What's That Plant?
We have spotted a new and quite beautiful flowering plant growing on a couple of the plots recently.
It turns out to be the wonderfully-named Shoo-fly plant (Nicandra physalodes), also known as the Apple of Peru, Apple of Sodom and Peruvian Bluebell. It is normally grown as a decorative annual in gardens. The bell-shaped flowers, which appear between June and October, are short-lived, opening for just a few hours each day.
The shoo-fly plant is a member of the potato and nightshade families so is not edible, but it does have many other uses. The flower owes its common name to the fact that some gardeners believe it to be a deterrent to white-fly if grown amongst plants afflicted by this pest, such as brassicas.
The seeds are used in bird food mixes (which probably explains how it has made its way onto the allotments!); the branches of the dried Chinese lantern-style fruits can be used for winter decoration; and the plant is also thought to have insect-repellent properties.
It's best if the plants are not allowed to go to seed on the plots but, since the white-fly seemed particularly bad this year, it may be worth collecting some seeds to grow on next year.
It turns out to be the wonderfully-named Shoo-fly plant (Nicandra physalodes), also known as the Apple of Peru, Apple of Sodom and Peruvian Bluebell. It is normally grown as a decorative annual in gardens. The bell-shaped flowers, which appear between June and October, are short-lived, opening for just a few hours each day.
The shoo-fly plant is a member of the potato and nightshade families so is not edible, but it does have many other uses. The flower owes its common name to the fact that some gardeners believe it to be a deterrent to white-fly if grown amongst plants afflicted by this pest, such as brassicas.
The seeds are used in bird food mixes (which probably explains how it has made its way onto the allotments!); the branches of the dried Chinese lantern-style fruits can be used for winter decoration; and the plant is also thought to have insect-repellent properties.
It's best if the plants are not allowed to go to seed on the plots but, since the white-fly seemed particularly bad this year, it may be worth collecting some seeds to grow on next year.
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