So not all is bad where house flies are concerned, but it is still best to keep them at a distance.

Tumblebugs----Earths Manure Spreaders

Poop, Poop, everywhere Poop, much to the delight of the dung beetle or tumblebug as it is sometimes called, which consumes dung with as much enthusiasm as we show to an ice cream sundae. These beetles range in size from very small to quite large at over an inch in length, and all are incredibly robust looking. These are stout beetles and are unmistakable when spotted. They may be black, green, brown, or even iridescent in coloration. Males have a distinctive horn on their head, presumably to fight for the right to mate with available females.

These industrious beetles are in the family of beetles called scarabs. Many of us are familiar with the significance of the dung rolling scarab beetle in Egyptian historical culture. The activity of rolling dung was thought to be a symbol of Ra rolling the sun across the sky each day. Scarabs, especially the dung rolling variety are depicted in Egyptian culture often and for many reasons. In Gothland, Sweden’s largest island it was believed that if you encountered a dung beetle on its back and righted it, you would be purged of all sin. In African folklore it is told that butterfly and dung beetle were best friends. One day while resting in the shade, first man and first woman came by. They admired the butterfly but ignored the beetle. After declaring to the butterfly that he did not like being ignored, the butterfly encouraged the beetle to become the strongest beetle ever. The beetle worked hard to gain strength and once again first man and first woman came by. They witnessed the feats of strength the beetle exhibited by rolling his dung ball. They were so impressed that for the first time they ignored the butterfly it all its beauty. The beetle was so proud of his accomplishment that to this day he continues to roll dung. While this may be folklore, the strength of the dung beetle is in fact quite remarkable. Most can move ten times their weight, and one species in particular can move 1,141 times its own weight! That would be like an average sized man pulling six double decker buses full of people! 

Dung beetles come in three classifications. There are rollers, tunnelers and dwellers. Rollers are the ones we are all most familiar with and get the most attention. They use an extremely sensitive sense of smell to locate dung, remove a portion of the “cake,” and tamp it into a ball which they roll to another location to bury. Males are usually the ones moving the ball, while females either walk behind or hitch a ride on top of the ball, and just hang on for the ride.

Most of us have watched a video or two of these beetles racing across the landscape rolling their prized ball with them at what seems like remarkable speeds when moving something so cumbersome. They are not trying to set land speed records, these energetic movers are trying to protect their ball from lazy dung rollers who mean to steal their hard work. 

The tunnelers on the other hand dig a burrow right below the cake and bury it in place. The dwellers took the easy route and just live inside the cake. These beetles utilize the dung of herbivores and omnivores with the former be their preference. Plant material is difficult to digest in its entirety which means bits, and pieces are passed through the digestive track of large herbivores such as cattle or in Africa it is often elephants and rhinos. The indigestible bits are then deposited inside a nutrient rich pile of poo that dung beetles find quite tasty. This habit of eating leftover plant material out of fecal matter also gives them clout as seed dispersers. As they roll the prized dung ball across the landscape and bury it, seeds are transferred to new locations and often sprout into new plants. Because dung contains all the nutrients and moisture these beetles need, they do not seek other forms of food or water. However, there are some species of these beetles that prefer fungi and decaying fruit.

All three types use dung as a food source for their offspring. Eggs are laid within the fecal matter, and when the eggs hatch the larvae feed on the provided meal. In the case of those that bury the dung, often both parents stay with the offspring and guard them from potential predation. Once the larvae form pupas the parents eat much of what is left of the dung ball.

In our area they are most likely to occur in feed lots where cattle are kept or in pastures with horses or cows. But worldwide may be found in a wide variety of habitats including deserts, woodlands, savannas and grasslands.

These beetles are important components in the environment, and they play a significant role in breaking down organic matter (dung) and returning it back to the soil as a nutrient rich substance. They aerate the soil, compete for underground nesting sites with several different species of flies, as well as remove the availability of dung for the flies to feed on or lay eggs in at the surface (which greatly reduces the fly populations). Thus reducing the number of flies that pester your livestock, keeping them healthier. Their habits add nutrients back to the soil which helps prevent pasture fouling. Pasture grasses will yield better stands and provide more fodder for cattle and horses, thus reducing the amount of hay that needs to be purchased to supplement their diet. Not to mention an estimated 380 million dollars annually is saved in the cattle industry by these beetles and their dispersal of dung. The use of chemical control of flies in cattle lots has had a dramatic impact on populations of dung beetles. Many individuals are beginning to understand the detrimental result of this practice and have eliminated the use of such chemicals or have greatly reduced the amount used. Chemicals that kill flies often kill beetles and many other insects.

There are species that navigate using the milky way, still others that use moonlight to traverse their habitats. They occur on all continents except Antarctica. These unique beetles are beneficial by aiding in a healthier environment for all of us. They should be encouraged and marveled at, and never destroyed. If you want a chance to watch these beetles in action, they are more active in the late evening and nighttime hours. Grab a flashlight and head to the nearest pasture, scan the piles of dung and you may just get to see one of these beetles forming and burying their dung ball.

Inchworms

Who doesn’t have fond memories of childhood, capturing “bugs” such as ladybugs, roly-poly’s, or the intriguing inchworm? Harmless insects such as these have fascinated children for generations. I can remember capturing inchworms and letting them crawl over my hand or across my arm, fascinated by their movement. Legend has it that an inchworm crawling on you, is measuring you for your coffin. After 50 years, I can attest to the falsehood of this claim.  Inchworms get their name from their unique mobility. This creative movement is possible because of the absence of middle legs. Their legs instead are located at the front and rear of the caterpillar. They essentially clasp with the front legs and draw up the hind end then clasp with the hind legs, giving them a humpback appearance. Before reaching out again with those front legs to clasp onto something else, repeating their motility. This unique movement gives the impression they are measuring their journey; thus, the name “inchworm” was attributed to them.

The first inchworm found in Baltic amber was discovered in 2019 and was given the name Eogemeter. It was estimated to date back 44 million years ago! So, they have been around a very long time. Currently there are approximately 24,000 species of inchworms found Worldwide, 1400 of which live in North America, there is no shortage of these fascinating caterpillars. They belong to the family of moths called the Geometer moths. This name is derived from the Latin word geometra and translates loosely into “earth measurer.” Which is also a descriptive term for their unique movement. They may be green, gray or a shade of brown, with some species being nearly black. Some may have spots, or stripes, but all are masters of camouflage. These small, thin caterpillars resemble twigs and blend in well with their environment. When disturbed many species will bungie jump from their vantage point via a piece of silk string they release. This silk string will harden, allowing the caterpillar to climb back up to continue feeding once danger has passed. Some parasitic wasps, however, are aware of the trickery of these caterpillars. They can locate the silk line and either reel up a desperate caterpillar or maneuver themselves down the silken line to inject eggs inside the horrified inchworm…. which hatch into tiny wasp larvae that feed on the caterpillar from the inside out. Other insects, like yellow jackets and paper wasps paralyze the inchworm with special enzymes and masticate them, only to serve them up as a tasty meal for their offspring in a form of inchworm vomit.  With all the birds, and predatory insects out there that feed on these caterpillars I am certain they are kept busy reeling themselves down and climbing back up multiple times daily. Other species of inchworms will stand erect on their hindlegs completely motionless, giving the appearance of a small twig. These enterprising caterpillars manage to avoid being eaten by freezing in place. 

Inchworms, like all caterpillars, are herbivores and feed on a wide variety of plant material. There is an exception though. In Hawaii lives an inchworm that is carnivorous and feeds on insects and spiders. They have a specially adapted mouth and lightning-fast reflexes and can capture an insect in 0.1 seconds. These meat-eating inchworms are referred to as pugs. At this point, these are the only known predatory caterpillars living today.

 Inchworms are considered a social insect and will often gather in relatively large groups but will feed as loners away from their brethren. Inchworms are boom and bust insects. Meaning there are years of plenty and years of few. Their cycle is typically two to seven years of higher populations, then thirteen to eighteen years of low population. The last significant, damaging population explosion occurred in the 1970’s. These explosions in population can cause significant damage to fruit trees, and deciduous shade trees, which are their typical foods of choice. If higher populations remain for three years or more, the continued defoliation of trees may lead to extremely stressed trees that end up dying.

 Many people may know these caterpillars by their other common name ofcankerworm. There are two types of cankerworms, the spring and fall species.  The spring cankerworm spends the winter in the soil as a mature caterpillar until spring when they will form a cocoon and pupate into the adult form that will emerge in a few weeks. Typically, it will be early April through mid-May when the adults appear. Fall cankerworms emerge as adult moths in October after a hard freeze. The males appear first, followed by females a few days later. Mating takes place and females will lay eggs in clusters that overwinter and hatch the following spring. Adults die shortly after mating. They hatch in spring, usually to coincide with the budding of trees. In about four weeks they will drop to the ground and finish their lifecyle to the adult stage. Both spring and fall cankerworms typically begin feeding at the same time each spring, even though their lifecycles are a little different from each other. In years of excessive population numbers, control measures may be needed. Assess your trees and try to start any treatment when the caterpillars are in their earliest stages, older caterpillars are more difficult to impossible to control. In most cases, however, control is not needed, and natural predators will take care of the problem. If you do need to use chemicals, find those with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) as a key ingredient, it is the safest and has the most effect on the caterpillars.

 Historically other control measures were implemented which resulted in a whole other problematic issue. In the 1850’s immigrants from Europe found our country devoid of familiar wildlife. They drastically missed the birds they had lived with back home. It was also during this time that a huge outbreak of cankerworms appeared and were destroying the Linden trees in New York City. An enterprising individual by the name of Nicholas Pike, had a plan. He bought eight pairs of English sparrows, or house sparrows as they are more commonly referred to as. These birds were released in New York and did a fabulous job of eating the caterpillars causing all the havoc. It is believed those initial birds are the ancestors of all house sparrows living in the United States today. Others claim those initial sixteen birds did not reproduce and subsequent purposeful releases did the trick. Either way, this is a case of the cure, being arguably worse than the problem at hand.

Finding yourself in the middle of a plague of inchworms, often dangling in an unsightly manner like pendants on a string only to drop on your head, can be a bit annoying. Not to mention watching as they defoliate your orchard, leaving behind a barren

Bleeding Heart

As a little girl I was fascinated by a plant that grew in my grandmothers garden, each spring it would be covered in perfect, delicate pink hearts. I could not fathom how such a plant could grow hearts. My grandmother explained to me it was called the Bleeding Heart, and that particular plant came from her own mothers garden, and before that from her grandmothers garden. I could tell this plant was extra special in my grandmother, and her love of what it represented to her was displayed for all to see in those perfect hearts. Nearly thirty years ago, after moving to the farm, my grandmother gifted me a start off of the bleeding heart her family had so lovingly passed from one generation to the next. It is still my absolute favorite plant growing in my gardens. I lost my grandmother a few years ago, but a part of her lives on through those enchanting blooms.

There are several species of bleeding hearts, one variety is native to the United States, but the variety mentioned here is native to China, Korea and Siberia and was later well established in Japan. As early as 1810 this unique plant made its way into Europe, by the then famous Scottish botanist Robert Fortune. It was subsequently lost, until it was brought back in 1846 by the Royal Horticulture Society on exploratory trips East. The unique shape, color and foliage of the plant earned it favor among royalty and commoners alike and was soon planted all over Europe. As more and more people immigrated from Europe and Asia into the newly developing colony states and later the United States, they brought with them many of the plants they so loved in their home countries. Bleeding hearts among them.

The bleeding heart goes by many names, including lyre flower, lady-in-a-bath, and locks & keys. Each name in some way reflects the unique shape of the bloom. They were once included in the same genus as our native Dutchman’s breeches, and it is easy to see why. Both plants have blossoms that grow like pendants hanging in rows under delicate stems. However, scientists now classify them in another family of plants, that includes the poppies. The delicate flower is shaped like our most famous symbol of love, hearts, and varies in color from pink to deep fuchsia. These slightly puffy blooms resemble tiny lanterns with two white inner petals and a stamen peeking out underneath. These inner petals appear to be dripping from the lantern. They have a delicate sweet scent and are showy in any spring garden. They prefer shade to partial shade but will tolerate sun in cooler climates. 

Homeopathic healers recognize the medicinal value of the bleeding heart and often create remedies to treat coughing, dizziness, and skin disorders. May also be used as stimulants or diuretics. However, this plant is considered toxic to humans as well as pets, like dogs and should not be consumed in any way, as it contains isoquinoline alkaloids and may cause trembling, convulsions, diarrhea, and vomiting as well as breathing issues. Even handling the plant should only be done while wearing gloves as the secretions of the plant may cause skin irritations. Leave the home remedies up to the experts.

Several legends surround this spectacular plant, one of which originates in China where it is said a Jade maiden named Si Jun, who was originally a minor deity and considered virtuous as well as beautiful. Si Jun lived in ancient times, in a beautiful valley between the mountains. She was kind, faithful, wise, and had numerous suitors. However, the loyal Si Jun – her name translates as ‘the one thinking of her lord’ – refused all of them. She had her secret love, a beautiful and handsome young man. Her beloved was a soldier, encamped far from her and forbidden to communicate with his love and send her answers in letters. The faithful and patient Si Jun waited for his return. While waiting, she would dedicate herself to embroidery. Once a month, she would embroider a purse she dedicated to her lover. The embroidered purse would hang on the branch of a peony tree by her window. Her embroidery was so beautiful and real, that it tricked bees and butterflies. The bees and butterflies would try to pollinate the artificial motifs on the purse, and it continued for so long that the peony tree gave new, heart-shaped flowers. The gods made it into a new plant, the one Chinese legend refers to as the ’purse peony’. The story of Si Jun inspired a custom of giving this plant as a precious love promise or even a proposal of marriage since the flower has a shape like a bridal purse. The symbolism of the ’purse peony’ in China is similar to that of red roses in European culture. 

Another legend begins in Japan where it is said a noble prince was smitten with a selfish, but beautiful princess. He tried in vain to win her love, he frequently brought her extravagant gifts from his worldly travels. Yet she took no notice of him. Returning from a long journey, bearing with him special gifts, he felt sure would win her heart. First, he gave her two magical pink bunnies (peel off the outer two petals and set them on their side to reveal little bunnies). The princess only sighed, not impressed. The prince did not lose hope and presented her with a beautiful pair of enchanted earrings (remove the two long white petals and hold them to your ear). She happily accepted the gift, but declared she could not love him. Still unable to give up hope he made her a gift of slippers from delicate silk (inner two petals). The princess barely took notice and again declared she could never love him. Defeated and forlorn, the prince had no choice but to give up. He rose up and pulled a dagger from his sheath and stabbed himself in the heart (remaining in the flower is a heart shape with a stamen that appears as a dark green line down the center, hold the heart up and carefully remove the dagger-like line and plunge it though the heart). The princess was overcome by the devotion of the young prince and his unending love for her. She then realized too late that she loved him too. “Alas” she cried out “I have done a wrong, my own heart is broken also, I shall bleed for my prince ever more. Her heart bleeds to this day.

It is said that the bleeding heart plant appeared for the first time at the place where this love smitten man died of a broken heart and self-inflicted wounds.

 

Try pressing the heart-shaped blossoms between the pages of a book to dry. They will become perfectly shaped paper-thin hearts, any valentine or loved one would cherish in a message of love. The bleeding heart, favored by royalty, steeped in legend both beautiful and tragic is a beautiful addition to any shade garden.

Horse Chestnut

Receiving phone calls or emails from readers with questions or suggestions for topics to write about is one of my favorite aspects of writing. It encourages me to learn new things, and as my grandfather used to say to me “no day is complete unless you have learned something new.” Recently I heard from Don W. in Fillmore, MO. He wanted to know if I was familiar with the Horse-chestnut tree. I told him I was not, and after visiting with him I knew I needed to learn more about this tree. I was able to photograph the tree on his sons property and came to the conclusion it is a beautiful landscape tree.

Horse-chestnuts, also called the Conker tree or buckeye are native to the Balkans, including Greece, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Albania. Because of their beauty they quickly became popular worldwide and can now be found in all reaches of the globe. Typically, they grace parks, and tree-lined avenues, or botanical gardens. They are rarely found in the forests within their homeland. These are large trees that may reach heights up to 130 feet and produce beautiful panicles of white flowers tipped in yellow or pink that bloom in May. These panicles may be four to twelve inches tall and contain up to fifty flowers. From the panicle fruit develops, in the form of a fleshy, bumpy husk, with a warty appearance. 

 

"When the leaves fall in autumn, a perfect horseshoe shape, complete with seven "nail holes" is visible at the end of each stem."

Within each capsule a nut-like seed develops called a Conker. The common name of horse chestnut comes from the observation that these nuts may cure coughs or panting in horses. Which I find ironic for reasons I will mention later. It is also believed the name comes from their similarity in appearance to the sweet chestnut trees, like the American chestnut, Japanese chestnut, Chinese chestnut, and European chestnut. The Horse chestnut shares the same family of trees as the soapberry and maple trees. Whereas the sweet chestnuts are in the same family of trees as oaks and beech.

These trees are related to the buckeye tree, that we are all familiar with, which produces the attractive nut, said to bring good luck to anyone who carries one on their person. (I remember as a young girl being so excited when a fellow student would bring a handful of buckeyes into school to share. I still love finding or receiving buckeyes.) The nut of the horse chestnut is said to resemble the eyes of a deer; thus, the name buckeye became a colloquial name to describe the tree. 

The infamous American chestnut tree, native to the United States is now considered functionally extinct, meaning that while there are some estimated 430 million stems growing in forests throughout the Eastern United States, none of these stems are growing into the adult tree as they should. They are all less than one inch in diameter. Because they cannot reproduce or produce seeds, they are not contributing to the forest ecosystem in beneficial ways. The American chestnut is highly susceptible to chestnut blight, which creates a canker around the tree effectively girdling and strangling the tree. Older, larger trees will succumb to the blight in two to five years, whereas young, immature trees may die in a single season. Scientist are working on a biologically engineered variety of the American chestnut that is resistant to the blight. The end goal is to repopulate our forests with this iconic tree. American chestnut trees traditionally were prized for their timber and for the benefits to wildlife in the form of a food source in the consumption of the nuts. Even humans enjoy eating chestnuts, after all who hasn’t heard the popular Christmas song “Chestnuts roasting on an Open Fire?” They are not called sweet chestnuts for nothing. These tasty nuts are often baked or roasted after a curing period that turns the starches in the nut to sugars. Chestnuts are higher in vitamin C than most other nuts, lower in fat and contain more starch than a potato, which earned them the nick-name Potato Tree. Horse chestnuts on the other hand are considered toxic and non-edible. So how do we tell the difference between a sweet chestnut and the poisonous horse chestnut? The sweet varieties have a sharp spiny bur covering the nuts, and each nut will have a tassel or point at one end of the nut. Horse chestnuts lack this tassel or point, instead they are flattened in shape.

 

Horse chestnut seeds are reported to cause tremors and lack of coordination in horses. Remember I said I would explain how ironic it was that people fed the seeds to horses to cure coughing and panting. This might be a case of “the cure being worse than the cause.” The FDA has classified this tree as unsafe for consumption. We may not be able to eat these nuts, but we can benefit from them in other ways.

A suitable, inexpensive laundry soap can be made for those of us looking for less chemically ladened products. Simply peel, then grate or chop conkers and soak in warm water for a couple of hours. For a bar of soap put the conkers in a cheese cloth or piece of muslin then squeeze out the excess moisture before pressing into a mold. Use the soaking water as a laundry liquid. For liquid soap blend around 20 soaked conkers in 6 liters of water. If you wanted you could add some essential oils.The resulting laundry or bath soap is reported to be gentle on your skin and even better its free!

Or perhaps, you could play a game of “conkers” named after the seed. This game is played by drilling a hole in one end of your nut (conker) and threading a string through it. Tie a knot and take turns swinging and striking the conker of your opponent. The first person whose conker breaks loses. This game was first recorded on the Isle of Wright in 1821 and grew in popularity throughout Europe and Ireland. By the 1940’s it was played on the street of New York and quickly became popular throughout the Eastern United States where it is still played in some areas today. The name conker translates to “knock-out” which would explain other variations of the game. Each player stands on one side of a wall and chucks conkers at his opponent trying to make bodily contact. This slightly more aggressive form of the game may have come from the word onomatopoeia. This long, complicated word, comes from the two Greek words onoma, meaning "name" and poiein “to make". So, in a literal sense, onomatopoeia means "to make a sound. Such as the sound of the conker seed striking something hard, like a skull! 

  If you don't mind being called a cheater, try aging your conker into something called a laggis. Conkers are left for a year to harden, and the result is the laggis, This almost always guarantees you will have the advantage needed to usurp your opponent. Want to speed up the hardening process? Soak or boil your conker in vinegar or try baking it in the oven. 

 

Some people claim the saponins within the seeds, can repel spiders. There does not seem to be any scientific proof this works, but saponins are toxic enough to most likely repel insects in areas where seeds fall and these toxins have permeated the ground. Just not sure how effective it would be to keep spiders at bay.

During WWI conker seeds were collected by many people , including children, and turned over to our government. These seeds were valued for their starch content which through a fermenting process could be used to produce acetone, which was then used to create cordate, that was used in the manufacturing of armaments. The conker seed was selected by the US government as a viable starch source. This choice was made to avoid starvation in an already struggling population, which they felt would happen if they used already low supplies of high starch food sources, such as potatoes. However, this particular nut proved to be a poor alternative to other starch rich foods and was abandoned after three months.That did not stop people from reprising this idea during WWII, when once again seeds were collected, and fermented, and cordite was created, and the whole thing was abandoned in short order. Some lessons are never learned, or perhaps these enterprising individuals thought they could succeed where their predecessors did not.

Fan of beer? Before the time of refrigeration, creative individuals in Bulgaria planted the horse chestnut tree near the cellars used for lagering beer. The trees shaded the cellars, and because of their shallow root system they did not damage the caverns within. Because beer was often served near the cellars, the term beer garden was coined and still used today. Although you probably will be enjoying said garden at the top of a high rise patio rather than an outdoor cellar. 

In Amsterdam a horse chestnut, which grew in the center of town was referred to as the Anne Frank tree. In her diaries she mentioned the tree which gave it historical value to the area. In 2010 the tree was blown down in storms, but from the loss came eleven saplings that made their way to the United States. After a lengthy quarantine period, those saplings were later planted in historically significant places, including the 9/11 memorial park and two holocaust centers, which is very fitting for these historically important trees.

 

Horse chestnuts may not have the culinary value of sweet chestnuts, but they certainly have a rich history and value all their own. They are beautiful landscape trees, and if you are feeling particularly adventuresome you could try your hand at a game of conkers.