Flower Photo and Facts: African Lily

Exotic Plant on Okinawa

Where this specimen was spotted will come later. Taking the photo during the rainy season was

challenging but, nothing like the fun to be had researching this purple beauty.

10 Flower Facts

• AKA Lily of the Nile Agapanthusafricanus (アガパンサスアフリカス) is the Japanese name
• Plants grow fine in southern-facing gardens or planters
• They are attractive to bees, birds, and butterflies
• Deer and rabbits won't disturb, destroy or, eat these plants
• Flowers grow on tall stalks which favor facing the sun
• The plants resist wind and salty air
• This plant has been used to treat colds, coughs, chest pain, heart problems, and paralysis
• Flowers are believed to protect the wearer from thunderstorms
• Some women believe the African Lily boosts strength and fertility
• In Africa, the plant is considered an aphrodisiac

See the African Lily in the parking lot at Kin Public Library.

Learn more about this flower at the links used for research:

A to Z Flowers

Gardenia

SEE MORE OF WHAT GROWS IN OKINAWA

Tree of a Thousand Stars and Root Hormone Recipe

Free Stuff that Really Works

This experiment started when, I rescued one of these plants from somebody's garden.

The Tree of a Thousand Stars, I photographed for a previous blog post.

It's Latin name is Serissa japonica and some folks call it a Snow Rose.

For Japanese  ハクチョウゲ would be the termonology.

Once I got done photographing the plant, I didn't want to throw it away.

Taking it back to the spot where it was liberated from, didn't seem like a good idea.

Not sure what kind of jail term the Japanese have for tree rustlers, I didn't want to find out.

So,  I snipped the plant into little cuttings and, tried different methods of planting them.

Some, were placed in cups of water, to see if they'd grow roots.

Others, I planted in flower pots filled with ordinary dirt, which came from someone's garden.

The plant cuttings in water, only had about a 50% chance of survival.

So far, every one planted in dirt, with homemade root hormone has been successful.

 I was going to visit the Japanese Agriculture (JA) store and see if, they sold root hormone.

My Google Translate thing gave me Rootsu-Hormonsu for the Japanese words.

Something told me, they'd think I was some kind of nut if, I asked the farm store for that.

So, I decided to search online and see if, I could make my own root hormones.

That's where I learned about spit.  Yup, spit works as a natural rooting hormone.

Ten of those Trees of a Thousand Stars are growing on in my territory now.

If each one gets a thousand stars on it, I'll have 10,000 flowers all because of spit !

Just in case y'all think, I make these things up, watch this guy's video:

LOL. He spits in his hand and rubs the cuttings around, I wouldn't do it like that.

Get yourself a paper cup or, just spit in the planter, you're going to use.

Some people, lick the cuttings with their tongue but, I wouldn't advise doing that either.

A friend of mine, licked a lamppost and his tongue got stuck because it was freezing outside.

Some Handy Links:

Bonsai Empire

Illinois Edu

 ハクチョウゲ Japanese Flowers Page

Missouri Botanical

Preparedness Mama

Likeable Lichen of the Year: Facts and Photos

It Resembles Spanish Moss

Twice, I visited Yohena Gardens this month and, that plant caught my attention.

Researching it, didn't take long because, I shot a photo of the tag, hanging from the specimen.

Saruogase (サルオガセ) was the name written in Japanese.

With that information, I plugged into a Japanese search engine and learned plenty.

Botanical Name: Usena

Common English: Old Man's Beard

Japanese Name: Saruogase (サルオガセ)

Native to: Just about any forest in the world

Uses: Medical Herbalism, Fire Starter and, To Scare People

Herbalists, Scientists and Witchdoctors

Remember this first: Just because I research it, doesn't mean I am a doctor.

The hairy looking plant has been used by Europeans, Native Americans and Chinese.

If, you want to drink some concoction or, stuff it up holes in your body, follow the links.

Some references, I trust, others we, can't be too sure of. They could be quacks.

At the Medicine Woman's Roots, learn how to make teas and tinctures.

Conservacion Patagonia News, reports, the antibiotic plant, treats lung infections.

Eat the Weeds and Other Things to, nibbles on it for carbohydrates and Vitamin C.

Gardenweb Forums has terrestrial information on growing  Usena.

The Herbalist's Path, gives a world history of the plant's usage as a food and medicine.

Ladies with yeast infections, at Susunweed, learn how to, add this to vodka, for treatments.

Northern Woodlands, reports the plant is stronger than penicillin.

Safety Issues, concerning internal usage of the herb, are addressed HERE.

Sustainable Homesteading, gives internal and external uses for Usena.

Those wishing to visit a Japanese Website, may want to check Mountain Wildflowers.

Some mountain folks, claim the herb is used to treat hysterical women.

And, it can stop men from cheating, too !

Armed with All this Information

Some conclusions, come to mind. I'll ask Yohena if, I can take some Saruogase home.

Sounds like it would be nice, to have some hanging from a tree in the garden.

It helps remove pollution from the air and, would be a good treatment for wounds.

Internally, I would probably, never use the stuff. Maybe, test it on the dog.

Women who get yeast infections, that's something I think, they could fix, without this plant.

Just remember, to always buy your yeast from a reliable source and, it shouldn't get infected.

Ask any dude. We get all our yeast from beer and, never get yeast infections !

Flower Photos and Facts: Peace Lily

First Some Nomenclature

Common Name: Spath or Peace Lily

Botanical or Scientific Name: Spathiphyllum

Japanese:  スパティフィラム属

Native of Tropical Americas and Southeast Asia

It is not a member of the lily (Liliaceae) family.

The leaves and flower are mildly toxic. Don't eat them.

The plants are grown for landscaping and make good houseplants, as well.

Recognized for it's ability, to purify air, it's good to grow them indoors.

The plants, remove toxins from rooms and, produce oxygen.



Those practicing Feng Shui, claim these plants work wonders.

Mystery of the Flowering Shrub Solved

Tree of a Thousand Stars

 

 

That's a catchy name for this eye-catching plant and, I might try growing some.

They are commonly called Snowrose and, can be grown as bonsai trees.

The botanical name for this plant is Serissa foetida or Serissa japonica.

Scientists, sometimes change the names when they update plants, I guess.

"Foetida" is a Latin word for, "stinking" and it got changed to japonica.  Yeah.

They say if, you crush the leaves of this plant, it will release a rotten smell.

So, it's best if, you don't crunch any leaves, while practicing bonsai on them.

Maybe, I should let somebody else experiment with growing these plants.

This flower was identified by a Facebook friend, Tomohisa Tojyo, from Fukuoka, Japan.

Over the past few years, I bet I've promised him a hundred beers, for assisting me.

If, he ever gets down Okinawa way, to visit, we'll have one heck of a party.

References:

Bonsai Empire

University of Illinois

Missouri Botanical Garden

Sodatekata (Japanese)

Plant and Flower Photos: Cobra Lily

Musashi Abumi (ムサシアブミ) in Japan

 

 

The flower is shaped like an antique samuri stirrup used on warriors saddles.

In the Western world, it is said, to resemble a cobra snake, poised to strike.

The plants grow well in moist forest soil  and, are found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

This one, I should take a marker pen and, draw some eyes on for you.

It's potted in a planter at a shaded spot of the wife's garden and, I shot it with the Canon G12.

This plant was purchased at the Natural Stone Garden in Motobu, Okinawa. 

Learn More About the Japanese Cobra Lily at:

Great Plant Picks

Missouri Botanical Garden 

Plant Lust

Weblio (Japanese)

The Japanese Bicchu Hoe (備中鍬 ) or Call It a Potato Hook

A Hand Tool That's Been Around Awhile

 

 

Today was one of those days, outdoors didn't seem like the place to be.

Someone shared an image from down south and a Twister Alert.

So, I stayed close to the office and, only walked a short distance to buy lunch. 

About halfway there, I realized I forgot something this morning.

Somebody didn't remember to take along 25 important items and left them soaking in a cup.

My teeth ! 

Well, I had a healthy lunch, mostly of soft foods that are easy to gulp down.

Then, I go bored and had to find something, outside, to photograph or, go crazy.

 Butterflies, worms, lizards and, even people must have all gotten the weather warnings.

It's nice to be able to ask someone what this tool is called in the local dialect.

My handy-dandy English to Japanese Pictionary would have to do it for me.

In a few minutes, I had a picture to get close to a Japanese definition. 

This book, told me, the implement is a potato hook.

Next some translating and Japanese typing tools were used for positive identification.

Copying and pasting the characters in Google Japan was the next step.

Several sites were checked and Do It Youself (DIY) ones were the most helpful.

The give you the best images of the tools and, prices, as well.

Heck, you can buy one of these, brand new for under 20 US Dollars or,  1,583円.

There's even a YouTube video showing how the farmers use them,

Just about anywhere, I go on this island, I see someone using these tools. 

And, some of these folks are in their eighties and nineties.

Order yourself a Bicchu Hoe and, give it a try, before it's too late !

NOTE: This tool is also known as Kuwa -- another name in Japan for hoe.

A Moth that Hangs Out in Daylight and How We Gotterdun

Nyctemera adversata

 

 

This one had me going, for awhile, because, I thought it was a butterfly.

A few of the English names are Tiger Moth and White Marbled Moth. 

Locally: Monshiromodoki (モンシロモドキ) is what they're called.

The critter was out back on my neighbor's Shiso plant.

It didn't seem to be eating the stuff so, I figure it may have been depositing eggs.

It  didn't appreciate having its portrait taken and, flew off.

It landed on a Mugwort plant and, I got one more shot of it.

Identification Didn't Take Long 

 

 

Okinawa Yanbaru Field Guide ISBN978-4-408-32351-0 gave the Japanese name.

What I do, is use a handy Japanese keyboard to type the characters.

It would crack you up, if you could see me trying to type Japanese.

It takes me about an hour, just to punch in 100 words in English.

And, that's when I'm using both of my typing fingers, at full speed.

Life Would Be Rough Without Email 

 

Once all the information (in Japanese) looks presentable, I email it to myself.

That way, I have created a document, I won't lose.

Er, I might get stuck, doing the typing all over, again.

The email, gets sent from one computer to another one, sitting right next to it.

Sometimes, it takes 5 minutes to arrive so, I take a break and stretch with my smokes.

Do you suppose the government reads the stuff ?

Rumors Float Around Saying Governments Spy on Each Other

 

They may be interested in where I traveled online today and what I've been up to.

First, I copied and pasted my Japanese writing into a search engine.

 YahooJP works for me but, that Chinese Bauidu is used, sometimes, too.

What we're trying to come up with, is a scientific (Latin) name.

The Latin term, is always in English letters.

Wikipedia in English or, Japanese works for finding Latin names and photos.

But, it's always best to verify, anything that came from a Wiki.

The Wiki folks gave me Nyctemera adversata 

So, I thank them and run with it.

From the Government of Hong Kong in Frame #98 Tiger Moth showed up. 

Over at Macau University, I got a look at four more photos of this moth.

A gal named Sylvia had photos from China.

SAMUIBUTTERFLIES confirmed we have a Tiger Moth here via Moths of Thailand.

The JP Moth Org gave several photos but, no English.

One of my favorite sources was back in Hong Kong. It showed the caterpillars, too.

It's Good to Know What the Baby Moths Look Like

 

Suppose, that moth was depositing eggs on my neighbor's plants so, they could eat them.

Luckily, I made that document and emailed it to myself.

If I see those little critters eating the vegetables, I'll tell my neighbor.

And, I can pull up the caterpillar's pictures for her to see.

Then, she can go out in the garden and squish them !

Flower Photo: Yellow Alder, Yellow Buttercup or Sage Rose

Bright Yellow Flower in Okinawa

 

These little flowers are blooming everywhere and the color just jumps right out at you.

It took about a week to round up all the goodies on this plant.

If you like scientific stuff, call them Turnera ulmifolia.

They are asking for help expanding the stub of an article at Wikipedia.

But, I learned, over there, this plant may have some antibiotic value.

Lots of people at Dave's Garden have the plants, talk about them and post photos.

That's where, I saw, "Danger:  Parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested."

The flowers close-up at night and, new ones open the next day.

That's what I learned at the University of Florida 

Now Comes the Scary Stuff

 

 

Don't ask what led me to the next site, I checked for information.  It just happened.

Some how, I wound up at the US National Library of Medicine.

Some doctors or, scientists discovered this plant being used as folk medicine, in Brazil.

The locals use tea from this plant to cure things like ulcers.

Well, they decided to test it out on rats.  They probably had to get them drunk, to create ulcers.

What do rats have to worry about, so much, that they get ulcers ?

It seems like whatever concoction of tea they made, helped mice and rats with their ulcers.

So, if you have any vermin around your house, suffering from ulcers, you could help them.

You can get the recipe free, here.

If You Get These Yellow Flowers and an Ulcer

 

 

Listen to what Dave's Garden has to say.  Some of the stuff in these plants, is poison.

Go see a doctor.  Not a rat doctor, a human one !

Beach Spider Lily Images and Some Interesting Links

These Spiders You Want in Your Garden

 

They originally came from the coasts of Mexico and Central America.

And, some wild ones were spotted in Florida, according to the Wiki folks.

In Okinawa, we have them blooming everywhere, right now.

Hymenocallis littoralis is the scientific name.

If you want to grow some where you live, see which variety you like best.

The Pacific Bulb Society can tell you all about them.

If you don't live near a beach, it's not a problem.

According to Guide to Houseplants, you can grow them indoors.

The Encyclopedia of Life gives you all sorts of information.

They will show you all the media and maps on this plant, should you have a need.

 US Department of Agriculture has these flowers on their Wetland Plant List.

Over in the UK, Tropical Britain says, these Spider Lilies are "astonishingly beautiful."

So, I bet if you plant some in your house or, garden, you'll love these spiders.

What are you waiting for, Christmas ?

Flower Photo: Plumeria with Way More Information than Normal

How-to Stuff Always Comes in Handy

 

That's why many hours are devoted to researching plants and flowers around here.

Once an ID is made, on some flower that's new to me, I like to get all the information I can.

If someone wants to grow the plants or, eat them, they should be able to click a link and go.

Today, it's raining so, I dug-up lots of how-to stuff for you in my endless search for truth.

 The day I shot this Plumeria photo, I was loaded for bear.

Two Pentax cameras, two tripods, three lenses, three flower identification books, tripods and, the wife.

We were on a mission: Shoot as many exotic flowers as we could find.

That gives me plenty of blog material.

And, she can't complain about me never taking her anywhere.  Hah !

We did good.  A new flower could appear here once a week, if it keeps raining.

About the Plumeria

 

 

 

It's really a tropical plant but, people around the globe are growing them these days.

If you know what you're doing, you could plant them in pots.

Then, when it gets too cold in the garden, drag them into the house, until it warms-up again outside.

Watch your kids and animals, though; the sap is poison. 

The pretty flowers are used to make those necklaces called Hawaiian Leis.

Checkout: How to Grow Beautiful and Exotic Plumeria Flowers

The Plumeria flowers come in many colors and you can see non-copyrighted photos of them at:

About.Com Hawaii Travel

That's where I learned, in Hawaii, they call the plant Pua Melia.

And, in Australia, they are named Dead Man's Fingers !

There's a Plumeria Society video on YouTube if you want to see how to care for them.

The Way More Than You Need Information

Once I found about these flowers being used to make leis in Hawaii, I had a flashback.

Just a young kid, stepping off the boat in Hawaii, I was totally shocked, back in the 1960's.

Some Hula-looking girl threw these flowers around my neck and gave me a hug.

I must have been a real redneck and blushed.  WTF ?

Some older folks told me, "You just got leid." So, I learned something that day.

Anyway, I typed "Get leid" in a search just to see what I could find for you.

You must watch this Grandma's video and give her a thumbs up.

She says, "I got laid nine times in the first hour."  And, winks at you !

Tell me that gal doesn't crack you up !

Well, I have to get going.  I watched the video 10 times and keep forgetting to write the recipe down.

Flower Photos: Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) It's a Nose Twister

Here's another flower photo I made the same day I was under the influence of cabin fever and took pictures of the Purple Shamrocks in the rain.  I knew what these guys were because I like them. 

You can eat the leaves and they taste a little spicy. They're great for salads.

The wind was blowing pretty good that day so, I got some of the fern plants to hold things steady for me.

I'm showing you this photo with one leaf munched-up so you'll know what else Nasturium is good for. 

If you plant it at one end of your garden, caterpillars hang out there, leaving other plants alone.

Wikipedia has more information on NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum)

And this gal named Tracy wrote 5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GROW NASTURTIUMS NEAR VEGETABLES.  She'll tell you about gardening, cooking and everything.  What a gal !

Both Tracy and Wikipedia called this flower a nose tweaker or nose twister. 

That's the first time I ever heard that. 

If they think Nasturtium is spicy, I'd like to see their expressions when they bite into a Habanero!