The Fascinating World of Polygonaceae
was setting. Fallopias will only look this way for that short time during the day, but they are very pretty all the time anyway.
Eriogonums Eriogonums are also known as wild buckwheat, and there are many species native to the west coast of North America, as well as the dry interior to Texas and north to Alberta. Click on this link to see an illustration of how odd they can appear. For more great pictures and information about Eriogonums, visit The Natural History of the Columbia and Great Basins. These photos are taken in native habitat, where all plants really look their best.
Some of the more common garden variety Eriogonums include E. compositum which bears yellow flowers from May to July. It is native to Idaho, the dry belts of Washington's interior, to California, and is hardy to -15 degrees celsius, or less if the soil is dry in the winter. The plant grows to only 1 foot tall, and its semi-woody base extends itself each year. If you can grow grey-leaved New Zealand Burr, you can grow this Eriogonum.
Rhubarb
Rhubarbs (Rheum rhaponticum) are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, especially for new gardeners, and of course have such a wonderful byproduct. They grow well in the shaded corner of a vegetable border, or in the flower garden. The key is keeping the soil fairly moist at all times. Side-dress in the spring with horse apples, and harvest not at all in the first year, and then in subsequent years thin the thickening canopy of the leaves as desired. Harvest older leaves first. Rhubarb will produce heavy crops for many years, but when the stalks become small, dig up and divide the plants.
The leaves should not be eaten because they contain oxalic acid and soluble oxalates, which can cause death.
Then there is Ornamental Rhubarb
Rheum palmatum is a rhubarb from China which has many medicinal properties. It is used to improve digestion, stimulate the uterus and can also be used as a laxative.These plants are quite ornamental in themselves. A variety of chinese rhubarb is Rheum palmatum var. tanguticum, which produces bold, dramatic dark purple foliage and 6' flower stems that bear rose-red pyramids of flowers in late spring. Then there is Atrosanguniem, which has bright red flowers.
Rheum australe has 7' tall stems of yellow flowers in late spring-summer. The large greenish red, heart-shaped leaves have deep red stems. Rheum
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