Black berrying

Well it was a rather gloomy day today, so I’m glad we didn’t go away as we’d planned. Too wet to go walking today too, so we took the car down to buy a few necessities, but nothing Blipworthy could I see.

When I came home I wandered along my plant crates and settled on this plant. I’m sure most people will be familiar with Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum x hybridum, the shade-loving perennial with arching stems and dangling creamy-white bells. This is a relative which goes under the wonderful tongue-twisting moniker of Polygonatum zanlanscianense!

It’s a native of various parts of China and grows to several feet – mine, tho’ still in a pot, is 4-5ft tall. Unlike it’s more common relative, this one is a scrambler and has tendrils on the end of its linear leaves to support it and help it fight its way up to the light! The small dangly flowers are a strange shade of purpley-green and the berries, well here they are, tho’ in reality they’re less in diameter than the thickness of a pencil. 

Limerick of the Day: (Sorry if they’re getting a little risqué – I’m running out!)

A redundant snake-charmer from Fladda,
Dreamt of struggling to strangle an adder.
He awoke feeling silly
With a knot in his willy,
And a terrible pain in his bladder!