Thanks, John, for your thoughts on this. I'm hoping to get a little
discussion going on this topic, as I wonder if some of our current thinking on
invasive species and native plants might not be worth a second look from a
permaculture point of view.
With climate change, the range of our native species is already shifting
and in our permaculture and garden designs we'll be needing to include species
that can perform many functions for us, including vigor and edibility.
Here in our area, the native species would probably not feed the current
population even if the climate were stable, so looking around for
permaculture-friendly species is, I think, a worthwhile endeavor.
Of course iceplant may not pass the tests of desirability, but so far
apart from the idea that it might displace native species, I've not heard too
many good arguments against it apart from criticisms of its taste. My
own research found that one could make "delicious" jam from its fruits
-- is this not true? Also apparently some species of iceplant are more
tasty than others, so as with any edible plant, we'd need to select for
taste.
If iceplant isn't the succulent of choice (and in our increasingly dry
climate we definitely can use some succulents for various purposes, including
living, moisture-retaining mulch), can someone recommend another
succulent that is edible and easy to grow?
I was especially intrigued with the idea of using it for green roots
because of its shallow roots. If nothing else, it might offer excellent
insulation, and on a roof it certainly isn't displacing native plants!
Thanks for the good discussion,
Linda
In a message dated 9/6/2009 2:30:34 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
johnvalenzuela@hotmail.com writes:
Linda,
your useful information and propositions concerning iceplant have really got
me going on a little rant here!
Iceplant is barely edible to me,
definitely not a 'good edible permaculture plant'. Our grandparents may have
found iceplant quite useful, but many of them were not aware of the value of
native plants in thier ethnobotanical and wildlife habitat functions, as
many of us are still not aware of today.
Wow! With all the useful,
uniquely native, and other relatively non-invasive plants to promote, are we
entertaining the idea of planting something that we all have all observed
spreading locally and creating huge monocultures, even taking over some
relatively stable native coastal plant communities? OK, it may be a very
interesting and useful plant, but it doesn't mean we have to plant it, to
use it- Don't we have enough of it to use already? From my perspective,
planting iceplant would be a lazy choice. For others, do the cost/benefit
analysis and compare to other plant options (and combinations) to see what
your best choices might be.
from the website you linked to
(http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carpobed.htm):
Conservation
status
Carpobrotus edulis is not regarded as threatened in its native
habitat, but it is invading natural areas in other parts of the world and
threatening the survival of other species. In California, where it has been
used since the early 1900s to stabilize the soil along railway tracks and
roadsides and as a garden ornamental, it has naturalized and is invading
coastal vegetation from north of Eureka to Rosarita Bay. It is known as the
highway ice plant in the USA.
from another source:
There is
evidence that iceplant also competes indirectly with native species. It has
been reported that iceplant can lower soil pH and also affect the root
morphology of some native shrubs (D'Antonio, 1990a; D'Antonio and Mahall,
1991). It is also possible, because iceplant does not seem to be palatable
to most native herbivores, that its presence could increase browsing
pressure on native flora and influence the species composition of
herbivorous fauna. (3) Invasion by the alien succulent, C. edulis , has
become a common occurrence after fire in maritime chaparral
also see:
(http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/ipcw/pages/detailreport.cfm@usernumber=25&surveynumber=182.php)
I
am definitely not suggesting that I only use natives in my plantings, but
come on! Let's be a little more creative than planting something that can
actually lower bio-diversity, like ice plant does!
Now having gotten
all that out, Thank you for all the useful information on iceplant, as I am
actually quite interested in the many uses of locally invasive (well
adapted), or overly planted, seemingly useless landscape plants, (such as
Agapanthus, or the various shrubs known as Broom). Considering all the
qualities that were noted, perhaps it's economic values can be used as an
incentive to harvest and remove it, to fund replacement with a more diverse,
locally unique, and productive assembly of plants. If the plant selection
criteria is to have some fire resistant, good tasting fruit and medicinal
uses, how about some diversity plantings, starting with native prickly pear
and some Aloe spp., Agave spp., and so many others. . .? Rather
than more of the same old-monoculture, lets plan for more diversity and
complexity of relationships!
be fruitful-
John
V.
Cornucopia Kitchen Gardens and Food Forests
John
Valenzuela Permaculture Services
Horticulturist, Consultant, Educator-
California, Hawai'i phone: (415) 246-8834
e-mail:
johnvalenzuela@hotmail.com
From: LBUZZELL@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 14:34:14 -0400
To:
Scpg@arashi.com; sbperm2006@googlegroups.com; sbogc@yahoogroups.com;
sbfoodfuture@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Scpg] is ice plant a good edible
permaculture plant?
Iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis aka Hottentot Fig) has a bad
reputation in California these days, although its usefulness was
much valued by our grandparents' generation. It's an
attractive, low-growing groundcover plant now considered invasive and
governments are spending a lot of money ripping it out and replacing it
with native plants.
But perhaps from a permaculture point of view it's worth another look?
It's an amazing plant that performs multiple useful functions.
- Yields an edible fruit which has been eaten by humans
since archeological times. Fruit is fleshy, 35 mm in diameter, shaped
like a spinning top, on a winged stalk, becoming yellow and fragrant when
ripe. The outer wall of the fruit becomes yellowish, wrinkled and leathery
with age. The seeds are embedded in the sticky, sweet, jelly-like
mucilage. The fruits can be eaten fresh and they have a strong,
astringent, salty, sour taste. They are not as tasty as those of C.
acinaciformis (purple iceplant, can be used to make delicious
jam) and C. deliciosus (purple or pink iceplant) which are
sweeter. See http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carpobed.htm
- Edible by some wildlife as well. Flowers draw bees
and are also eaten by animals. In S. Africa, leaves are eaten by
tortoises.
- Holds water and thus is an effective fire-resistant
barrier around house or in foothills in fire-prone
areas.
- Drought tolerant
- A coastal plant
- Low maintenance. Vigorous and will grow where
little else wants to grow
- Wind resistant
- Controls erosion by binding hillsides,
stabilizing sandy dunes.
- Shallow-rooting so good for roof gardens
- Like most succulents, a useful "living mulch"
groundcover.
- "Can be planted on flat, sandy ground, on loose sand dunes, gravelly
gardens, lime-rich and brackish soils as well as in containers, rockeries,
embankments and will cascade over terrace walls."
- Pretty yellow flowers and attractive rusty coloration
even when not in bloom (you can see its autumnal-toned beauty in many
paintings of coastal California scenes).
- Has medicinal uses and is a first-aid plant. "The
leaf juice is astringent and mildly antiseptic. It is mixed with water and
swallowed to treat diarrhea, dysentery and stomach cramps, and is used as
a gargle to relieve laryngitis, sore throat and mouth infections. Chewing
a leaf tip and swallowing the juice is enough to ease a sore throat. Leaf
juice or a crushed leaf is a famous soothing cure for blue-bottle stings -
being a coastal plant it is luckily often on hand in times of such
emergencies. The leaf juice is used as a soothing lotion for burns,
bruises, scrapes, cuts, grazes and sunburn, ringworm, eczema, dermatitis,
sunburn, herpes, nappy rash, thrush, cold sores, cracked lips, chafing,
skin conditions and allergies...The leaf juice also relieves the itch from
mosquito, tick and spider bites both for people and their animal
companions. In the Eastern Cape of South africa it is also used
to treat diabetes and diptheria."
So what do you think? It is worth another look? Could this
be a useful plant for various garden and permaculture designs? Or should it
be shunned as uncontrollable?
Linda
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