Seasonal Colour, late October

As we move towards leaf drop, there is still colour out there. Many are surprised to learn that the fields and barrens afire owe their palette to the blueberries cultivated there. Even wild lowbush blueberry plants turn crimson. Huckleberries too may be orange or red. On buildings Boston Ivy or Virginia Creeper are both red. My Euonymus shrub is flashing red, with few green leaves yet.

For those who grow them, the Chinese lanterns and Silver Dollars are ready for gathering. These popular annuals are cultivated for the interest they add to dried bouquets. Winterberry is brightening up the roadside thickets. One of our most common native shrubs, it is also known as Canada Holly. Caution should be shown with these berries around the dinner table, they are not edible.

Larches are bright yellow now in southwestern bogs. In a month’s time these decduous conifers will be denuded as they lose their needles. Lowgrowing vines such as Blackberry and Dewberry have turned purplish.

Our colourful foliage was delayed a couple of weeks, but Nova Scotia’s landscape is now ablaze.

Blueberries, photo by Graham MacKay

larch off in the distance, turning yellow, photo by Marian Munro


Burning bush, photo by Marian Munro

Red Maple, photo by Marian Munro

Ornamental Grasses

While most of us are just beginning to rake the leaves dropping from our deciduous trees, others are busy planning and scheming next years’s gardens. Paper garden catalogues are generally available in January, but with the number of online catalogues, the avid grower can begin planning at any time.

This year, won’t you consider adding a couple of clumps of grasses to your ornamental beds?

I am always impressed by the fall display of colour in the saltmarshes and even along lakeshores, where there are extensive stands of grasses. The rippling as the wind blows through the stems is something to see, whether summer or fall. The rustling sound adds another sense and the still vertical form adds even more visual interest.

Here are some especially attractive grasses to plant:

For crimson fall display select Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

Low-growing ground cover is provided by Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica `Red Baron'), although its spreading nature needs containment by fencing or pots,

Plumes of flower stalks often overwinter on Pampas Grass. (Cortaderia selloana) These very tall spreading stems can provide a statement as well as a living hedge if desired.

Speaking of living hedges, silvergrass (Miscanthus sp.) is both a living hedge and a source of fibre and bio-fuel, according to recent research.

Japanese Blood Grass, photo from Dave's Garden, UK

Ragweed and Hay Fever

For those of us who suffer hay fever, October and the end of the growing season must seem like a welcome respite to the suffering. Not so, the most notorious of all plants inducing human discomfort, is hardy right up to the hardest of frosts.

This would be ragweed, (Ambrosia species), commonly found on roadsides, in vacant lots, parking lots, even along cement walls of building foundations where there is no visible soil.

Late summer and fall sufferers habitually blame the native goldenrods for their pain. These sunny yellow flowers are prolific and signify fall is near. However, goldenroads all have insect-pollinated flowers. Generally allergies to pollen involve wind-pollinated species. These plants produce copious amounts of pollen. (There are exceptions).

In the case of ragweeds, the pollen is armed with microscopic barbs. This ensures that the pollen grains adhere to sensitive lungs.

Further note on fall colour: seems in Halifax County we are just now reaching peak colour. Trees were dull and water-stressed in September, delaying the leaf colour change. After a couple days of rain, the maple reds and yellows quickly appeared. How about in your nook of the Province?


Ragweed, photo by Martin Thomas

Ragweed pollen, unknown photographer

Poisonous Mushrooms

I trust your Thanksgiving holiday included a feast. Always remember that children associate the table with edibles, not “do not touch” plants as one family found out when they used climbing nightshade berries as part of a centrepiece. Even the decorative elements on the table should be screened for plants that may harm.

With ample moisture in the fall, Nova Scotian forests begin to sprout a different kind of crop. The forms of fungi are fascinating, from the almost microscopic to the giant puffballs of well-fertilized pastures.  Armed with a camera, there is good hunting along the edges. Mushrooms are just one type of fruiting body (rightfully called a basidiocarp). There are various jellies, cups, coralline, shelflike, lacy, leather objects. They grow on dung, living trees, or on the ground. Generally ground-dwelling fungi have their mycelium embedded in decomposing subterranean organic matter. Their colours have invoked the need for specific colour charts, especially needed to describe their spores.

But mushrooms also have their dark side. There are a few edibles for those in the know. Many more are poisonous, some deadly. Some contain some of the most serious poisons found naturally. Deadly Galerina, Destroying Angel, Deadly Webcap do not imply manna from Heaven or even a tasty ploughman’s lunch.

Seriously, some of these mushrooms contain enough poison to kill an entire family. Some of the Amanitas (Destroying Angel) require only 30grams, raw, cooked or dried to kill an adult, if consumed. Amatoxin, is one such poison, reportedly responsible for nearly 90% of all mushroom poisoning deaths. It destroys the liver.

Many more are not deadly, but cause health problems. The commonly seen lawn mushrooms, the Inky Caps, Coprinus species, can cause problems for those who consume alcohol with them. Tippler’s Bane is called that because the species, Coprinopsis atramentaria, is called that because of the sensitivity to alcohol promoted by the reaction similar to that to drugs used in control of alcoholism.

For those who wish to continue reading, visit our Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit a meet The Fungus Among US, in French or English.

http://tinyurl.com/offzklo French
http://tinyurl.com/o5bb949 English


Destroying Angel, Image used from blog 'Virginia Wildflowers'

Galerina marginata, Steve Trudell photo

Fly Agaric, yellow variant, Photo by Paul Carrigan

October's flower

The Pot-marigold or Calendula, symbolize a warm and fierce undying love. Their warm colours are often associated with October celebrations such as that of the Hindu Diwali, a Festival of Light. Elegance, devotion, grace and healing are all attributes associated withCalendula. Its name is Latin for calendar. Like sunflowers, the little flower heads follow the sun across the sky. The addition of the edible Calendula petals livens a salad. Some used to think that eating the flowers allowed you to see faeries. (Not in my experience!).

Their inclusion in soaps and lotions promotes healing of skin conditions, including poison ivy rashes. In ancient days, it was believed that protection from evil spirits could be gained by stringing Calendula garlands around the home.


Burpee seed mixture package

Plants newly discovered in Nova Scotia

It has been almost one year since Nova Scotia Plants was first released. We are still working on an app that can be downloaded to iOS devices. Perhaps it is time to highlight a few of the plants newly discovered in Nova Scotia, since 1998.

With a renewed search effort, botanists are bound to find new plants. Given that there are more eyes on the ground and the mobile technology we have available, it is no surprise.

Here are three shrubs that are thriving without cultivation. One of them has recently been discovered populating the wild tangle below the MacKay bridge in Halifax, near the approaches to Seaview Park. It is about to become highly noticeable, although all summer it remained aloof in its obscurity.
Euonymus europaeus is planted for its beautiful crimson fall foliage. Intensified by humidity, the fall foliage ranges from crimson to magenta. Not to be outdone by the leaves, the square red fruit may be split open to reveal orange pulp. But be warned, the fruit ispoisonous and not to be consumed. Discovered this month in Halifax, it is also known to be naturalising in Antigonish and Coldbrook.

Maleberry or Lyonia ligistrina, does not produce such colourful fruit. Its beautiful white flowers resemble those of blueberry, but the fruit is a dry capsule which splits open to release seed. Like blueberry, it too belongs to the heath family. Unlike blueberry, it is very rare, limited to Yarmouth Co. as far as we know.

Finally, we now have another Eleagnus species, Autumn Olive, found only in Nictaux and at Avonport. With Russian Olive, these species are planted as ornamentals and both produce edible fruit. However, these shrubs have the tendency to become invasive. Their recent occurrences may be due to highway building activities.

I have mentioned only three of nearly 100 plants newly discovered here.

Euonymus europaeus, burning bush, photo by Sean Blaney
Burning bush, contributed


Maleberry, Lyonia photo by Martin Thomas


Autumn Olive, photo credited to the Pennsylvania State Dept. of Conservation and Nat. Res.