Groton Farmers' Market this weekend! Plus new species!
By Lise Fracalossi
Groton Farmers’ Market
Exciting news (well, to me!) – we’ll be vending at the Groton Farmers Market opening day this Fri, July 11th! We had to get approved by the town to vend here, so I’m very happy that we did, and I’m hoping it will be a positive experience.
The market is from 3-7pm at the Williams Barn property (160 Chicopee Row) in Groton, MA.
The Facebook event is here, and if you’re a Facebook user and would like to attend, I’d appreciate you marking yourself as “Interested.” (It helps with the algorithm. I think).
What are we going to have available? Here are a few things:
Photo credit: Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credit by Superior National Forest - Corydalis_sempervirens_3-eheep Uploaded by AlbertHerring, CC BY 2.0
Photo credit: Lise Fracalossi (i.e. me)
See Buy Plants for the full list. As always, you can order plants for pickup at our markets by emailing me at lise@redtrilliumgardens.com.
New Species!
One new (and unusual) species w’ll have at the Groton market is Eastern black nightshade, or Solanum ptycanthum. (Although it may be classified as S. emulans now… the Solanum nigrum complex is a total mess).
This is NOT the purple-flowered, red-berried vining invasive bittersweet nightshade that you’ve probably seen! This is our native black nightshade species, easily distinguished by its white flowers with yellow reproductive structure, black-purple berries, and shorter/non-vining growth habit.
“Why would I want to plant a poisonous plant?” you might ask. Well, for one thing, certain foraging experts like Samuel Thayer claim that it is not toxic. This makes some sense – certainly not all members of the family Solanaceae – and even the genus Solanum – are poisonous (see: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes)! And he has done extensive research into reported incidents of nightshade poisoning, as well, so I do believe he knows what he’s talking about.
This assurance doesn’t make me any more likely to try it! (And this should absolutely not be construed as foraging advice; always refer to a reputable source, like Sam Thayer, and be 100% sure what you’re harvesting). Nightshades are weird and gnarly as a family, and I wouldn’t want to be wrong.
“So why plant it?” you say again. Well, for its ecological benefits, of course! The berries provide food to many birds, include ruffed grouse, catbirds, and wild turkeys. It is also the larval host for Manduca genus caterpillars… you know, those tomato/tobacco hornworms we all love to hate. But hey, they gotta eat, too? Also, planting this as a “trap” plant in/near your veggie garden may keep it from nibbling all your delicious nightshades, like tomatoes or peppers.
We don’t grow much of this – given the demand is low – so if this is up your alley, get them before they’re gone!
Featured image: Solanum emulans or ptycanthum, by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=166576846