Fw: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles

 

Hi Cali,
 
re: Portulaca
 
Your garden experience is much the same as mine - it grows well  in my irrigated vegetable patch - but generally not much elswhere. However, here it also grows wild poking up between rocks and also in town through gaps between calcadas (paving cobbles) used on the pavements - both situations where it cannot be getting any water. I have dug up a few of these plants and they have a rather succulent long root (almost a taproot). However the ones in my garden have have a more branched less fleshy root system. Perhaps the irrigation is encouraging the plants to produce shallow roots, whilst in drier habitats it roots more deeply? The natural crevice habitat may provide more humidity for seed germination and initial growth of the seedlings?
 
The wild plants are certainly getting by without any rain, we have had only one short shower in 72 days!
 
Ciao
BrianO
 
----- Original Message -----
From: g*@ker.forthnet.gr
To: o*@eircom.net ; m*@ucdavis.edu ; T*@plantsoup.com
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles

Brian,
My experience with Portulaca is that it needs a lot of water. The only part of my garden where it appears regulary a a (welcome) weed is the annual bed which gets regular summer irrigation.
Cali Doxiadis
Corfu, Greece
----- Original Message -----
From: o*@eircom.net
To: m*@ucdavis.edu ; T*@plantsoup.com
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles

Nan,
 
You are getting a great response! Every time I think of sitting down and replying, I see someone else has come up with one of "my" suggestions - last one to bite the dust was Carissa!
 
So just three additional suggestions that I can think of as I sit here:
 
1. Ceratonia siliqua - the carob tree. One of the toughest trees I know.
 
2. Hottentot Fig - Carpobrotus edulis. An introduced and rather invasive weed here in Portugal.
 
3. Another weed - purslane- Portulaca oleracea. Used a lot here in soups and stews. I also use it in salads. An excellent source of polyunsaturates.
 
Better send these off now before someone gets in ahead of me!
 
Boa Sorte,
 
BrianO
----- Original Message -----
From: T*@plantsoup.com
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 6:48 AM
Subject: Challenge: create a list of low water edibles

Hi all

I've been asked several times lately about low water plants that are edible or make edible fruits.  I thought it might be fun if we made this a group project.  

So far, my list includes:

Fruiting plants:
Fig
Grape
Pomegranate
Olive
Pitajaya
Pineapple guava – feijoa

Herbs
Bay
Rosemary
Oregano
Sage
Fennel (though invasive in Southern California)

What can you add?

Nan


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