Foraging Hi Derek, I'm really interested to know where or how you heard about the damaging effect of Oilseed pollen. Videos. Biological warfare is on the way with CABI investigating a species specific rust. Like many other members of the Honeysuckle family, the flowers and fruits often form in pairs. January 2014 Overview Information Honeysuckle is a plant. Suzy Peters. Cornelian Cherry, which is the edible dogwood, Cornus mas; Autumn Olives; Goumi; Chilean Myrtle also called Luma; Chocolate Berry, which is a Himalayan Honeysuckle; Strawberry Tree – they're not that choice, but they're 100% edible; Haskap, which is the old fashioned name for Honeyberry. Deciduous or semi-evergreen, many-stemmed perennial shrub (<2+ m) with straight, hairless round stems (1-2 cm thick) that are hollow and green when young but become woody. It is native to forested areas of the Himalayas and southwestern China. I would like to see more done to provide alternative food sources for our pollinating insects when nectar-rich non-native plants are destroyed. I dont spend thousands a year wailing and nashings teeth worrying about what in some peoples eyes are invasive species, Britains full of them, I had a Himalayan Honeysuckle appear 4 yrs ago, its now 12 feet tall and full of beautiful racemes of flowers and berries, The postman hates it but the blackbirds love the berries, the postman lost. Himalayan honeysuckle keeps on making new flowers as the plant continues growing throughout the season. I have now messaged a few beekeeper forums asking this same question. There are so many plants that people get 'a bee in their bonnet' about it's unreal, for example there's a tree that self seeded out the back (nope dont know what it is) it grows like a nutter every year and produces leaves that some little black caterpillar loves, everyone tells me to get rid of it and I refuse but cut it back to a bare trunk every year so it grows new branches and leaves for the caterpillars the next year. November 2013 I wonder if you can make himalayan seedpod wine?? November 2012 in fact the stems and leaves breakdown very rapidly and produce a great fibre for the soil. Plant database entry for Pheasant Berry (Leycesteria formosa 'Gold Leaf') with 6 images and 23 data details. Small, mildly-scented, white honeysuckle flowers, subtended by showy deep red bracts, bloom throughout summer (June – September) in terminal and axillary pendulous racemes. Whether or not winter stem freezing occurs, plant appearance can often be greatly improved by a late winter pruning of stems to as far back as 6-12” from the ground without fear of flower loss because flowers appear on new growth. Yes. What should not be allowed are the counties of oilseed. Balsam has barely any root system. Plant Language Whistles can be made from the hollow plant stems. An amazing cut flower. Many thanks. At present our information about this plant is limited to a list of the nurseries that supply it. This versatile shrub can be grown for its ornamental value in summer as well as for a tasty supply of blueberry-like fruits. That's the standard opinion on most things nowadays and just about everything from a football club losing a match to the price of carrots is put down to global warming. Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) Where is it originally from? Himalayan Honeysuckle: Leycesteria formosa. Specimen or in small groups for woodland gardens. July 2012 However there are lots of other plants the bees would love equally. Propagating honeysuckle can be done in several ways. It has a preference for wet feet though - so it likes to grow near riversides etc. The plant is a fast grower and will quickly spring … The Himalayan honeysuckle is native to the Himalayas and China. It's also worth pointing out that as climate change continues many of these invasive "weeds" may be the plants that we are going to need in the future. I chorttle watching the "eco" groups pulling it out, churning up all that soil into bare earth, totally unaware that they are creating the perfect environment for another "invasion" next year. Himalayan honeysuckle Botanical Name. March 2014 that's if I can get them before the grandchildren pop them. Himalyan Balsam is doing just that in some areas, particularly river banks. Thanks for the info. Flowers are followed by ornamental, spherical berries that are almost black and glossy, non edible, though some say they taste sweet. The Himalayan Balsam is a very adaptable survivor, to the rear of my border in amongst the Atlantic Delpiniums, (which I've removed the flower stems from as they are over and done with,) there are maybe a hundred HB's, but they are only max 18 inches tall and single stemmed, yet over in the wet ground with the montbretia (now there's a plant you cant get rid of) and the various flavours of mints and aqualigia they are over six foot tall but their stem is only and inch diameter. August 2014 Genus name honors William Leycester, Chief Justice of Bengal c.1820. Honeysuckle Filters. But I'm worried, There's some darned bug that is munching the heck out of it! Nature is our best defense against flooding & without it we will be spending millions on new flood defenses/homes destroyed. Yes here in 64 I am currently pulling it up around the cow feeder for the 2nd year. Ive got two stems of rasberries appear this year by the shed and so far have had 10 berries off them, thank you mother nature, but the wild patch of raspberries over in the small woodland area over the way has died off this year producing only half a pound of berries but last year we filled our freezer with them. February 2013 I have literally seen forests of the stuff stretching as far as the eye can see with nothing else surviving underneath. Leycesteria formosa is a robust and easily grown shrub native to China and Tibet, which attracts a wealth of wildlife. However, the nectar from the flowers of a honeysuckle plant can be ingested without harm. I keep about 5-6 in the garden, pinch them out so they don't get tall enough to seed over the fence & also produce more side shoots & more flowers. October 2013 Hope this helps! Want to find out how you can get to know her as a wild edible? Edible weed: how to eat Himalayan balsam flower and use the stem as a straw, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Is this the same plant? Appreciates part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Urban Foraging which is great as far as I'm concerned because everything gets eaten by something! It probably is. Himalayan Honeysuckle: Leycesteria formosa. The non-invasive honeysuckle is a desirable garden plant for pretty flowers. just when a useful to bees and humans plant comes along nature decides that it's ideal for some bug that the blue tits would like. I shall treat them with extreme caution!! White honeysuckle flowers are held in drooping clusters of deep red bracts, later followed by showy purple-black edible berries, said to taste like toffee. Foraging With Kids We took away the native food sources, now we’re taking away the non-natives. However, the nectar from the flowers of a honeysuckle plant can be ingested without harm. Himalayan Honeysuckle + Has drought tolerance: Intolerant + Has edible part: Fruit + Has edible use: Unknown use + Has environmental tolerance: High wind + Has fertility type: Insects + Has flowers of type: Hermaphrodite + Has growth rate: Moderate + Has hardiness zone: 7 + Has image: Leycesteria formosa.jpg + Has lifecycle type: Perennial + Has material part And if you ran into the blooming plant, by all means eat the flowers. Minimum temperature:-20 degrees Celsius. If ingested in large quantities, respiratory failure, convulsions and coma may occur. ... Fragrant Purple Himalayan Honeysuckle Collection with … Flowers are followed by small fleshy edible purple berries which purportedly taste like toffee or caramel.Genus name honors William Leycester, Chief Justice of Bengal c.1820.Specific epithet from Latin means handsome or beautiful.Sometimes commonly called pheasant berry in England because pheasants love to eat the fruit. Nothing is struggling and I never water them. Birds such as blackbirds, hummingbirds, and pheasants seem to like the dark purple berries. I have not tasted the berries but they are supposedly edible and have a bitter taste. These beautiful flowers are California natives and are also known as Gilia tricolor. Now we have human intervention on a massive scale transferring plants (and sometimes insects) around the globe, and finding that new, incomer species, can wipe out the unique local habitat with its hundreds of species that took so many thousands of years to evolve, in a very short time. Nature makes it's own decisions, sometimes it's not that pretty to everyone but as it's said, everything happens for a reason and the land ultimately belongs to nature. They are certainly invasive around water courses. My 'specimen' HB's have a trunk of over three inches diameter and have many branches and are approx 4 feet tall. Flowers are followed by small fleshy edible purple berries which purportedly taste like toffee or caramel. The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without our Members, Donors and Volunteers. In the UK armies of volunteers spend thousands of hours destroying this weed. Description: This species from the Himalaya is winter hardy and grows up to 2 meters high. Please do not sow seeds of Himalayan Balsam, its incredibly invasive and will smother out native plants! But also concerned about people planting balsam. Himalayan honeysuckle Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. It took me four years to eradicate after my neighbor strewed it along our verge because she liked the flowers. The flower, seed, berries, and leaves are used for medicine. The hollow stems can be used to make whistles and flutes. I live in central France. Plants produce upright bamboo-like hollow stems of a beautiful powdery grey colour. Himalayan Honeysuckle: Leycesteria formosa. The fact of the matter is that it's very well adapted to our climate, it's edible and it grows only where the ecosystem has been disturbed by human influence. It's just after that stage that I decide which ones will be allowed to flourish and I put a marker by them. You can work all day & only find perfect leaves & stems with nary an insect to be seen. Whilst I agree that invasive plant species should be controlled, having lost 98% of our native wildflower meadows and thousands of miles of hedgerow, there isn't a great deal of forage available for pollinating insects - a major factor in their decline. I was told they called them Imperial Busy Lizzies & I was asked to water them regularly. Absolutely share your concerns re oilseed rape and bees. Description of the plant: Some say that the fully ripe fruit is sweet, while others say it is very bitter. Recipes But please check first if it isn't protected in your area. Himalayan honeysuckle / Pheasant berry. Himalayas. Fragrant yellow flowers bloom in spring and clumps of edible, blueish-black berries form in summer and hold until winter. Of course bees absolutely love balsam & humans need bees. The plant is extremely fast growing & once it gains a foothold it wipes out all of the other species attempting to grow there & the area becomes a complete balsam monoculture. January 2013 Family. It’s an extremely handsome shrub with a long season of interest, bearing shapely leaves, trailing white and claret flowers from mid- to late summer, followed by reddish purple berries in autumn. My flower border is full of flowers, roses included. It is best used as you would a perennial or annual, mixed into a colorful border or used as a patio container plant. April 2013 Wouldn't it be great to find out that a shrub in your garden had little sweet treats on offer. Well edible ! Himalayan honeysuckle is a relatively unknown shrub, but its graceful green stems, pretty white flowers and purplish-brown fruits make it a real winner. during the extreme wet spring of 2013 they were a godsend to the bumble bees and we counted 6 different species that were taking advantage of them, then of course they got blackfly and all kinds of other parasitic flies etc. I've seen and admired whole swathes of Himalyan balsam along river banks, not once is there a scorched earth effect eating it's way out year after year into the surrounding fields denying the wildlife the vegetation and the farmers their crops. Here in Essex England it is very dry, so each year they get fewer until they disappear altogether, but I just collect a few seeds when in a wetter area & start again. I live in one of France's neighbour countries, Belgium, and it grows here abundantly. in the spring the HB's show themselves with a very characteristic pair of large seed leaves. White honeysuckle flowers are held in drooping clusters of deep red bracts, later followed by showy purple-black edible berries, said to taste like toffee. Lonicera japonica. even with my best ones having stems that are approximately six inches diameter the roots only extend approx twelve inches diameter and are very shallow. Why are there no more details? hmmm. It's rather rare and protected where I live, but the Plants For A Future database mentions the leaves and seeds being edible: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Impatiens+noli-tangere (you'll have to copy and paste the link in your browser). Herb: Himalayan Honeysuckle Latin name: Leycesteria formosa Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family) Edible parts of Himalayan Honeysuckle: Fruit? The native insects do not yet have a taste for balsam & so the plant has few predators to keep it in check. My neighbour gave me a seed packet labelled Himalayan Balsam. Join now. I have grown a plant called Leycesteria formosa, and this plant is edible (I eat it about 2 years and I'm stil alive and well) it has a special taste a bit like burnt sugar (dont know the name on english) fruits very well ,and in fact it is plenty on fruit now and into the database, they say they dont know this, i should say try it its very good but must be fully ripe (dark brown berry's). As a group we must have destroyed thousands & yet we only found one plant that the native insects had colonized & were hopefully having a good munch on. After flowering, cute purple berries appear which are said to taste of caramel and be highly attractive to birds like pheasants. So if ever a plant needs banning it's the oilseed not the Balsam which is a fantastic source of nectar for you, me and the bees, just when it's needed. Japanese Honeysuckle. June 2014 Sort by Sort by Show ... Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycestria formosa) Also called chocolate berry, this rare and interesting multi stemmed, semi evergreen shrub grows to 6 feet tall. Dappled shade. Listed in the RHS Plant Finder. March 2013 Lin, you're probably referring to touch-me-not balsam, Impatiens noli-tangere. Winter hardy to USDA Zone 7 where it is easily grown in average, moist but well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Hi Ruby, Himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa) – Commonly known as chocolate berry for the tiny purple edible berries said to taste like toffee or caramel, Himalayan honeysuckle plants offer something unique to the garden, white blooms that hang from brilliant scarlet bracts. April 2014 Hardiness Zone: 6-9 There are a number of campaigns by local environmental groups to clear it, but it is a losing battle. 6. The fruit of this plant is edible, though there is some disagreement in regard to its taste. They say the orange flowered kind can and they are similar with juicy stems... Can the leaves be used to make tea? Can this plant(Himalayan Balsam or pink jewelweed) be used to treat/heal poison ivy rash? The blooms are followed by tiny purple berries that are edible and said to taste like toffee or caramel. If you are a beekeeper you would know that if your bees gather the water coloured and insipid tasting nectar from this plant you have to get it out of the combs within ten days flat. Naturally humans on the whole don't think that far ahead though. The Pheasant Berry was brought over by the Victorians from the Himalayas or South West China and has toffee tasting berries when ripe but are dreadful and very bitter before then. I'd think twice before sowing the seeds - unless if you live in a more dry area. It is actually illegal to spread this plant in the UK. Its a massive & unnecessary problem for us too. Can this be the same invasive weed? I dont spend thousands a year wailing and nashings teeth worrying about what in some peoples eyes are invasive species, Britains full of them, I had a Himalayan Honeysuckle appear 4 yrs ago, its now 12 feet tall and full of beautiful racemes of flowers and berries, The postman hates it but the blackbirds love the berries, the postman lost. If ingested in large quantities, respiratory failure, convulsions and coma may occur. If you see balsam please pull it out, or at the very least don't plant it; you don't know where its hundreds of seeds will end up... Balsam seeds can be transported on shoes and tires as well as the more traditional route where the seed bursts on a river bank & is transported by water. I have grown Himalayan Balsam since 1999 when I brought seeds back from a house exchange on Vancouver Island. Could you tell me if there's a yellow variety also please? Leycesteria formosa. I think I'd best tread carefully, My little garden at the front, 12x5 has asian poppies, cornflowers Gallardia, two rose bushes, Gogi berry and grape (both over 6 foot) growing up the wall, Atlantic delphiniums that have just gone to seed but were 6 feet tall, a dianthus thats been there for two years that just 'appeared' and is approx a foot square, a few thistle family things that I haven't bothered to identify but tend to put a couple of the nice looking leaves in a salad, (and I aint dead yet) A 2x3 patch of polyanthus that looks great in early spring, a lot of that very small dark red/purple clover stuff that has a small yellow flower and is a pain to keep pulling out and right at this moment you cant see a spare bit of soil anywhere because,,,, the rest has been filled in with,,, yep, Himalayan Balsam. Grown from seed, Semi-ripe cuttings with a heel, among other methods. January 2015 any others (hundreds) just get pinched off or if I'm feeling energetic just pulled and tossed on the ground to wither and help compost. An interesting plant, with unique tasting edible berries. grown for profit and bio-fuel. October 2012 Apply a thick winter mulch in areas near the northern edge of the growing range to protect the root system. my neighbours have had plants off me once I showed them that you can just mow or hand pick the ones out you dont need when they shoot up in the spring as they are in fact quite a delicate annual and do not make a 'scorched bare earth' of your garden as some who should know better try to tell you. ... this shrub is also called Chocolate berry, this is an amazing edible ornamental. You can pull out 5 six foot plants one handed. The HB's fizzle away to nothing in the Autumn and you cannot tell where they have been, They root so shallowly that they struggle for water and so limit their size, and if you were to ask a beekeeper which he/she would prefer his/her bees to visit, Himalayan Balsam or Oilseed Rape, having been a beekeeper, I know just what the answer would be if you want your bees to survive. Himalayan Balsam is a saving grace for honey bees and other insects in the North West. As it is an annual and only roots a couple of inches deep it's hardly a plague that needs dealing with. June 2012 February 2014 Because if you don't it sets as hard as concrete making it unusable to feed the young with, and that comes on top of the 'June Dearth' when nectar is in short supply elsewhere, July 2013 August 2012 Plants produce upright bamboo-like hollow stems of a beautiful powdery grey colour. In years when the Balsam doesn't produce a good amount of nectar, I usually end up having to feed my bees sugar syrup in the Autumn for them to have enough food to survive the winter. Because if this is really true then that would be another huge factor to the collapse of bees colonies worldwide since Bee population is down 30% from those pollenating Oilseed crops. I volunteer with the YWT and at this time of year our main job is trying to remove himalayan balsam. … Sadly Roger died last year so I can't ask him. Origin: Himalaya. To expand the reach of this pretty, shade-creating vine in your garden, follow the tips and guidelines found in this article. Set this shrub up as a hedge when preparing a flowered hedge or simply in a shrub bed, small copse or as a standalone. That plant dies. The plant makes beautiful white flowers with purple bracts hanging down. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. It is a carefree blooming plant that is attractive to butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds. Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium, formerly Mahonia aquifolium) is an evergreen shrub with an upright habit that provides four seasons of color. We just got back from Germany where it grows as well. Because balsam likes to grow along river banks & it forces out all of the deeper rooted plants soil erosion is inevitable - the balsams roots simply do not have the strength/depth to hold the soil together. Eco systems evolved over hundreds of thousands of years with interdependent vegetation, insects and birds suited to the places in which they evolved. I have this theory that the bumble bees are starving their colonies to death by visiting this alien plant that shouldn't even be here because it isn't native either. What does it look like? Soil erosion is not just a problem for the local wildlife. The garden is made up of a mixture of more than 260 species and 18,000 native and exotic plants like the sacred bamboo and Himalayan honeysuckle. Small, mildly-scented, white honeysuckle flowers, subtended by showy deep red bracts, bloom throughout summer (June – September) in terminal and axillary pendulous racemes. This stuff is extremely invasive and is steadily crowding out local native plants in the area of Northern England. All gardeners love nature - so please be conscientious in your plant choices. Himalayan honeysuckle seeds are available on Amazon. so far this year 'end of march 2014' I've seen at least fifty queen bumblers and about a dozen honeybees in my garden, so we have done something right last year. Summer salad would not be the same without balsam flowers and lemon mint leaves. In the South it is a shrub and in the north it behaves like a perennial dieing back to the ground each winter. Edible honeysuckle (honeyberry) Botanical name: Lonicera. I have bought balsam at a local Amish market and it is leaves which they use for tea. Native Range: Himalayas, western China, eastern Tibet, Bloom Description: White with deep red bracts. What a fantastic pioneer plant we have on our hands. This plant is listed in the RHS Plant Finder book. Strangely I've just sent off for some quinoa seed and there are slight similarities. I can't believe my neighbour, who always bought from a seed catalogue, would have ever planted these seeds. This plant is from the same family and has a similar, yellow flower. September 2012 In all the years I've grown them they have never spread to my neighbours gardens. It will prevent the plant from going into seed and propagating even more. Hi Susan. December 2014 April 2012 Shrub stems will typically freeze to the ground in winter when temperatures dip below 15 degrees F, but new stems will likely rise up from a protected root system in spring and rapidly grow back to as much as 6’ tall by summer. September 2013 Himalayan Honeysuckle is a woody shrub, often included in the perennial border. Treat with extreme caution, this is an invasive species. Plus the berries are edible and sweet! I usually allow just 3 plants to survive per year on my small plot so they grow as 'spectacular as nature internded'. V.demoralizing. Peter aka anemoneprojectors - camera busted. The most commonly planted is Lonicera caerulea. Bird’s Eyes. December 2012 March 2012, All Himalayan honeysuckle plants are native to the forest land of the Himalayas and southwestern China. Close all around them are Asian poppies (beautiful Gold) cornflowers Gallardia, Potentillas and clover. Himalayan honeysuckle plants develop a truly unique looking flower. June 2013 This lack of a root system is one of our main reasons for wanting to remove it. If the temperature dips below 12°F (-10°C), stems are likely to be killed to the ground. Especially in winter - when as Derek mentions above, the balsams watery stem dies off & leaves bare earth. Leycesteria formosa, commonly called Himalayan honeysuckle, is a multi-caned deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family that typically grows to 3-6’ tall. - one unconfirmed report said that the fruit is edible. Himalayan Honeysuckle is a member of the Honeysuckle Family native to Himalaya and southwestern China, but widely naturalized and often invasive in Australia, New Zealand, and Micronesia. It has a very bitter taste and is not very desirable, though the birds love it. May 2013 In the spring it quickly grows back and blooms all summer long. Oregon Grape. Hollow, bamboo-like, upright, powder-gray stems are clad with opposite, undivided, long-pointed, cordate-based, ovate dark green leaves (to 2-7” long). May 2012 The HB has only got to 6 inches tall to date (probably because I never water and this is a garden in full sun all day) Typical eh? 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