-
You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up
Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals
- Thread starter shangman
- Start date
-
- Tags
- botanicals collecting guide leaves
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
Last edited:
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
Last edited:
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
Last edited:
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.
-
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!
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 🙂
Last edited:
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? . .
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! 😜
After reading this thread I started to look around strets for some botanical. And I have found one interesting seed pods. Foxglove tree or Empress Tree (Paulownia Tomentosa) easy to find in London parks and streets. I can not find if it is poisonous but I put one in my tank. After two weeks still looking good. On the picture how it looks dry and in a water. 
MikeofCorkonia
New Member
Does anyone have any thoughts on Sycamore leaves (apols if I missed this in the thread - saw sends but not leaves)? Also Myrtle wood/leaves?
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
They break down really quickly.
I haven't tried it, but I'd be slightly wary just because they are very resinous. Are there any other trees you can access?
cheers Darrel
MikeofCorkonia
New Member
Yeah, tonnes of hawthorn, chestnut, blackberries etc, but we have lots of Sycamores and Myrtles around us as well. Some of the Myrtle in particular has great shapes etc. if I get round to experimenting, I’ll feed back…
These look great, glad you were inspired! Looking online they don’t seem to be a poisonous plant, thank you for trying them out. I’ll add them to the first page list, they look fabulously tropical. Let us know how long they last.
I think Myrtle leaves are worth trying as long as they’ve fallen off the tree and gone brown. The difficulty would be the timing of that as they’re evergreen so will probably drop at odd times. I’ve got two at work growing in the garden too so I’ll see if I can try it too. Lovely small leaves would be great for a nano.
Chestnut leaves make a great botanical, but the others you listed are indeed a bit thin and fall apart very quickly. The blackberry leaves you could pick young in spring/summer and dry for shrimp food though.
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Which one? "Sweet" (Castanea sativa) or "Horse" (Aesculus hippocastanum)? "Sweet" should be fine <"Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals">, I'd be wary of "Horse".
cheers Darrel
Hi all,
Killarney Strawberry Tree <(Arbutus unedo)> might be another option for you?
A few of us grow <"Corkscrew Hazel">, (Corylus avellana "Contorta"), hardier then Chilean Myrtle but also "shapey".
cheers Darrel
A thought, are we talking Chilean Myrtle (Amomyrtus luma)? The <"twisty tree with the lovely bark">? I think that should be fine, it is pretty close to Guava (Psidium). You would need the wood to be dead and "seasoned".
Killarney Strawberry Tree <(Arbutus unedo)> might be another option for you?
A few of us grow <"Corkscrew Hazel">, (Corylus avellana "Contorta"), hardier then Chilean Myrtle but also "shapey".
cheers Darrel
Oh I was thinking sweet! It’s one of the first trees on the first page list.
I haven’t tried the regular European horse chestnut, but I have tried the Indian horse chestnut (Aeschulus indica) which looks great with no aquatic problems. The leaves are a bit more substantial than the usual horse chestnut and prettier too.
We also have a strawberry tree on site so when the leaves on that fall I’ll try them too. It’s a lovely tree, shedloads of fruit this year.
MikeofCorkonia
New Member
Chilean Myrtle I think. It grows like mad in the hedgerows round here. Have a couple in the garden and that sandy coloured bark and the twisty twigs is what has got me thinking it would look like in a tank.
