Dictamnus albus in the wild

[Hans J]

Hans,
thanks for the images. I enjoyed.
The Quercus pubescens is not a common tree here, just in one of a public garden we have a few samples growing.

The Dictamus in the wild is lovely. How was the scent, like lemon? Is it as strong as written in the literature?
I tried it in my garden origin from garden center but it failed twice.
Don't know what I made wrong.

Thank you Armin ,

Yes  - Q.pubescens is a really rare plant -it grows normaly in the mediterranean region ( also like Coleutus )
I have not smell anything but maybe it was to early in the morning ....on this day we had here a temperature of 31° !!!
Like you I had the same idea with growing this plant in our garden ...I will buy by my next visit such a plant !
To the conditions in nature :
The soil is very calcy ( Lös ) and the plants was growing on a slope in west direction( very good drainage !
they grows between the oaks ( maybe because the shade )...I hope this helps you a bit

Hans

[angie]

Lesley and Angie : do you mean this beetle ?
They makes a lot of trouble for the farmers - special the larvae -please read :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melolontha
Hans

Hans I don't like any kind of beasties, I am terrified of worms. I know they are good for the garden but they give me the creeps.

Angie 

[Hans J]

Hi Angie ,

"Maikaefer" are nice animals ( the farmers speak other )
When I was a child we catch them and hold it in boxes ( with a little food = leaves of Beeches ).....now they are rare ...I have since long time not more seen in my garden - we have only Junikaefer ( they are a little smaller and they comes in June )
The goverment is spraying in some areas here against this beetles 

Do you know Hirschkaefer ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucanus_cervus
they are in the same area like the Dictamnus ....

Hans

[angie]

Hi Hans

I hope we don't have Hirschkaefer here in Scotland, now thats not creepy thats scary. Never understood why you boys liked keeping all those creepy crawlies. I remember in our street we had this horrible boy and he used to throw worms at me but one day I punched him and he never did it again  . I was only eight then. I always wonder what happened to that horrible boy. I think thats the reason how I am scared of worms.

Angie 

[Maggi Young]

I think that the Hirschkaefer ( Stag Beetle) is  getting more rare all the time  in the UK and is not likely to come sneaking up on us here, Angela.... what a relief! (they can get up to 3 inches/ 8cm) long!)

[Hans J]

Angie +Maggi ,

Hirschkäfer live only in warm climates ...i think Scotland is to cold for them
Before many years I had a "Nashornkaefer" here in my garden ....we have also sometimes "Gottesanbeterin" here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_rhinoceros_beetle

Angie :
When I was a boy so Ihave to help my grandpa with collecting worms for fishing - later when I was self fishing I must prepare my fishing hooks with worms 

Hans

[Stephenb]

Stephen :
like you I was also wondered why this plant are calling "albus" ...in Wiki I have found it :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictamnus
In the german version is descript that the rhizomes have white color so the botanists call it ALBUS
By my visit I could not see any white flowering plants ...but I know nurseries are selling these plants
This habitat is in the southern part of germany...I will not give more exactly informations

OK!! I did wonder if there was something else white, but it didn't occur to me that it was the roots - you learn something every day!

[Hoy]

Shouldn't surprise you, Stephen. The roots have always been important. Think of Helleborus niger

[Stephenb]

Well, Trond, I didn't know that either... I've never had that much interest in medicinal plants, apart from the food is medicine kind, so it's never occurred to me. One of the attractions of plants (and their interactions with people) is that there'll always be more to learn than one already knows..... Now, I'll be more aware of the alba / niger epithets!

[Gerdk]

Concerning Helleborus roots: The old romans used the dried roots to make a powder in order to cause sneezing.
They believed that sneezing was good to get clear-headed. So someone who needed a lot of this powder was
called a 'helleborosus'. In German Helleborus is called 'Nieswurz' (Sneezingwort).

Gerd