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Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals
- Thread starter shangman
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- botanicals collecting guide leaves
Wookii
Member
Hi all,
Quercus rubra (Red Oak) shed their leaves now*, but these don't last long in the tank <"Botanicals that last longer?">.
*Edit I had a look at our campus tree, the leaves are still very green.
cheers Darrel
The Oak (Quercus robur) leaves often don't <"fall off until November">, it is an effect of global warming. I usually don't pick them up until the spring now, partially because the evergreen Q. x hispanica (Lucombe Oak) and Q. ilex (Evergreen Oak) shed their leaves in the spring.
Quercus rubra (Red Oak) shed their leaves now*, but these don't last long in the tank <"Botanicals that last longer?">.
*Edit I had a look at our campus tree, the leaves are still very green.
cheers Darrel
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Hi all,
I'll go and try to collect* some Sweet Gum (Liquidamber stryraciflua) seed pods later this week <"Sweet Gum Pods 3 Pack">. If anyone wants some? PM me, and I'll send you some for a "donation to the forum".
* I haven't checked there are any yet (I have now checked "a few" is the answer)
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. <"File:American sweetgum tree balls (spiny seed pods) -- Liquidambar styraciflua.jpg - Wikimedia Commons">
cheers Darrel
I'll go and try to collect* some Sweet Gum (Liquidamber stryraciflua) seed pods later this week <"Sweet Gum Pods 3 Pack">. If anyone wants some? PM me, and I'll send you some for a "donation to the forum".
* I haven't checked there are any yet (I have now checked "a few" is the answer)
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. <"File:American sweetgum tree balls (spiny seed pods) -- Liquidambar styraciflua.jpg - Wikimedia Commons">
cheers Darrel
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I love these, they are such exotic looking seed pods, and liquidambar is such a common tree in our parks!Hi all,
I'll go and try to collect* some Sweet Gum (Liquidamber stryraciflua) seed pods later this week <"Sweet Gum Pods 3 Pack">. If anyone wants some? PM me, and I'll send you some for a "donation to the forum".
* I haven't checked there are any yet
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. <"File:American sweetgum tree balls (spiny seed pods) -- Liquidambar styraciflua.jpg - Wikimedia Commons">
cheers Darrel
This year I have my eye on a tree in the gardens where I work - a pineapple guava! It has tiny leaves which are very robust, like miniature magnolia leaves. It’s quite like an evergreen magnolia in that not all of them do off each year and they can be collected a lot of the year round. If I can’t collect a lot I’ll share some bags of them
Hi all,
The leaves are quite hairy (particularly underneath), but I don't know if that matters. I've used the leaves of the, related, Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleyanum) without any problem <"Terminalia, now with a dash of guava">.
cheers Darrel
I've picked a few, it looks like a poor year for them and a lot of the trees hadn't set seed. Plenty of last years seed pods were still present and I've picked some of those as well. The (small) Alder "cone" on the right is for scale.
Yes, it is a great park tree, so one that <"people who live in town"> might be able to find easily. They are also easy to find later in the autumn, just by leaf colour.
Does it fruit <"Feijoa sellowiana - Wikipedia">? I've never seen one with a fruit in the UK.
The leaves are quite hairy (particularly underneath), but I don't know if that matters. I've used the leaves of the, related, Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleyanum) without any problem <"Terminalia, now with a dash of guava">.
cheers Darrel
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It does fruit, but only it seems during heat wave years so nothing delicious to report this year. 🥲
The fluffiness of the back of the leaves is what reminds me of the evergreen magnolia. They dry out enough when they fall to make great botanicals, particularly for a nano tank where a big leaf looks strange and takes up too much space. I’ll add the pineapple guava and the strawberry guava to our list of safe botanicals! Haven’t come across the strawberry variety, will keep my eye out.
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Just collected a big bag of these pineapple guava leaves. This handful has quite big ones, but most are max 5cm and some only 2cm long!
The tree in question
Next to the tree in paradise corner is a loquat in a pot, so nabbed a few of those too. They just drop a few every now and again. The leaves are massive which is great for big tanks or just contrasting with the tiny ones. Very similar to the grandiflora magnolia, but a bit more ribbed
On my walk back to the office I came across this Magnolia Campbellii which has such an abundance of great leaves underneath i managed to completely fill my bag…
Hopefully we have a few more dry days where I can collect more for the year and a few ukaps goody bags, got those who don’t mind a free little slug or two.
The fish will be very happy with me tonight 🙂
Wookii
Member
Seriously we need to see some pictures of these tanks Rosie!
Where's the journal? . . where is it? . .
Taking photos of the tanks is my least favourite activity 😂 my nice camera broke and I can never get the reflections to go away… will have a go soon for you thoughSeriously we need to see some pictures of these tanks Rosie!
Where's the journal? . . where is it? . .
Wookii
Member
To be honest, I feel your pain, mine is the same - and my photos always looking nothing like the tank does in the flesh. Still not letting you off the hook though! 😜
