I won't forget the first time I saw Mirabilis multiflora, commonly known as Colorado Four-O'clock, while hiking on the East side of the Owens Valley. I stood there staring at this bush full of bright pink flowers, thinking it looked like a tropical plant plopped down among our stoic sage.  Later I read that bougainvillea is in the same family, the Nyctaginaceae family, with many tropical plants.  

These bright flowers are tubular shaped, with five lobes. They are about one inch across and 1.5 inches long. The leaves are arrow head shaped, the bush growing in a domed mass. The flowers had just started opening that day in the late afternoon, and it's this feature that gives the four-o'clocks their common name. Opening in the late afternoon or evenings, the flowers wither during the next day, with more flowers blooming again in the afternoon. Insects that forage late in the day are particularly attracted to the blooms.  The large pink and brown Sphinx moths, that are often mistaken for hummingbirds, are frequent visitors. Hummingbirds also visit the flowers as do native bees and butterflies.  

This first Colorado Four-O'clock I saw was blooming out in the open in full sun, growing on a gravelly slope.   However, the USDA notes list the light requirements of this plant as partial shade to sun.  The notes also state that all native Four-O'clocks in the Western US prefer dry sandy or gravelly soils.

Mirabilis multiflora is an herbaceous perennial, growing a large taproot and dying back to the root each winter.   In your garden, it can be cut back in the late fall.   A mature plant can get to three feet across and about eighteen inches high.   Plant it where it will have room to spread.   It is suggested as a good plant for erosion control, and that it looks well spilling over the edge of rock walls, or retaining walls.   It should also be a good addition to hot and dry areas of the garden that are a challenge for many plants.   When first planted water regularly, but once established the plant will need little supplemental water.  

Our local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the Bristlecone Chapter has listed Mirabilis multiflora on their website as a plant that has sometimes been offered at their annual plant sales.    Four-O'clocks more commonly found at nurseries are Mirabilis jalapa, a non-native plant. This plant is also called “Marvel of Peru,” it is a perennial from South America, noted for the flowers' pleasant scent.   In colder climates, Marvel of Peru is not reliably hardy.   The tap root can be overwintered by digging up and storing in a dark frost free spot and planted up again in the spring.   It can also be treated as an annual and let reseed in the garden.   Be cautious where you plant either of these Mirabilis species as the seeds have a minor toxicity if eaten, and the roots may cause dermatitis when handled. Consider planting in spots away from play areas.  

Other common names for Mirabilis multiflora are Desert, Wild, Large or Showy Four-O'clock.   It is a very showy and wild looking Four-O'clock. The blooms provide nectar and pollen from dusk to dawn, possibly into the next day, and are a vibrant pink color.   This could be a wonderful addition to an area of the garden especially enjoyed in the evenings.  

 

Mirabilis multiflora

• Rounded bushy form
• Perennial
• Herbaceous
• Low water use
• Part shade / sun
• Dry, well-drained soil
• Showy flowers, pink-magenta
• Many flowers open at once

 

Resources:

University of California: Safe & Poisonous Garden Plants:   ucanr.edu/sites/poisonous_safe_plants/

California Native Plant Society, Bristlecone chapter: bristleconecnps.org

USDA Forest Service: www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers

 

 

The Cananga odorata is valued for the perfume extracted from its flowers, called ylang-ylang (a name also sometimes used for the tree itself), which is an essential oil used in aromatherapy. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental or floral themed perfumes (such as Chanel No 5).

               

Cardamom seeds

Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. They are recognised by their small seed pods: triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds; Elettaria pods are light green and smaller, while Amomum pods are larger and dark brown. Cardamom is the world's third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron.  It is said to calm a crying baby as it makes them sleepy.

              

nutmeg

 

Nutmeg is one of the two spices – the other being mace – derived from several species of tree in the genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree. Nutmeg is the seed of the tree, roughly egg-shaped and about 0.8 to 1.2 in long 0.6 to 0.7 in wide, and weighing between 0.2 and 0.4 oz dried, while mace is the dried "lacy" reddish covering. The first harvest of nutmeg trees takes place 7–9 years after planting, and the trees reach full production after twenty years. Nutmeg is usually used in powdered form.  Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavor. Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron-like hue it imparts. Nutmeg is used for flavoring many dishes, usually in ground or grated form, and is best grated fresh in a nutmeg grater. For me, I use it in my Christmas gingerbread cookies and as a topping on eggnog.

 

                  

 

Boy opening coconut

Wrapping up our journey through the plantation was the skittering up a very tall coconut tree by another local boy was the last of our exploration. He was amazing taking less two minutes to climb the tree. The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family) and was at least 50 to 60' high. He was back in a flash with coconuts for us all. With his broad knife wracked at each coconut enabling us to have a refreshing drink and a taste of the meat.

Coconuts are known for their great versatility, as evidenced by many traditional uses, ranging from food to cosmetics. They form a regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are distinct from other fruits for their large quantity of "water", and when immature, they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for their potable coconut water. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seed nuts or processed to give oil from the kernel.

 

 

 

 

We concluded our tour with a tasting of many very fresh, very ripe fruits and teas. It was an amazing experience to see the spices growing, learn the production process and the many uses they have. Now when I next visit a Spice Market, be in Turkey, Hungary, Tunisia, Austria or anywhere in the world, I will be awed by the work that went into bring those spices into our lives.

 

 

 

 

In December I visited the beautiful, fertile islands of Zanzibar, a centuries old trading center in the Indian Ocean, 21 miles off the East African coast. These islands are known for producing nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. Ancient pottery implies trade routes with Zanzibar as far back as the time of the ancient Assyrians and traders from the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf region of modern-day Iran, and west India probably visited Zanzibar as early as the 1st century. They used the monsoon winds to sail across the Indian Ocean to land at the sheltered harbor located on the present day harbor of Zanzibar City or Stonetown.

A Greco-Roman text between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD mentioned the island of Menuthias which is probably Unguja, the principal island. From the seventh century wars in Asia and increasing trade motivated Persians, Arabs, and Indians to visit or migrate to Zanzibar. Vasco da Gama's visit in 1498 marked the beginning of European influence. Zanzibar then remained a possession of Portugal for almost two centuries.

Control of Zanzibar eventually came into the hands of the British Empire; part of the political impetus for this was the 19th century movement for the abolition of the slave trade (in which David Livingston played a big role).  African slaves were highly sought after for their strength and Zanzibar was the centre of this extremely profitable trade. In 1963 the Protectorate that had existed over Zanzibar since 1890 was terminated by the United Kingdom. In April 1964, the republic merged with mainland Tanganyika. This United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was soon renamed, blending the two names, as the United Republic of Tanzania, within which Zanzibar remains a semi-autonomous region.

The day of our visit we traveled on gradually deteriorating roads into the countryside where signs for plantations and Department of the Interior research were plentiful. We passed thick vegetation including tall coconut and brilliant flame trees. Our local guide, Amour, spoke good English and was able to answer all questions easily.

Cinnamon bark

The first plant we encountered was the ubiquitous, spicy-smelling cinnamon, obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. The bark is ground for most common usage.

 

Then, we encountered a bushy tree with star fruit or carambola. The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand as we did.

 

 

 

 

Turmeric

Plentiful wereTurmeric or tumeric (Curcuma longa are the tubers of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Instantly identifiable by their smell we passed a small portion around our group.  Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also used fresh, like ginger. It has numerous uses in East Asian recipes. Extensively used in many vegetable and meat dishes for its color; it is also used for its supposed value in traditional medicine. It is widely used as a yellow dye in many dishes and as a poor yellow color in cloth and Amour stated that tumeric also is thought to have antibacterial qualities though my research said that this has yet to be proven.

 

 

 

 

 Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When fresh and fully mature, it is approximately 0.20 in diameter, dark red, and contains a single seed (peppercorn). Peppercorns, and the ground pepper derived from them, may be described as black pepper (cooked and dried unripe fruit), green pepper (dried unripe fruit) and white pepper (ripe fruit seeds.

 

 

 

                                                        

 

When you spot what looks like red grapes, you have found cloves. Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. Cloves are commercially harvested primarily in Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan,SriLanka, and Tanzania. The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to 8–12 m tall, with large leaves and sanguine flowers grouped in terminal clusters. The flower buds initially have a pale hue, gradually turn green, then transition to a bright red when ready for harvest. Cloves are harvested at 1.5–2.0 cm long. Cloves can be used as an ant repellent and supposedly as a pain-killer for dental emergencies.

Cymbopogon, better known as lemongrass is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants which contains many species.  Some, (particularly Cymbopogon citratus) are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons (Citrus limon). Lemongrass is widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cuisines and also as medicinal herb in India. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for use with poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African countries such as Togo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Latin American countries such as Mexico. Lemongrass oil is used as a pesticide and a preservative.  The plantation was selling lemon grass hand lotion and soap which smelled mighty fine.

 

 

The redlipstick was one of the more unusual plants we saw. The Aeschynanthus lipstick vine has pointy, waxy leaves and blooms with bright clusters of flowers. Vivid red blossoms emerge from a dark maroon bud reminiscent of a tube of lipstick. An assistant told us it was good for dying hair. It is supposedly an easy houseplant to maintain.

 

 

 

 

 More of these fascinating plants will be featured in Part II.

 

 

 

We often think of plants in much the same way we think of rocks: dumb things that don't move. Okay, plants do grow, but we tend to consider them as a static part of the environment. I think that is in part due to their alien nature that we don't form a natural affection for plants in the way we do with dogs or koalas. Other than some shared biochemistry, plants are very different than animals.

Or are they?

We've known for a long time that plants can respond to direct stimuli, have circadian rhythms, and can respond to cues from their neighbors—chemical warnings of pest interactions on neighboring plants, for example.

A recent study in Australia has shown that plants, at least garden peas, can also learn by association. As reported by the researchers, pea seedlings learned that a gentle breeze was associated with light coming from a particular direction. The plants would only learn, however, when the training stimulus happened during times that the plant perceived as "day". In other words, when it was "awake." Or whatever passes as being awake for plants. 

This doesn't mean plants will be learning their ABCs anytime soon, but it does have some interesting implications for evolutionary biology. I'm interested to see if other plant species respond similarly.

You can read the paper online here: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep38427?WT.mc_id=FBK_SREP_1612_PLANTLEARNING_OA 

Gagliano, M. et al. Learning by Association in Plants. Sci. Rep. 6, 38427; doi: 10.1038/srep38427 (2016).