Alexander seeds?
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 10:16 am
I wasn't sure whether to put this in foraging or gardening, as it's a bit of both, but all I've done is foraging so far, so it's going here.
Although we live near the coast, I haven't found any Alexanders locally, but I do know of some about 20 miles down the coast. I harvested some there in early April and as we happened to be there again yesterday, I collected some seeds. The thing is, the plants are rather more difficult to identify when they've died back to brown twigginess. I don't know how useful these photos are, as the seedheads may have got a little squashed in my handbag on the way home, but here are some of what I got:
I'm not really asking for an ID from these photos, but are is there anything else around at the moment (UK, July) that might look like this? My identification is based on knowing that Alexanders were growing about there earlier in the year, and surely it's too early for other umbellifers to have set seed yet. It's not critical because I'm not going to eat them, but it would be nice to think I've got the right plant before I invest much time cultivating them. I'm sure I'll be able to identify them when they've grown up.
That brings me to the gardening question. Any thoughts on my chances of growing Alexanders here, 20 miles north, 12 miles inland, and 650 feet up from where I collected the seeds? Or should I try a little guerrilla gardening along the coast path?
Although we live near the coast, I haven't found any Alexanders locally, but I do know of some about 20 miles down the coast. I harvested some there in early April and as we happened to be there again yesterday, I collected some seeds. The thing is, the plants are rather more difficult to identify when they've died back to brown twigginess. I don't know how useful these photos are, as the seedheads may have got a little squashed in my handbag on the way home, but here are some of what I got:
I'm not really asking for an ID from these photos, but are is there anything else around at the moment (UK, July) that might look like this? My identification is based on knowing that Alexanders were growing about there earlier in the year, and surely it's too early for other umbellifers to have set seed yet. It's not critical because I'm not going to eat them, but it would be nice to think I've got the right plant before I invest much time cultivating them. I'm sure I'll be able to identify them when they've grown up.
That brings me to the gardening question. Any thoughts on my chances of growing Alexanders here, 20 miles north, 12 miles inland, and 650 feet up from where I collected the seeds? Or should I try a little guerrilla gardening along the coast path?