What have we here.
The Sorcerer's Tree (Solanaceae family) is a showy woody shrub, to 12ft high, native to a small area in southern Chile.
It has slightly glossy, elliptic leaves on spiny stems and pendulous,
beautiful bell-shaped, 2in long, magenta flowers followed by round,
yellow-ish fruits.
Latua pubiflora is apparently nowhere abundant, and there are even very few specimens of it in the world.
Seeds found here...
The Sorcerer's Tree as it is known, is one of the rarest of all shamanic plants.
All parts are strongly poisonous due to hallucinogen alkaloids.
For any rich, moist, well drained soil in a shady spot throughout the year.
Hardy to Zone 9. The plant does not tolerate snow, but can tolerate
occasional freezing spells of about 23F (the typical morning frost of
central Chile). Prefers to grow in the part-shade to full shade.
Family: Solanaceae. Synonyms: Lycioplesium
pubiflorum, Latua venenata, Latua venenosa, Baum der Zauberer, Palo de
Bruja, Tree of Wizards.
The self-pollinating Actinidia arguta is a heirloom perennial vine
native to Japan, Korea, Northern China, and Russian Siberia. The fruit
are referred to as Hardy kiwifruit, kiwi berry, arctic kiwi, baby kiwi,
dessert kiwi, grape kiwi, northern kiwi, or cocktail kiwi and are
edible. Berry or grape-sized fruit similar to kiwifruit in taste and
appearance, but are green with smooth skin. Often sweeter than the
kiwifruit, hardy kiwifruit can be eaten whole and need not be peeled.
The fast-growing, climbing vine is very hardy (hence the name hardy
kiwi), and is capable of surviving slow temperature drops to -30°F, although young shoots can be vulnerable to frost in the spring.
The vines need a frost-free growing season of about 150 days, but are
not damaged by late freezes, provided that temperature changes are
sufficiently gradual to allow plants to acclimate. Indeed, a period of
winter chill is necessary for successful cultivation. However, rapid
freezes will kill off buds and split vines. The vines can also be grown
in low-chill areas. Seed available here.
The vines grow extremely quickly and require a strong trellis for support.
Species of the Drosera spatulata group are found from New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia.
Drosera tokaiensis is beautiful, small rosette-forming carnivorous plant
species having spoon-like leaves up to 1 inch long. It is one of the
easiest carnivorous plants to grow and care. As a natural hybrid between
D. spatulata and D. rotundifolia it has the best genes for adaptation
to new environments. It is a free-flowering and fascinating house plant
that may bloom after short 8 months after sowing. The plant lives 3
years or more, producing seedlings during the way!
The leaves are densely covered with stalked tentacles that secrete
sticky mucilage with enzymes to attract and catch inserts. The tentacles
are very sensitive and mobile. Once an insect is trapped on a leaf, its
movements contact triggers a curling reaction. The leaf wraps around
the insect and produces more digestive glands in contact with its prey,
eventually digesting and absorbing the victim's nutrients until only the
external skeleton remains.
This is a subtropical species, suitable zone 10+ or as a houseplant. Seeds found....
