Shallon, Gaultheria shallon

Gaultheria shallon commonly called salal, shallon, or gaultheria)

🌱 Overview

Gaultheria shallon is an evergreen shrub in the heath family (Ericaceae), native to the west coast of North America, from Alaska down to California. It thrives in coastal forests, understories, and moist woodland habitats.

🌿 Plant Description

Growth habit: Dense, spreading shrub, often forming thickets; usually 0.2–2 m (8 in–6 ft) tall but can climb higher if supported.

Leaves: Thick, leathery, shiny, evergreen, oval-shaped with serrated edges. They are dark green and can persist for years.

Flowers: Small, urn-shaped, pink-to-white flowers in clusters, blooming in late spring to early summer.

Fruits: Dark blue to nearly black berries (technically capsules covered by a fleshy calyx), about 1 cm wide, ripening in late summer to fall.

🍇 Uses

Edible:

Berries are edible, mildly sweet but mealy, often used by Indigenous peoples fresh, dried, or mixed with other foods.

Leaves were used for lining berry baskets and for wrapping food (like a natural preservative).
Medicinal:

Traditional uses include leaf infusions for stomach disorders, sore throats, and as a mild

analgesic.
Other:

Widely used in the floral industry for its long-lasting, glossy evergreen foliage.

🌎 Ecological Role

Provides food for wildlife, including bears, birds, and small mammals.

Spreads via rhizomes, stabilizing soil and forming ground cover in forest understories.

Thrives in acidic soils, often under conifers.

🌱 Cultivation & Care

Light: Prefers partial to full shade, though it tolerates sun in cooler climates.

Soil: Acidic, well-drained, humus-rich soils.

Water: Moderate moisture; drought tolerant once established.

Propagation: By seeds (slow) or more commonly by division/rhizomes.

Landscape use: Excellent as an ornamental ground cover, especially in shaded gardens or naturalized woodland plantings.

Malabar Tamarind, Garcinia gummi-gutta

Garcinia gummi-gutta (commonly known as Malabar tamarind, brindleberry, or sometimes Kudampuli) is a small tropical fruit-bearing tree in the family Clusiaceae, native to India and Southeast Asia.

Botanical Overview

Scientific name: Garcinia gummi-gutta

Family: Clusiaceae

Common names: Malabar tamarind, brindleberry, kudampuli, goraka

Type: Evergreen tree

Height: Typically 5–20 meters tall

Leaves: Dark green, glossy, elliptic to oblong, 5–15 cm long

Flowers: Small, reddish, unisexual or bisexual

Fruit: A small pumpkin-shaped berry, yellow to greenish when ripe, about the size of a small orange

Uses

Culinary:

The dried rind is widely used as a sour flavoring in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine, similar to tamarind.

In Kerala, it is called kudampuli and added to fish curries for a tangy flavor.
Traditional Medicine:

Used in Ayurveda for digestion and as a traditional remedy for intestinal complaints.

Modern Popularity:

The rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which has been marketed in weight-loss supplements. However, scientific evidence for its effectiveness is inconclusive, and safety concerns exist with some extracts.

Growing Conditions

Climate: Tropical and subtropical regions

Soil: Well-draining, rich soil

Light: Prefers partial shade to full sun

Propagation: Commonly by seeds

Common Pawpaw, Asimina triloba

The common pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small deciduous tree native to the eastern United States. It belongs to the custard apple family (Annonaceae)—making it a relative of tropical fruits like cherimoya and soursop, though it is unusual for being the only temperate member of that family.

Key Features

Size: Typically 12–25 feet tall, often forming thickets by root suckering.

Leaves: Large, simple, and drooping, up to 12 inches long; turn yellow in fall.

Flowers: Maroon to reddish-purple, about 1–2 inches wide, blooming in spring before the leaves fully expand.

Fruit: A greenish-yellow berry (2–6 inches long) that ripens to soft yellow-brown. The flesh is creamy and sweet, with a flavor often compared to banana, mango, or custard. Each fruit contains several large brown seeds.

Bark: Smooth when young, becoming slightly fissured with age.

Habitat & Range

Grows in rich, moist, well-drained soils, often found in floodplains, bottomlands, and along streams.

Native from the Great Lakes and Midwest down to the Gulf Coastal Plain, and from the Atlantic east to eastern Kansas and Texas.

Ecological & Cultural Notes

Pollination: Flowers are pollinated by beetles and flies, not bees. Hand-pollination is often used in cultivation for better fruit set.

Wildlife: Fruits are eaten by raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and birds.

Human Use: Fruits are edible and were traditionally eaten by Indigenous peoples. Today they’re sometimes used in desserts, ice creams, and brewing.

Symbolism: Pawpaw is the state fruit of Ohio and has a cultural presence in Appalachian folk songs (“Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch”).

Paracress, Acmella oleracea

Paracress (Acmella oleracea) is a fast-growing, frost-tender herb in the daisy family (Asteraceae), known for its unusual “electric” tingling sensation when eaten.

🌱 Overview

Common names: Paracress, toothache plant, electric daisy, buzz buttons, Szechuan buttons

Native range: Likely South America (especially Brazil and Peru), now grown worldwide in warm climates

Plant type: Annual or short-lived perennial herb

Height: Usually 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall

Growth habit: Low-spreading with bright green leaves and small, button-like yellow flowers

🌼 Appearance

Leaves: Soft, bright green, oval with slightly toothed edges

Flowers: Distinctive yellow conical “buttons,” sometimes with reddish tips; not showy in the traditional sense, but unique

Roots: Fibrous, shallow system

🧪 Key Feature — Tingling Sensation

The flowers and leaves contain spilanthol, a compound that produces:

Tingling and numbing on the tongue

Increased salivation

Mild peppery flavor- This effect makes it popular both for culinary novelty and traditional medicinal uses.

🍴 Culinary Uses

Fresh leaves in salads (sparingly for flavor impact)

Flowers as a garnish or in cocktails for a sensory twist

Infused in oils or vinegars

Used in trendy “electric” cuisine for the mouth-tingling experience

💊 Traditional Uses

Toothache relief: Numbing effect helps dull pain

Digestive stimulant: Increases saliva and appetite

Anti-inflammatory: Used in folk medicine for minor swelling and mouth sores

🌿 Growing Tips

Climate: Warm, frost-free

Sun: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Rich, well-draining with regular moisture

Propagation: Direct sow or start indoors; germinates in 1–2 weeks

Harvest: Leaves anytime; flowers when fully open for strongest tingling effect

Moringa, Moringa oleifera

Moringa oleifera — often called drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or miracle tree — is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree native to the Indian subcontinent but now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions.

🌱 Description

Height: Usually 10–12 m (33–40 ft) tall when mature.

Leaves: Pinnate, bright green, and highly nutritious.

Flowers: Fragrant, small, creamy-white, borne in loose clusters; bloom year-round in warm climates.

Fruit (Pods): Long, slender, ribbed pods — often up to 45 cm (18 in) — eaten as a vegetable (known as drumsticks in South Asian cooking).

Roots: Deep taproot, allowing drought resilience.

🍃 Uses

Nutritional: Leaves are rich in vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, potassium, and protein.

Culinary: Leaves eaten fresh, cooked, or powdered; immature pods used in curries; seeds roasted or pressed for oil (ben oil).

Medicinal: Traditionally used for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial purposes.

Other: Seeds can purify water due to natural coagulants.

🌍 Growing Conditions

Climate: Prefers warm, frost-free environments.

Soil: Tolerates poor soils but thrives in well-drained sandy or loamy soil.

Sun: Full sun exposure is essential.

Water: Drought tolerant once established but grows faster with regular watering.

Propagation: Easily grown from seeds or cuttings.

Golden alexander,Zizia aurea

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) is a bright, early-blooming perennial wildflower native to much of eastern and central North America.

Key features

Family: Apiaceae (carrot or parsley family)

Height: Typically 1–3 feet (30–90 cm)

Bloom time: Late spring to early summer (April–June in most areas)

Flowers: Clusters of small, bright yellow, 5-petaled flowers arranged in flat-topped umbels, resembling miniature wild parsnip blooms

Leaves: Alternate, divided into toothed leaflets; basal leaves are more rounded while stem leaves are narrower

Habitat: Moist prairies, open woods, meadows, and streambanks

Pollinators: Attracts native bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies; also serves as a host plant for the black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar

Growing tips

Light: Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade

Soil: Moist, well-drained soil; tolerates clay and loam

Maintenance: Low-care once established; self-seeds lightly

Uses: Excellent in native plant gardens, pollinator patches, and naturalized landscapes

Tea Olive, Osmanthus fragrans

Tea olive is just another common name for Osmanthus fragrans, the same plant also called sweet olive, sweet osmanthus, and fragrant olive.

Here’s a focused snapshot on the tea olive:

Type: Evergreen shrub or small tree (can be trained as a hedge or specimen).

Height/Spread: 10–20 ft tall, 6–10 ft wide in the landscape.

Leaves: Thick, leathery, dark green, opposite on the stem.

Flowers: Tiny but extremely fragrant, white to pale yellow (sometimes orange in certain varieties).

Bloom time: Late summer into fall, and in mild climates it may bloom in spring as well.

Fragrance: Strongly sweet and fruity, often compared to apricots, peaches, or jasmine.

Hardiness: USDA zones 7–10 (can handle brief cold snaps but not prolonged freezing).

Uses:

Ornamental hedges or specimen trees

Fragrant garden focal points near patios or entryways

Flowers used in traditional Chinese osmanthus tea and sweets