Hedera helix is one of my favorite plants. I can't say why, it just gives me joy. Something about its vigour and carefree attitude. I also recently bought a Piteba oil expeller, so this was very interesting reading. And I agree with Cimbri, I love reading your updates :)
This is quite a deep dive. So interesting to imagine ivy oil!
I have heard of ivy covered trees surviving storms better than the bare ones. I have also heard of it being a useful in a salve to counter celulite. The most useful Ivy function as you mentioned, and the reason I want it in my forest garden is that it provides pollen for the bees very late in the season.
Exactly, like butresses! Nothing is ever one-dimensional. I was just reading the same about Eucalyptus, which is an introduced species in my native region of India. It is not just an "invasive" sucking up ground water but has over years become part of the local ecology. At the same time, it doesn't mean it should be planted all over the place.
Eucalyptus does quite well here because of the abundance of moisture. I wish conservationist learned this degree of subtlety, "invasive" is not a helpful label!
The language used for some plants is a bit too close to the language used for immigrants. I'm not sure I love pioneer plants either. I was recently transplanted to southern Sweden and my former range was Amsterdam. Where is 'here' for you?
Yes, exactly! Everyone is a migrant, nature has always been a big old mixing pot of genetics. If anything, being over specialised into one area is pretty bad for survival (which is ironic!)
I always enjoy your pieces, some of the most interesting and unique looks at potential domesticates I ever read!
So kind of you. These comments make my day. I do spend a lot of time thinking about whether something is edible!
You transported me in your final thougths. Wow. Yes to your imagined food forest!
The future could be so bright.
Hedera helix is one of my favorite plants. I can't say why, it just gives me joy. Something about its vigour and carefree attitude. I also recently bought a Piteba oil expeller, so this was very interesting reading. And I agree with Cimbri, I love reading your updates :)
This is quite a deep dive. So interesting to imagine ivy oil!
I have heard of ivy covered trees surviving storms better than the bare ones. I have also heard of it being a useful in a salve to counter celulite. The most useful Ivy function as you mentioned, and the reason I want it in my forest garden is that it provides pollen for the bees very late in the season.
Around here, it's really a question of how much ivy you want to remove. It needs no encouragement 😆
It's interesting about the extra storm resilience. Probably that indicates that the stems contribute structural strength, it's not just some parasite!
Exactly, like butresses! Nothing is ever one-dimensional. I was just reading the same about Eucalyptus, which is an introduced species in my native region of India. It is not just an "invasive" sucking up ground water but has over years become part of the local ecology. At the same time, it doesn't mean it should be planted all over the place.
https://www.thekodaichronicle.com/environment/how-nature-can-occasionally-beat-human-interference/
Eucalyptus does quite well here because of the abundance of moisture. I wish conservationist learned this degree of subtlety, "invasive" is not a helpful label!
The language used for some plants is a bit too close to the language used for immigrants. I'm not sure I love pioneer plants either. I was recently transplanted to southern Sweden and my former range was Amsterdam. Where is 'here' for you?
Yes, exactly! Everyone is a migrant, nature has always been a big old mixing pot of genetics. If anything, being over specialised into one area is pretty bad for survival (which is ironic!)
I'm in the UK, rainy old UK.
Very interesting piece! I have at least an acre of my woods heavily infested with ivy so I always have my eyes open for potential uses.
Yes, most things are useful when approaching correctly