Woodland Gardening - May Apples

When we bought our property, I spent a lot of time wandering around, looking at the different plants and wondering what they were. I have some books on plants, mushrooms, and wildflowers, so when I looked them up, I found they were called May Apples. "May Apple" seems an unlikely name for a plant whose fruit ripens in September and isn't an apple.

In spring, the plant reaches about 18 inches, is capped by one or two leaves. The leaves are deeply lobed and held parallel to the ground.

So where are the apples?

If you come across a colony of May Apples during a spring stroll, peek under the leaves. Where the stem divides to make two leaves, you might find a May Apple flower -- a single waxy, white bloom about 2 inches across. Fruits are supposed to follow flowers, which are blooming about now, in Michigan. Don't be surprised, however, to find far fewer fruits than there were flowers. In fact, you may find no fruit at all.

If you do find a fruit, take care before biting into it; that is what my reference material advised. This plant is strong medicine, too easily taken in toxic doses by those unfamiliar with its use. All parts of the plant are toxic, except the ripe fruit. Unripe May Apple fruit is toxic, as are the seeds; don't chew them. May Apple's roots, when processed correctly, contain an ingredient which can be used to induce vomiting. Other compounds in May Apples inhibit cell division, and a modified extract of the plant is used to make an anti-cancer drug. The resin from May Apples is used for treating warts, too, I read.

Folklore: (let's get back at the men, now, shall we???) This plant was once called 'the witch's umbrella' and thought to be used by them as a poison. The English version of this plant has much lore told about it, being called Mandrake ("man root") and believed to be alive - its screams when pulled from the ground would render a man permanently insane!

Keep that in mind, Ladies! Have a great rest of the day!

Woodland Gardening

Leaves, leaves, and MORE leaves - that is the joys of spring yard work when you live in a woods! I battle them, think I have won, but low and behold - they return, bringing many dried and crispy friends with them!
It is worth clearing them out, because now I can see my cute little concrete angels once again, without the brown leaves obstructing the view.
I began to move some of the overgrown plants around. The Cinnamon Ferns were starting to creep outside their boundaries.

Cinnamon Ferns are large, with fronds that can grow up to six feet long and a foot wide. Mine get about 3 feet tall. They grow best in large clumps in moist woods, marshes, wet ditches, and stream banks. A Cinnamon Fern has two types of fronds: the big green ones, and smaller ones which start out as bright green and then turn a cinnamon color. The cinnamon-colored ones have sori on them. Sori then makes many spores so the plant can reproduce.

In early Spring, new young fronds start to grow. They look like a skinny stem, which uncoils into a leafy frond. These young skinny fronds are called "fiddleheads", which are eaten by White-tailed Deer and other animals.

Once several large fronds have fully grown, then the smaller ones with sori will grow. Then fern will stop growing new fronds in a couple of months. It will instead grow spores to be spread to new places to grow new ferns. The sori are wonderful to use in dried floral arrangements - they add such interest when surrounded by greens and assorted dried or artificial flowers! (If anyone is interested, I have 2 sets of 15 sori for sale - $5.00 a set, plus the shipping. Email and I will get you a final price. I may even toss in a couple extras!)

Cinnamon Ferns also have rhizomes that spread and sends up new plants. This is how my ferns got out of their boundaries! Cinnamon Fern fiddleheads are edible when boiled, though not many people eat them. These ferns are sometimes planted in shady yards to add beauty.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a beautiful day!

Gardening in OUR Neck of the Woods!

Since the weather has warmed up to 60-ish, I decided to devote time to my little gardens this week. Living in the woods has its bonuses for Mr. Wonderful - there is very little mowing to do. Most of the ground is covered in mosses and short grass, or periwinkle and wild violets. Grass cutting is minimal! When we first moved here, we tried (unsuccessfully) to put in a lawn. But then, we thought "What were we thinking?" I'm sure it would add more color, but the natural forest floor is attractive, even with bare patches and minimal growth. And, it adds to the camp-like atmosphere.

One plant I did look up was Solomon's Seal. I found FALSE Solomon's Seal growing in abundance all through the woods. Note the yellow flower at the tip - that is the 'tip-off' to the false variety! They will turn snowy white, and look to me like sparklers on the 4th of July! Click picture to enlarge. Later on, the blooms will change to bright red berries, which will become seeds to ensure the plant species survives. Click pictures to enlarge. The photo I added below is the TRUE variety. I was delighted to find it dotted here and there, in the woods AND in my yard! If you enlarge the picture, you will see the hanging 'bean-looking' flower buds that later will become seeds, enabling this little beauty to spread far and wide into the forest. The root (see below) is a rhizome and it is said that the circular scar left by the stem after it breaks away from the root resembles the seal of Solomon of Hebrew folklore. (Also known as the Star of David.)You can estimate the plant's age by examining the rhizome. Each year the stem leaves a scar, or "seal" on the rhizome. Counting these will give you an idea of how long your plant has been alive.
I found this interesting description of the uses of Solomon's Seal herb, and thought I would share it with you:
A medicinal infusion of root or rhizome, is used in alternative medicine as an astringent, demulcent, and tonic. The dried herb is taken as a laxative and restorative, and is good in inflammations of the stomach, indigestion, profuse menstruation, lung ailments, general debility, bowels, piles, and chronic dysentery. A medicinal poultice of the fresh roots is said to fade bruises, also applied to cuts and sores.

Recipe
"Medicinal" tea: To 1 tsp. dried herb add 1 cup boiling water, steep for 10 min. sweeten to taste, take in the morning as laxative.

I find the next part - the Folklore - a bit amusing as well as horrifying now, but ages ago when it was first written, the author was dead serious!

Folklore

Once believed to have aphrodisiac properties, and used in love potions. More than likely due to its ability to stop profuse menstruation. Gerard says: 'The roots of Solomon's Seal, stamped while it is fresh and greene and applied, taketh away in one night or two at the most, any bruise, blacke or blew spots gotten by falls or women's wilfulness in stumbling upin their hastie husband's fists, or such like.'

I hope your day is a pleasant one - and happy gardening!

Your Garden Could be POISONOUS!

I was browsing to find information about various plants living in my little forest, and was surprised that a good number of them are poisonous to my dogs. Occasionally they have had intestinal disturbances or unexplained vomiting from time to time, but I got to wondering if perhaps they might have dined on plant matter while they were out for their morning constitutional! Sometimes a Corgi will think she is hungry and decide to sample something that is not on their MENU!
Plants found in my woods include Mayapples, Monkshood, Elderberry, Oak and Cherry Trees, Nightshade, Buttercups, Cowbane, Lilly of the Valley, Star of Bethlehem, and Bleeding Heart, among others.
A great place to visit for lists and pictures of plants that are toxic to dogs and other animal species is the website of Cornell University. If you click on the link, you will be transported to a page that divides the plants up into categories, such as house plants, garden varieties, trees and shrubs, woodland plants, and prairie grasses/flowers. You are also able to look up plants by name, in case you were wondering about a new addition to your yard or flower garden. The photos are especially valuable if you are not knowing the name of something growing in your yard - very helpful.

Check it out to ensure a safe blooming season this year!