Wild Things

[Robert Watcher]

While trekking around a huge volcano crater, we came across WILD RASPBERRIES (mild flavour and bitter) - as well as WILD IRIS (FAIRY IRIS). The iris’ looked withered on the broad leaves, but I loved the colour and symmetry. I don’t believe they were dead or late in a season. It may have been the time of day, the atmospheric conditions, or the volcanic conditions - but all were exactly the same. I shot these with my kit lenses.

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[Asher Kelman]

The berries are fascinating but how do you know they are not cultivars spread by birds?

The irises are simply breathtaking.

Nature is such a great artist!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

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-a simple motif but powerful. It’s a gift, an offering,

“Give Us this day, our daily bread!”

Ashet

 

[Robert Watcher]

The berries are fascinating but how do you know they are not cultivars spread by birds?

The irises are simply breathtaking.

Nature is such a great artist!

Asher

They were sold by the locals around the rim of the volcano, as wild raspberries (very cheap). The taste was quite distinct from any raspberries we eat. Other than that - I have no idea what they are.

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[Robert Watcher]

View attachment 529


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-a simple motif but powerful. It’s a gift, an offering,

“Give Us this day, our daily bread!”

Ashet

Looks like a studio or setup shot, but it was just out in the opening where we overlooked the crater. He held a few in his hand while he ate them. The light was splotchy, so I did ask him to turn into the shade.

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[Asher Kelman]

Hardly seems “withered”!

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Now here, just to show my grandkids what grows by a volcano, I’d really want to steal some plants!

If they stay in the country, I guess that not against the law?

Bringing them here, into the USA might be frowned apon!

.....or do we have them already.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Bump for shear beauty and excellence!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Thanks Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

Wild raspberries grow naturally in Munich forests, they look and taste exactly like the cultivated sort. These are a different plant. The number of individual little spheres is much higher.

Possibly, these are rubus glaucus, the Andean raspberry.

Quite a few wild berries are toxic. Of course, these were identified by local people as safe, but caution is advisable when facing fruits resembling known ones in a foreign place.

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

We also have wild raspberries where I live and although smaller than cultivated raspberries, they also have bigger spheres than what Robert is showing here. They also, like Jerome says, taste exactly like the cultivated ones. I have some cultivated ones in my backyard and the only difference is that they are much bigger than the wild ones.
The iris is very pretty though, and I'm surprised to see this so late in the season. We get irises where I live and they usually are late spring, early summer. A few cultivars later in summer, but first time I've seen any this late in October.

cool pics!

 

[Asher Kelman]

As a child in London, we would explore wild natural unbuilt areas hidden behind alleys, where will blackberries grew. They were free for picking and we kept the locations to ourselves.

Now I have learnt that these plant have thorns directed backwards that can catch sheep and as they struggle they are drawn further in, are captured and die to fertilize the plants!

Now that’s a passive-aggressive carnivore, or is it?!

it’s still debated. After all the brambles don’t produce enzymes to digest the captured sheep and that latter anyway, are creations of man, not naturally so fluffy and prone to capture!


Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Robert,

This is exquisite! The pose of the flower is, like the berry in the hand, an offering to the sky and to the pollinators. This is so poetic and inspirational!

Interesting that not o ly is it a lure by virtue of color and UV markings but also by its electrical field. Each busting bee alters it so new arrivals can choose the least visited flowers and so maximize pollination!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

We also have wild raspberries where I live and although smaller than cultivated raspberries, they also have bigger spheres than what Robert is showing here. They also, like Jerome says, taste exactly like the cultivated ones. I have some cultivated ones in my backyard and the only difference is that they are much bigger than the wild ones.
The iris is very pretty though, and I'm surprised to see this so late in the season. We get irises where I live and they usually are late spring, early summer. A few cultivars later in summer, but first time I've seen any this late in October.

cool pics!

This post is from April 2019, that Asher has resurrected. So you are correct in being surprised at the Iris being seen in late October.


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