Clare Florist Blog

Weird and Wonderful Wednesdays: Puya Berteroniana

Aran — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:03:03 GMT

This plant flowers only once a century -- and then it dies!

A plant which has been growing patiently at Ventnot Botanic Gardens has flowered, on what is said to be likely to be the hottest day of 2013 (wot!? already!? Winter's barely over!). The plant has been at Ventnor for eleven years.

But frankly, horticulturalists should be overjoyed at this rapid turnaround -- because sometimes, the Puya berteroniana can go as much as a hundred years before it lets a flower see the light of day.

This plant is a type of Bromeliad, and has astonishing turqoise and orange flowers. This particular colour combination isn't seen on any other plants in the UK.

And once it has flowered, whether that takes a hundred years of a "mere" eleven -- the plant will die

Curator Chris Kidd explains: 'The colour is an unusual combination, usually flowers are pollinated by flies who can't see the red spectrum, but birds can pick up the orange on the blue background.

'The weather patterns are changing, we had a very wet year last year and it has also been very cold, so the weather might have something to do with it flowering now.

'They are native to the Andes in South America where conditions are very arid and the leaves are covered in a waxy substance to protect them.

'The Puya berteroniana can grow up to 10ft tall and last for 100 years before it flowers, we have had this particular one since 2002.

'Although they normally flower in the summertime it is a waiting game as you can't tell when they are going to.'

The Beautiful, Endangered Passiflora

Aran — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:33:20 GMT

They're known as passion flowers -- or, perhaps even more suggestively, passion vines. The name may be steamy, but the plants themselves have a rather chaste elegance to them -- don't you think? Either way, they're certainly beautiful flowers.

But according to online science journal E! Science News, there's one particular variety of passion flower -- or Passiflora -- which is in danger of becoming extinct altogether!

The species is Passiflora kwangtungensis. As Dr. Shawn Krosnick, Department of Biology, Southern Arkansas University, said in a new study published in the journal Phytokeys: "Under IUCN Red List guidelines, Passiflora kwangtungensis should be classified as critically endangered. With just 14 plants observed in Hunan over three years of surveying, this species merits special attention given its small population size, limited genetic diversity, and self-incompatibility. I hope this study will provide the needed justification for protection of P. kwangtungensis, and possibly lead to restoration of this species throughout its ancestral range."

This type of passion flower is usually found in the Guangxi, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces in China. It has little spherical berries and white or yellow flowers. But deforestization and rapid industrialisation in China have threatened its natural habitat, and now these passionate little petals are under threat. As Dr Krosnick says, with any luck the new study will help to raise awareness so that we can protect this pretty Passiflora!

Scottish flowers under threat from intensive farming

Aran — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:46:07 GMT

Conservation group 'Plantlife', speaking at the Royal Highland Show, have warned that Scottish farming methods may prove dangerous to wild flowers, insects and birds.

Our first concern, of course, is that this may destroy the habitats and lives of many of Scotland's most beautiful species. But this may also have a negative effect on farming itself: "Without wild plants, our productive lands could not be productive," the report said.

Deborah Long, Scottish program manager for Plantlife, said: "Scotland's wild plants and fungi have largely been failed by agri-environment schemes.

"Plantlife is calling for scheme options that enable farmers to provide space for them within and between farms. We want to see these benefits maintained through access to targeted, longer-term support, so future generations can also enjoy Scotland's wild plants and fungi."

The Herald named species under threat as including "corn marigolds, field gentians and wild pansies ... marsh fritillary butterflies, great yellow bumblebees, lapwings and curlews."

Hopefully reports like this will lead to more awareness of sustainable farming methods and ethical ways of getting important food and fuel crops out of the land in a way that doesn't involve damaging the environment for all the wonderful flowers which we share our meadows with!

Flowers Planted by Volunteers Stolen :(

Aran — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:18:44 GMT

A sad tale this week; a small tale, but a sad one.

Villagers from Bishops Stortford have reported a heartless flower theft -- of flowers that had been planted by volunteers for the local Stortford in Bloom display just one day earlier.

Volunteers spent all day planting pretty blooms around Stortford on Wednesday -- only to discover the next day that all of the flowers outside the town library had been nicked!

Jan Richardson, of Stortford in Bloom said: "All the work is carried out by volunteers and we were out all day yesterday working hard to make the town look nice; it's despicable that someone could do this.

"We would just like the plant back please. We are just so fed up with the vandalism."

If there is a moral to this story, it is probably simply: don't steal flowers. People left them there for a reason.

Yes, it's a small moral. But it's an important one!

Orchid appears in Jersey after 84 years

Aran — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:38:59 GMT

A flower which hasn't been seen in Jersey since before the Second World War has been spotted growing on the island by a group of schoolchildren.

The flower is the Spider Orchid, an interesting-looking plant with clutches of small dark flowers which resemble spiders.

"It is an early spider orchid and they are not known for their pollination skills, they don't pollinate very quickly. It is incredibly difficult to get the situation just right for them to grow," said Ms Dallman of the National Trust for Jersey.

"To see one come up of its own accord is incredibly rare and exciting. I looked at it more closely and it didn't look right. I happened to have my flower book in my pocket and it looked like a spider orchid.

"I phoned a botanist friend from the Societe Jersiais who was shopping at the time. When I described the flower she dropped the shopping and was here within 10 minutes."

Coronation Meadows to save wildflowers

Aran — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:07:34 GMT

The Prince of Wales is known for schemes which can seem a little bit batty. Though full credit needs to go for the man for being such an ardent environmentalist, coming from a class that haven't traditionally bothered much with such things, his eagerness to foist organic biscuits down the nation's collective throat.

But now he's come up with a scheme which we flower obsessives can certainly get behind. As part of the 60 year commemoration of the Queen's coronation, a wildflower meadow is to be planted in every county in the UK.

Victoria Chester, chief executive of charity Plantlife, told the Today programme on BBC radio: "The loss of wild flower meadows is absolutely shattering. If this was happening with our woodlands, there would be a national crisis.

"During the war every inch of land was put to use for food production but since then economic and agricultural policies and the drive for cheap food and efficiency has meant the loss of meadows has continued.

"It's something we are all responsible for but His Royal Highness has really taken the initiative and started to turn things around."

"Wild flower medals are critical to our emotional well-being, they lift our hearts and give one hope. They are the iconic beauty of the united kingdom. "

New Queens for British Bumble Bees

Aran — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:58:56 GMT

49 rare queen bees have been released into the wild in Kent in an effort to help stabilise a population of unusual bees.

The new arrivals are from the species 'Bombus subterraneus' -- the short-haired bumblebee -- which used to live in Britain and now is being re-introduced by biologist Nikki Gammans. Lasr year, she oversaw the release of 51 queen bees into the same area. None of those 51 has been seen again, but Nikki is confident that the 49 newcomers have a better chance of survival.

They look livelier than last year's crop, apparently -- and besides, just because those 51 bees haven't been spotted since, doesn't mean that they aren't out there somehwere.

"Obviously last year wasn't the best year for the bees, it was cold and wet, but the queens that survived are going to be pretty tough and pretty feisty," she said. "They are going to be able to cope with anything in the future."

Her efforts have also led to a major re-structuring of the bees' new habitat in Romney March by Dungeness. The area is now being farmed 'sensitively', with traditional meadows allowed to flourish alongside strips of (our favourite here at CF!) banks of wild flowers. As well as bees, this more friendly approach to farming should help birds, butterflies and rodents to survive in an increasingly hostile and overfarmed landscape.

Britain has 25 species of bumble bee -- two of the rarest, the shrill carder and the ruderal bumblebee -- have already established themselves at Dungeness under the new project. Fingers crossed, the short-haired bumblebee will join them in a new, buzzy and busy paradise!

Watch the re-release here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2013/jun/05/short-haired-bumblebee-britain-video

Weird and Wonderful Wednesdays: The Snowflower

Aran — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:24:49 GMT

A plant that needs fungi to live -- meet the remarkable snowflower!

This plant, technically known as Sarcodes Sanguinea (the only member of the Sarcodes family), cannot photosynthesise food from light like most plants, as it does not have any green leaves. This means that the Snowflower needs to come up with some other way of finding essential nutrients.

So what does it do? It steal them from fungi!

The Snowflower only grows at the base of trees, where mycorhhizal fungi grow. It takes the water and nutrients which it needs from these tiny fungi. However it isn't all bad news for the little guys: in order to help keep the fungi which it depends upon alive, the Snowflower offers them a source of fixed carbon in exchange.

It may not be mother nature's most beautiful floral creation, but the Snowflower is a remarkable story of co-evolution. The steady stream of nutrients which it takes from fungi even allow it to grow in the coldest mountain springs, when snow still coats the hills of its native Oregon and California.

Hence the name, of course: Snowflower.

Could fields of yellow flowers produce natural fuel?

Aran — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:43:45 GMT

Scientists in Germany are looking into what sounds like an environmental dream: using fields full of gorgeous yellow flowers to produce energy.

But the plan might not just be gentle whismy: the "cup plant", Silphium perfoliatum, is said to produce as much biogas as maize, a crop currently grown to produce fuel. To begin with, the flowers will be grown as an experiment, and carefully monitored to see whether they're producing enough biogas over the next three years to make them into a viable energy source.

Who knows: if it works out, we could literally start running our appliances on flower power!

Hans Bünting, director of the project, said: “In future, we want to break new ground when it comes to supplying our biogas plants. Testing new raw materials is key in this regard.”

Carnivorous flower has crazily efficient DNA!

Aran — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:04:21 GMT

As if carnivorous flowers weren't freaky enough already...

An international team of biologists has discovered something extraordinary while researching the genome of a carnivorous flower named Utricularia gibba. It has incredibly efficient DNA.

In most animals, most DNA doesn't carry any genetic information. In humans, around 98% of our DNA is "junk", that doesn't contain this information. But U. gibba is the other way around -- only 3% of its DNA is junk!

Scientists still don't really know whether this "junk" DNA is of any use to animals, or whether it really is just excess. But plants are way better at clearing it out than we are -- and it looks like this carnivorous plant may be the most effective found so far.

And it's a right odd plant anyway. The U. gibba is an underwater plant with no roots. Instead, it has tiny "bladders" filled with air. If a little swimming creature should chance to brush past one of these bladders, the plant reacts, and swoops in with its "mouth" to swallow them whole!