After killing the seeds the first time, second attempt has seen success: Manihot esculenta, or Cassava is now well established in the greenhouse!
A shockingly fast growing plant (these are hardly a month old if that) and rather ornamental with those strange leaves, Cassava is a South American native that has established quite a widespread usage worldwide for food. Thick starchy roots are prepared in all sorts of ways from boiled and fried as a potato-like vegetable to ground into flour or processed into that strangely textured but popular food, tapioca.
What’s rather surprising about this though, is that this is not a plant you can safely eat normally; it must be soaked or heavily boiled, because otherwise it is packed full of cyanogens, hydrogen and nitrogen-rich chemicals that when ingested, break down to release hydrogen cyanide. Even just a small amount of raw cassava may well be lethal, so it begs the question: how did people figure out that this toxic root could eventually be processed into food?

#manihotesculenta #cassava #edibleplants #educational #strangeplants #seedgrown #ornamentalplants #botany #plants #horticulture #plantsmakepeoplehappy #botanical #gardening #carltoncarnivores

Another new ornamental edible in the greenhouse: Talinum paniculatum.
Commonly referred to as Fameflower or Jewels of Opar (apparently a title taken from a Tarzan novel), this American native is found from the southeast US through the Caribbean and into northern South America. When just in vegetative stage it’s moderately attractive, with thick red stems and bright green to yellowish succulent leaves, but it’s when it starts flowering that it puts on a show. Short stalks slowly grow taller and more complex, throwing out peduncles in all directions that begin popping open with tiny but hot pink flowers that quickly develop into brilliant jewel-like orange-red berries. Once the whole scape is finished it looks like a floating cloud of sparkling gems above the soft leaf carpet below them, and they are quite popular as a soft texture addition to cut flower arrangements.
As said before it’s not just pretty, but also edible; the leaves are kind of like spinach with just a little bit of other flavor in them (I tried one, can’t quite explain it) and so quite good for a rich salad.

#talinumpaniculatum #fameflower #edibleplants #ornamentalplants #flowers #plants #usnatives #plantsathome #indoorplants #botany #educational #horticulture #botanical #bloomscrolling #gardening #carltoncarnivores

New flowers in the basement: Brisa maxima!
Commonly called Greater Quaking Grass or (my preference) Rattlesnake Grass due to the high-motion behavior of its flower/seedheads in the breeze, this is an annual grass native to the Mediterranean region and will likely be added to a restricted sunny spot somewhere in the yard next year. Plants reach nearly 2 feet tall before making pendulous clusters of overlapping scale-like bracts, which semi-resemble the interlocking segments of a rattlesnake’s rattle. These segments expand and eventually turn brown when the grass matures, and rattle and flutter in the slightest of winds. This species has an interesting history, as while it is technically edible (chewing the juice out of the blades or grinding the seedheads), it was likely among the first grasses to be grown not for food, but for ornamental purposes several millennia ago. Nowadays it’s almost entirely ornamental, thought with a note of caution that allowed to grow unrestricted it can become an aggressive invader of semi-dry habitats.

#briza #brizamaxima #rattlesnakegrass #grass #ornamentalplants #plants #educational #plantsathome #botany #plantsmakepeoplehappy #horticulture #botanical #gardening #carltoncarnivores

Might not look like much right now but I’m hoping it takes off soon: Agrostis nebulosa
Commonly known as Cloud Grass, this shade-loving annual hails from the western Mediterranean, and forms thick mats of rich green leaves above which rise a cloudlike white-purple mass of tiny flowers and seedheads. The seeds are tiny, and as such on its own a single plant is nothing to look at…but dozens or hundreds together creates a soft-looking image that greatly accents the understory of a garden. The two clumps I currently have were planted along the rock walls alongside another ornamental shade-loving grass with a much larger, golden presence and that will be available to patrons shortly (join at patreon.com/hcarlton if you want an early peek at what I’m referencing).

#agrostis #agrostisnebulosa #cloudgrass #grasses #ornamentalplants #plants #annuals #botany #horticulture #plantsathome #botanical #planstagram #gardening #carltoncarnivores #educational

𝟓 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧
As the weather warms up, so does the desire to create a beautiful outdoor area. Imagine planting a few special varieties that could make your space a real showstopper. We’re excited to share the 5 top plants that can turn your backyard into a stunning garden.
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𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
👉 [email protected]
👉 https://twigterrace.com/ornamental-gardening/
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#twigterrace #FloweringShrubs #GardeningInspiration #GardeningTips #LandscapeDesign #OrnamentalPlants

𝟓 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧
👉 [email protected]
👉 https://twigterrace.com/ornamental-gardening/
#twigterrace #FloweringShrubs #GardeningInspiration #GardeningTips #LandscapeDesign #OrnamentalPlants

𝟓 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧
As the weather warms up, so does the desire to create a beautiful outdoor area. Imagine planting a few special varieties that could make your space a real showstopper.
===============
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
👉 [email protected]
👉 https://twigterrace.com/ornamental-gardening/
===============
#twigterrace #FloweringShrubs #GardeningInspiration #GardeningTips #LandscapeDesign #OrnamentalPlants #OutdoorDecor #PlantRecommendations #SeasonalGardening

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