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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Keyword: Quirky

Jerusalem artichoke facts

Is Jerusalem artichoke native in our region? What is its connection to Jerusalem? Did local Native American tribes have uses for it? I grow it, and friends have suggested that it is a good alternative to potatoes for people with diabetes because it has a lower glycemic index. Have you heard anything about that?

 

Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is commonly found across most of North America, according to its plant profile on the website of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The plant’s common name mistakenly suggests it might be from Jerusalem, but the name probably evolved through faulty hearing, either of the Italian word for sunflower [girasol] or of Ter-Neusen [now spelled Terneuzen], where a 17th century Dutch gardener began distributing the plant throughout Europe. Another theory is that pilgrims in North America believed this would be a wonderful new food source in their “New Jerusalem.” [source: D. R. Cosgrove et al. Jerusalem Artichoke in Alternative Feed Crops Manual, University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota Extension, accessed online November 1, 2014). For an in-depth exploration of the plant’s name and its uses, see the chapter in The Sunflower by Charles Heiser (University of Oklahoma Press, 1976).

The book Native American Food Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary by Daniel Moerman (Timber Press, 2010) mentions uses of the plant’s tubers by numerous tribes, but not ones in the Pacific Northwest. Some tribes, such as the Chippewa, traditionally used the tubers raw, while others like the Dakota boiled them (and noted that their overuse caused flatulence, about which more later!). Several tribes (Huron, Lakota) only used the tubers during periods of famine to fend off starvation. The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Native Plant Database says that Helianthus tuberosus “was cultivated by Native Americans of the Great Plains and has spread eastward. The edible tuber is highly nutritious and, unlike potatoes, contains no starch, but rather carbohydrate in a form that is metabolized into natural sugar. In 1805 Lewis and Clark dined on the tubers, prepared by a native woman, in what is now North Dakota.”

We recommend consulting a healthcare professional to find out if Jerusalem artichokes would be a better choice than potatoes (which contain starch) for someone with diabetes. Helianthus tuberosus, like other sunflowers, is in the Family Asteraceae. It contains a polysaccharide (a type of carbohydrate) called inulin. While it is true that some potatoes have a high glycemic index, cooking them alters it, and they can still be part of a balanced diet.

Another thing to consider is that not everyone has an easy time digesting the inulin in Jerusalem artichokes. Although culinary use of sunchokes has become quite a trend lately, some chefs will not serve it in their restaurants, according to Bon Appetit magazine (article by Andrew Knowlton, February 19, 2013) and the tubers have acquired the unhappy nickname ‘fartichoke.’ The Plants for a Future online database (www.pfaf.org) refers somewhat more delicately to inulin intolerance (which may be genetic): “[inulin] tends to ferment in their guts and can cause quite severe wind.”

As you probably know, Helianthus tuberosus prefers sun, and can reach ten feet in height. You can plant small tubers in early to late spring. It is an easy plant to grow, and in some cases it proliferates like a weed. It might be good to confine it to one part of your garden if you can.

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Dog vomit slime mold

Please help me identify a killing substance in my garden that just appeared this year. I noticed it about a month ago, thinking it was animal barf. I cleared away the material and disposed of it along with the soil around it. A few weeks later I discovered yet another spot with this same substance. Upon closer inspection I found it had totally rotted my primrose and was continuing into the garden. It appears almost like a spreading mushroom with vents around it, hardens into something resembling cement, grayish white to an off yellow color. When I picked it up (with a sheet of plastic) it became brittle and released some sort of powder. Thinking it might be spores and could easily become airborne, I again bagged the material and kept it. I do not know how to contain it, or if it is hazardous to the rest of the garden. I have no idea where it came from but I do want to be rid of it.

 

What you are describing sounds very much like dog vomit slime mold, Fuligo septica.
See if the links below are depicting the same thing you have observed:

Do you have wood chips or other wood-based mulch in your garden? This slime mold thrives on decaying wood. I’ve never heard of it harming plants, unless the plant matter is already decaying from other causes. I imagine it would be next to impossible to eradicate, unless you want to remove any woody material around your plants. It’s possible that extreme heat (such as fire) might kill some of the spores, but it wouldn’t be too good for your plants!

If you can tolerate it, it really is not known to devour and kill plants. Your primroses may have succumbed to something else, and the slime mold was just being opportunistic. See the following article by Kathryn Richardson, from Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum publication, Arnoldia:

“Dog vomit slime mold is motile, but moves quite slowly. It is not harmful to animals or plants and usually vanishes in a short period of time. This species and similar slime molds feed on bacteria, fungal spores, and smaller protozoa found on wood chips. Slime molds feed much like an amoeba feeds; they ingest their food and then digest it (unlike fungi, which digest and then ingest). If conditions are favorable, these slime molds will produce reproductive structures (sporangia) that produce spores. When conditions are unfavorable (loss of food, dry conditions), the plasmodium will form hard, dormant, protective structures called sclerotia. Inside the sclerotia the plasmodium will divide into cells containing up to four nuclei. When conditions become favorable each cell will form a new plasmodium. Dog vomit slime mold is primarily an aesthetic problem in mulched garden beds. It can be physically removed, but more is likely to return. So, before panicking and taking your dog to the veterinarian, take a closer look and consider that that stuff is likely just Fuligo septica working away at cleaning the mulch.”

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Acacia trees in the Pacific Northwest

Can you tell me if Acacia trees grow in Seattle? Could I obtain a small cut branch from one? I am a funeral director, and the last wishes of the deceased we will be burying were to have a sprig of acacia placed inside the casket. This man was very active in the Freemasons, and evidently the acacia is an important symbol for them.

 

Most Acacia species are marginally hardy in our area. According to local tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobson, most gardeners who plant Acacia end up with a large pile of exotic firewood once the trees have died off during a serious winter. Therefore, your most likely source for a cut sprig would be to ask local florists, who obtain this plant regularly for use in flower arrangements. You can also contact the source the florists use, Seattle Wholesale Growers Market (where they will order it from California).

In Freemasonry, acacia symbolizes the soul’s immortality, perhaps because of the evergreen foliage. The book of Exodus in the Hebrew bible seems to have been the inspiration for choosing this tree, called shitta [singular] or shittim [plural]. According to the text, the wood was the raw material for the Tabernacle and its contents, the Ark of the Covenant, the Altar and the Table and the Pillars of the Curtain. Biblical botany scholar Lytton Musselman speculates in his book Figs, Dates, Laurel, and Myrrh (Timber Press, 2007) that the species might have been Acacia albida, now renamed Faidherbia albida. However, the masonic texts have another view. According to Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, “It is the acacia vera of Tournefort [refers to 17th century French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort], and the mimosa nilotica of Linnæus. It grew abundantly in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where it is still to be found, and is familiar to us all, in its modern uses at least, as the tree from which the gum arabic of commerce is obtained.”

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Attracting bats and bat-like plants

I have a couple of questions. Are there plants I can grow that will attract bats, and are there plants that are bat-like in appearance?

 

The organization Bats Northwest recommends providing habitat (such as hollow trees and snags). The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has information on bat houses you can build or purchase. More information can be found at Bat Conservation International.

I did not find specific lists of bat-attracting plants, but providing a diverse tree canopy which includes trees that attract moths (for bats to eat) may make your landscape more bat-friendly. The British Bat Conservation Trust suggests that you leave some wild areas in the garden, add a pond if you can (as a place for bats to drink and forage on insects and their larvae), and plant night-scented flowers. Plant diversity seems to be the key: you can try growing flowers of different shapes, sizes, and fragrances, pale single flowers, and flowers which are good “landing platforms” for insects (such as daisy and carrot family plants).

There are several plants that resemble bats. Here are a few suggestions:

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Health benefits of Chia seeds

Chia seeds: what are they, and what are they good for, besides sprouting on clay animals (Chia Pets!)? Lately, I’m seeing them promoted everywhere for their health benefits. Is there any validity to this?

 

The common name Chia refers to several species of Salvia, and to Hyptis suaveolens. The species that is imported into the United States is usually Salvia hispanica. Purdue University’s New Crops database has information about the uses of chia seeds:
“The seeds of chias have been eaten for centuries by native North Americans, either raw or parched. They are used in sauces and as thickening agents. When soaked in water the seed envelops itself in a copious mucilaginous polysaccharide, excellent for digestion, and together with the grain itself forms a nutritious food. Mixed with orange juice the gel-like seeds make a nutritious breakfast and can help to control excess weight. Users report that a glass full of orange juice with a teaspoon of presoaked seeds leaves one feeling full and without hunger until noon. The plant explorer Edward Palmer wrote (1871): ‘In preparing chia for use the seeds are roasted and ground, and the addition of water makes a mucilaginous mass several times the original bulk, sugar to taste is added, and the result is the much prized semi-fluid pinole of Indians and others, and to me one of the best and most nutritive foods while traveling over the deserts.'”

The New York Times published an article (11/24/2012) on the current trend for consuming chia seeds as a nutritional supplement (purportedly high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids). More studies are needed to substantiate the health claims, as this information from Columbia University’s “Go Ask Alice” website points out:
“People eat chia seeds for diabetes, high blood pressure, and to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, there is currently no good evidence to support chia consumption for these uses. People have also tried using chia seeds as a weight loss aid, as the high fiber content is thought to suppress appetite and ultimately help with weight loss. There’s not much support for this claim. One study found that eating chia seeds had no effects on body weight, body fat, or changes in appetite over a 12-week period. However, studies have shown that a particular variety of chia seeds, marketed under Salba, can reduce certain risk factors for heart disease such as blood pressure, clotting factors, and inflammation.”

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Brugmansia and the “Devil’s Breath”

I know that Brugmansia has toxic and intoxicating properties. I heard a story about a railway carriage in Europe that was filled with the Brugmansia flowers. When the doors to the carriage were closed, the fragrance of the blooms caused the passengers to lose consciousness, and their valuables were stolen. Plausible, or urban legend?

Brugmansia, like the related solanaceous plant Datura, contains tropane alkaloids throughout the plant, including the seeds and flowers. One of these alkaloids is scopolamine. There are many tales of “Devil’s Breath,” a processed form of scopolamine (as powder), or scopolamine-rich seeds being used by criminals in various parts of the world to drug their victims into unconsciousness. There is an article in The Guardian (September 2, 2015) which suggests it’s unlikely that this substance would have been used to “zombify” travelers in Europe. There are, however, travel security warnings from the U.S. State Department about its use by criminals in Ecuador and Colombia.

A scientific article, “Volatile compounds emitted from flowers and leaves of Brugmansia X candida (Solanaceae)” (G.C. Kite and C. Leon, in Phytochemistry, 1995) states that volatile tropane alkaloids could not be detected in the fragrance of either flowers or leaves; the main volatile organic compounds emitted by the flowers are terpenoids, benzenoids, and indole. Those compounds can cause headaches but it seems unlikely they would act like a sedative.

The book Plant Intoxicants by Baron Ernst von Bibra (Healing Arts Press,1995) describes use of Datura seeds by criminals in India to knock out their victims. There are many traditional medicinal uses of Brugmansia among the indigenous tribes of Colombia, but the hallucinogenic effects are especially frightening. One tribe describes the pleasant scent of the flowers but warns that the plant is inhabited by an evil spirit and all who sit at the foot of the tree “will forget everything.” (Source: Plants of the Gods, Richard Evans Schultes, Healing Arts Press, 2001). However I cannot find any confirmation for your colorful story of a train carriage full of drugged passengers among the Brugmansia flowers.

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On sex difference among eggplant fruits

I read on a cooking blog that it’s important to be able to distinguish between male and female eggplants, because males are less seedy and therefore less bitter. Supposedly, the difference can be detected by looking at the indentation at the bottom of the vegetable. Females have long, deep, dash-shaped dents, and males have round, shallow ones. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing, and I’m wondering if you can confirm it.

There is no sex difference among eggplant fruits. The confusion may have come from the fact that eggplant flowers have male and female parts. Mary Keith, a nutrition educator with University of Florida Extension says:

“Please, don’t waste any sleep over trying to remember which one is which.
There are not ‘male’ or ‘female’ eggplants. They all come from the female organs of the
flower, but eggplant flowers have both male and female organs. The seeds they
contain will grow into plants that make flowers with both male and female parts.[…] The shape of the scar where the flower fell off doesn’t tell you whether the fruit is a boy or a girl.”

Keith goes on to explain the best way to select an eggplant for cooking purposes:

“The best place to start is what you can see, the skin. There should be a little bit
of the stem still attached to one end. A ripe eggplant will have a smooth, bright, shiny
skin. It should be firm, not hard but not soft and soggy either. Whether it is purple, green, white or striped, if the skin is dull the fruit has been picked for too long. When you press on the skin it should spring right back at you. If it’s too hard to press in, then the fruit is too green and underripe. If it goes in and stays in, the fruit is too old. The texture is getting soft and it is more likely to be bitter. In general the smaller ones are usually better. Probably the best way to decide which ones to buy is to weigh them. […] The heavier one will be the better one. Some people say they can tell by knocking on an eggplant as they do a watermelon. In this case though, you do not want to buy one that sounds hollow. These will be dry and punky inside.”

Similar information comes from University of Illinois Extension:

“There is long-standing controversy about male and female eggplants, which is an inaccurate approach considering the fact that fruits are the product of sex and do not have it. However, it is folk wisdom worth some attention. Eggplants have a dimple at the blossom end. The dimple can be very round or oval in shape. The round ones seem to have more seeds and tend to be less meaty, so select the oval dimpled eggplant.”

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on skeletonizing birds

My pet cockatiel died, and I want to know how long it will take to compost the bird in the soil before I can dig up the skeleton and save it.

 

I am sorry for the loss of your cockatiel. I think that you can either put the body in the compost or find a way to salvage the skeleton, but not both. Bird bones have hollow cavities, and would likely break down quickly in the soil. Some permaculture discussion groups online suggest not burying birds, but instead storing them in the freezer until there are active ant nests, and then leaving them exposed for the ants to clean. I was not sure if this would work, so I consulted Dennis Paulson, Director Emeritus of the Slater Museum of Natural History at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.

He says that “putting something as small as a cockatiel in the ground isn’t the best idea, as their smaller bones would probably suffer. Putting it near an ant nest might not be much better, as the ants could carry off those small smaller bones. To make a good skeleton, you need to skin the bird and remove a lot of the bigger muscles (in particular, the flight muscles on the breast) as well as the intestines and other organs from the body cavity.” The Slater Museum of Natural History can skeletonize small birds by using their colony of dermestid beetles that eat all the soft tissues, which is the best way to skeletonize something of that size. The museum accepts donations of specimens, but they may also be willing to assist someone who wants to commemorate their pet bird in this way.

In general, dead animals that are not pets and weigh over fifteen pounds must be collected by Seattle Animal Control, but smaller animals that show no signs of disease may be double-bagged and put in the garbage. King County has similar guidelines. Dead wild birds (particularly crows and jays) that may have been affected by West Nile virus should be reported to the Public Health department at 206-205-4394.

on the use of fig bark and wood

I had a fig tree that fell over due to fast growth after prolonged heavy rains. Some of the wood has been saved, and is seasoning, for possible use in smoking meats and/or conditioning of home-brewed beer. Are there potential toxins I should be concerned about? What flavors and/or aromas might I expect?

None other than the New York Times has an article by Florence Fabricant (May 23, 2001) about the aromatic properties of fig wood (including using it to flavor meats):
Excerpt:
“Chefs love hardwoods for grilling. Fig wood, which burns hot and fast and sends a heady, almost sweetly floral aroma into the air, is the latest one gaining their favor.”

Pascal Baudar’s book, The Wildcrafting Brewer (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018), has a section on the use of bark and wood in making beer. He suggests using wood chips, toasted and added to fermenting beer (or soda, or mead). Fig is among the woods he recommends for its “mild and nutty qualities.” (Other wood chips he mentions as worthy additions are manzanita, maple, mesquite, olive, white ash, and yellow birch).

The only toxicity I can think of would be the sap (latex) that is in the leaves, stems, and unripe fruit, and can cause skin irritation. Here is additional information from Purdue University’s New Crop Resource Online.

 

on cauliflory

I’ve noticed a tree in my neighborhood that has rosy-red blossoms that seem to be sprouting right out of the tree trunk. Is this normal?

I can’t be sure about what tree you saw without more information, but it sounds as if you may have seen a redbud, or Cercis. This tree does produce flowers that may grow from the tree’s trunk. (It also flowers in the more expected way on branches.) This phenomenon is called “cauliflory,” well-illustrated by the website of Wayne’s Word. Carob and cacao trees also have this attribute.

Wisconsin Master Gardener Program website also has an article by Susan Mahr (posted December 17, 2007) about this trait. Contrary to what one might think, cauliflower is not cauliflorous. The article explores possible advantages of cauliflory, such as the ability to bear heavy fruit (on a stout trunk instead of weak new growth), and enhanced cross-pollination potential.