Free Opuntia ellisiana--obviously NOT a bamboo :)

bamboothew · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:24 pm

I have noticed that many bambuseros seem to grow cacti and other exotic looking plants and I can't find anyone local to give this to, so I thought someone here might like this

I spread this around my yard a little too much 3 years ago when I was collecting opuntias so I am digging this one up and giving it away. I believe it to be absolutely the most spineless of the hardy Opuntias. I have handled cuttings of this bare-handed dozens of times and only once have I ever gotten stuck by just a single tiny glochid. It has a wonderfully smooth look and stereotypical yellow opuntia blooms in the spring. This variety is also highly resistant to excess moisture, though it will perform better and be much cold hardier when kept dry in the winter. I lost several varieties 2 winters ago to a combination of winter wetness and a 6 degree freeze, but this is among the ones that were totally unphased. The plant in question has been in the ground 3 years. Will probably fit in a medium or large flat-rate box if I dismantle the plant, ship the rooted base and pack the cuttings all around it, which are each capable of growing into a new plant. Otherwise it would require quite a large, expensive to ship box and the plant would likely break in pieces anyway, as this variety is fairly loosley jointed. PM me if you are interested. Will ship for actual postage cost, unless you happen to have a spare division of an interesting groundcover boo you want to throw my way

Btw, I can either ship now or wait until spring, if you are so inclined, all that matters to me is that I get it done by spring and have someone to send it to.

foxd · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:57 pm

I'd be interested in it.

bamboothew · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:30 am

I have some cuttings of this plant still available if anyone else is interested. Can probably fit several cuttings in a small flatrate box. Did I mention this plant produces edible stems and fruit, does that help

midnightviking · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:37 am

I am not sure if this post is way too late, but I am interested also (too new to PM). I will be happy to pay shipping, but I do have a few plants if you would rather trade instead.

Gaultheria pumila (seedlings in peat most pots, multiple seedlings per pot)
Aristotelia Chilensis (seedlings)
Lycium barbarum (seedlings most 6 inches plus)

fredgpops · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:19 pm

Have several 1 gal hydrangias, a couple 2 gal Cyclopia intermedia (S.Africa), a couple Hebe (not sure varietal name) from New Zealand. Can trade for any plants listed. Rgds

stevelau1911 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:02 am

I'm pretty much out of bamboos and banana pups to trade for now, but I will have a few thousand tree peony seedlings up for trade if they all eventually come up. I'll have a huge assortment of garlic, both hard neck and soft necks after June. I have lots of blueberry bushes & actinada arguta(hardy kiwi vines) to take cuttings from, but that would also take time to get them rooted, but nothing else that special. Maybe nagaimo(dioscorea batatas) seedlings should be included in there as well. I'm trying to germinate more blueberries & white pitcher plants(sarracenia) over the winter.

One of the plants that I've been trying to figure out how to grow successfully for the last 3 years is kudzu. It seems to be a complete deer magnet here, and the roots have never survived to come back as a perennial vine. I'm trying to grow it for it's starchy roots, but it looks like deer will go out of their way to destroy it here before kudzu has a chance to reach a decent size, so I might have to try growing them from tubers if someone in the southeast is willing to give some up since I've run out of seeds. I can't believe that some people in the southeast are trying to get rid of this plant. Deer repellant doesn't work on this one.

I'm also after ginseng which is supposed to take 2 seasons to reach a harvesting size. Lotus seeds are also something I'm after as I want to see if they can grow in soil for the edible roots. Tea and coffee tree seedlings are also on the want list. As far as an indoor plant, I'm still interested in an early shooting tropical clumping bamboo, epiphyllums, other than the kinds I already have, plumeria seedlings, miniature lime tree cuttings, star fruit tree, and cocoa tree seedlings.

benboo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:27 am

My grandparents experimented with ginseng a few years back. I could probably get some seeds this year if I can find the plants...

Kudzu seems pretty cool up north as long as it is contained. I wouldn't mind trying it. Some southerners are deathly afraid of anything that grows too fast. (such as Bamboo and Kudzu) My southern relatives told me, "bamboo is terribly invasive. Don't grow it!"

stevelau1911 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:49 am

If I can't get a good deal off eBay, sure, i would like some ginseng, or even if I win a good auction, I might still want some since it may be a different strain of ginseng.

Maybe since it's so hard to grow kudzu up here, I might not understand the invasiveness of kudzu in the south, but couldn't people harvest the tuberous roots for culinary use? It can serve the same purpose as yams, as well as other cuisines so it's hard for me to imagine it as a weed when the entire tuberous roots can simply be harvested for food. One of the reasons I started growing bamboos is because I used to think it was invasive, but I'm satisfied with what it can do. I wonder how your southern relatives will react if they stumble upon a forum that promotes growing bamboo :lol:

bamboothew · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:00 pm

Midnightviking, I would love to trade for some Lycium barbarum. Sent you a PM but have no idea if you can even read it or not

Steve, I have never heard of anyone eating the roots of kudzu but have heard that the new, tender leafy growth is good sauteed like asparagus and it is high in protein. It is considered to be quite the scourge around here, but it is quite unable to invade a well maintained yard.

Benboo, I have definately observed what you say to be true! I love English Ivy (any cultivar!) and also Boston ivy, and everyone thinks I'm crazy! If only they were edible.

benboo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:31 pm

A more northern version of kudzu might be the groundnut, Apios americana. It is a perennial legume with edible roots, as well as strange browinish red flowers.

One day I was on a beach at lake erie, when I just happened to look down, I found a little tuber that washed up. It lived through the summer, so hopefully it will come back this year.

needmore · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:56 pm

I've seen kudzu swallow some trees up a couple of miles from here in the state forest and I can easily understand how one could not eat it back into control. As I recall it took them lots of chemicals & digging to whip it back. I've bought bamboo from the south and had it come up in the rootballs I potted up and those require frequent attention.

I've also encountered a native vine when digging A gigantea in the wild here that is tamer than kudzu but not tame. Not sure what it is, it has a tuber and the foliage somewhat resembles pea/clover/locust.

benboo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:50 pm

Do the tubers look almost like large marbles on a string?

needmore · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:30 pm

benboo wrote:

Do the tubers look almost like large marbles on a string?

No, like brown new potatoes with no string.

Alan_L · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:37 pm

needmore wrote:

I've also encountered a native vine when digging A gigantea in the wild here that is tamer than kudzu but not tame. Not sure what it is, it has a tuber and the foliage somewhat resembles pea/clover/locust.

Not this, is it? http://www.gardenminnesota.com/blog_hom ... isplay=294

stevelau1911 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:50 pm

Here's just a comparison of kudzu vs chinese yam. The kudzu seems to grow faster, have much larger leaves, but the tuber part is not much fatter than the stem. The Chinese yam makes much less foliage meaning I can get more plants in the same area, don't grow that long with much smaller leaves and have comparatively larger tuber roots than the kudzu by far. It also doesn't seem to be much of a deer magnet either. I think 10ft long bamboo poles are sufficient to support a chinese yam(dioscorea batatas) up to a good harvesting size in full sun. Kudzu might be appealing just to grow for enthusiasts, but it doesn't seem to belong in this climate.

BAMBOOWEB.INFO
HOME Bamboo Find bamboo plants Bamboo Synonyms Products Search for Bamboo Products Photos Bamboo Photos Other Photos Add a Bamboo Photo Add a non-plant Photo Sources Links Forum Wiki FAQ ABS Auction

Free Opuntia ellisiana--obviously NOT a bamboo :)

Who is online