Chinese Artichoke relatives (Stachys sp. div.)

There exists a few species related to  Chinese Artichoke  (Stachys affinis = S. sieboldiana) which create edible tubers. I grew two of them (three taxons):

Florida Betony (Stachys floridiana) - tubers

Florida betony (Stachys floridana) grows in wild state in southern USA (among others in Florida, Texas, California). This is perennial which creates every year annual tubers. Each tuber gives new plant in next year and dies, and this new plant creates in autumn next annual tubers. The tubers are similar in appearance to ones of  Chinese Artichoke, but they are something longer and have a little different flavor. They have whitish color and characteristic narrowing (look as created from beads). They are edible raw or cooked. This is not sure, but they can contain very small amounts of stachydrine (pyrrolidine alkaloid) (as some other species in genus Stachys) and other biological active components, so can have also a medicinal use (probably anodyne and febrifuge as Chinese Artichoke). It is self-incompatible so to creating the seeds (small nutlets) there are necessary at least 2 various genetically plants (2 clones). It is easy to growing. Likes much of sun and moisture and well drained fertile soils. Tubers can be stored in winter in cool, but frost free place in slightly moist sphagnum moss or sand. They should be planted in direct place in end of April or May (about last frosts date). This is not much frost resistant. In southern lands it can be weedy. This is very little known plant and there is not easy to find its tubers in trading in Europe.

There exists two common wild varieties of Stachys palustris (Marsh Woundwort, Marsh Hedgenettle) in Central Europe: typical variety (var. vulgaris) and field variety (var. segetum). These varieties differ in environmental requirements  and  in  the  morphology  of  underground  parts. The typical  variety  has  often very long whitish tubers with nodes spaced far (several cm) apart and needs wet soil, whereas the field variety forms yellowish tubers with dense, beadlike nodes and is something drought resistant. This last grows the best in  disturbed  habitats,  which  suggests  that  it  may  have  been  grown  in  Central  Europe  in  the  past (as prehistoric vegetable) and then escaped from cultivation. These species (both varieties) is one of the most valuable wild edible plants of Europe. Marsh Woundwort (especially field variety) can be easily cultivated in gardens. It needs medium or heavy soils which good keep moisture and much of sunlight. It is full frost hardy in zone 5/6. The tubers are slightly bitter in flavor. They taste the best when fried. It can be propagated by tubers or seeds (these last probably do not need any pre-treatment to germinating, but should be sown surface or shallowly).

The comparison of tubers appearance of two varieties of Stachys palustris (Marsh Woundwort) - on the left - field variety (var. segetum), on the right - typical variety (var. vulgaris)

Stachys palustris (Marsh Woundwort, Marsh Hedgenettle) - typical variety (var. vulgaris):

The tubers of this variety are usually white and with far disctance between nodes

.. and can be very large

Young shoots

The plant in flowers

 Stachys palustris (Marsh Woundwort, Marsh Hedgenettle) - field variety (var. segetum):

The tubers of field variety are usually yellowish and with densely distributed nodes

There are a few other rare tuberous Stachys species in subtropical and temperate areas of the world. If you have the tubers or seeds any of them please write to me. 
 There is a link to my article about 2 varieties of Stachys palustris (in Polish language, with English abstract and summary and with photos):
http://maxbot.botany.pl/cgi-bin/pubs/data/article_pdf?id=4209

Japanese Rough Potato (Metaplexis japonica)

A very rarely cultivated in Europe hardy perennial herbaceous climber (to 8m=27ft tall) from Japan, Korea and Russia. It belongs to Milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae).

        It is very cold hardy (to at least zone 6b) and can survive without mulching very strong frosts when established [even (- 25°C)=(-13°F) or less]. It creates annual fast growing stems, perennial rhizomes and numerous beautiful, medium size (showy, pale violet, hairy, odd-looking) flowers in racemes. Easily grows in any well drained soil, and half shaded to sunny spot. Flowers in the second year after sowing (about 15 months to first flowers). This is useful plant - Asiatic vegetable: young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, young fruits - raw or pickled, long thin (about the thickness of a thick twine) rhizomes - cooked. Also poisonous plant (raw milk sap). It is also used in medicine (haemostatic, tonic, aphrodisiac etc.). The seeds' fluff can be  possibly used as a stuffing material for pillows etc. Climbers planted in the garden often move to neighboring areas (due to it has long creeping rhizomes which creates the shoots in other place every year) - hence the plant makes the impression of a wanderer - grows from another place every year and can cover very large area within a few years. There is very interesting a biology of flowers and pollination - odd-looking hairy flowers are pollinated by large night moths. Small insects (as mosquitoes, flies, beetles or medium size moths) are trying to get a nectar from flowers but they are too weak to take out the mouthparts from flowers and die trapped. The fruits are the follicles about 8-9cm=3-4 inch long which contain inside a fluff (with the seeds). They break and open in medium autumn and hang on die shoots to spring and they are gradually spreading the seeds.  Seeds should be sown surface (a light stimulates germination) in warm place inside in pots. Replant the seedlings outside in summer without root disturbance.

It has odd-looking flowers

They are very ornamental

The flowers trap and kill small or medium size insects

It even traping the mosquitoes

... and large flies

 

The young fruits

Ripening fruits

The dry fruits

The rhizomes are very long and not thick

There exists in China the second species of this genus -Metaplexis hemsleyana (called "hua luo mo"). If you have the seeds of it, or any other rare hardy asclepiad climber (Cynanchum spp., Matelea spp., etc.), please write to me.

Rare Tree of Heaven cousins (Ailanthus sp. div.)

The Common Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima/glandulosa) it is medium size expansive tree which is forbidden to growing in numerous areas, for example in Poland. It can become a noxious weed. But there exists numerous other species in genus Alianthus (there are total 10 species in this taxon) which are allowed to growing. Some of them are tropical, but other are enough frost hardy to survive in northern temperate areas. I grew 2 such species. They are very rarely planted (hard to finding) and have been planted in Polish botanical gardens only 1-2 times in history. They are: Downy Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus vilmoriniana) and Girald’s Tree of Heaven (A. giraldii). They both are similar to A. altissima but they are different in some details.

 

The young spring shoot of Girald's Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus giraldii)

I propagated them by seeds (sown without any pretreatment in pots inside in spring). They are extremely fast growing and can attain to about 8-9m (= 30ft) within 10 years. They are starting to flowering within 8-10 years from seeds. They are dioecious. The flowers are inconspicuous but created in large panicles. The trees can be cutted back one time in year with allowing only one shoot which can attains a few meters tallness and creates very large leaves (it gives very unusual, tropical look). 

The huge pinnately-compound leaf of young tree (about 1,8m = 6ft long)

 Downy Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus vilmoriniana) differs from other species only by soft spines which cover young shoots and more teeth on leaflets (2-4 at each side of leaflet). In other features is very similar to A. altissima and was also regarded as only variety of it (Ailanthus glandulosa var. spinosa). It is hardly frost hardy in my zone 6b and in severe winters the trunk can break due to frost. Young trees should be mulched but later they are enough frost resistant. 

The seedling in second year of life

Young spring shoots are very colorful

The young stems are covered by soft spines

There are 2-4(5) teeth on each side of the leaflets (more than on Common Tree of Heaven)

The spines are red if exposed to sun or green of grew in shade

The spnes are ended by small round red glands

Older spring shoots

A few years old tree

The bark

The plant in flowers (male)

The cutted trunk

Girald’s Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus giraldii) creates very large leaves (to 1,8m = 6ft on young trees) and large samaras (fruits) about 4,5-6 x 1,5-2cm (= 1,8-2,4 x 0,6-0,8inch). It is more frost resistant than pervious species, but in severe winters end of shoots are killed by frost. 

Young spring shoots are very ornamental

The trunk of young tree

The tree about 5 years old

First flowers was created after about 8 years from seeds

The female flowers

Young fruits

The tree in winter

The trunk of mature tree

The cutted trunk (the wood of this species in prized to making fornitures)

The fruits of this species are quite large (larger than ones of Common Tree of Heaven)

Both these species can easily hybridize. I harvested hybrid seeds. I had one male tree of A. vilmoriniana and one female A. giraldii. Recently I cutted them (they were dangerous to small house in my garden – they grew too close up it and their roots could damage a basement of this building) but I still have seeds and suckers from roots. I am going to plant them in other safe place. They could be again large soon.