Topic: Phosphorescent, sparking nasturtiums?

[hellohelenhere]

From the Chiltern Seeds website, on nasturtiums:
"...it may interest our readers to know that this particular species, T.majus, has been credited not just with exhibiting the property of phosphorescence, but of having the power of actually emitting, in certain atmospheric conditions, electric sparks or flashes both from the leaves and flowers. This phenomenon was observed by no less a person than Linnaeus (the man who invented the Latin names) himself as well as many other reliable botanists (one wrote, “the whole leaf seemed to twinkle with points of light”), and mentioned as a fact in Nicholson’s Dictionary (1887) under the entry for the species. We have, however, been unable to find any modern references on the subject and we should be interested to know of anyone who has actually observed this strange effect."

Anyone heard of this before? Or, even, seen it?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Is that the ordinary nasturtium? I always grow them on the allotment, but I'm not there at night to see.

[nilly71]

Sounds interesting, i wonder if the bee's that land on them glow in the dark :D

Neil

[hellohelenhere]

Tropaeolum Majus is the generally known nasturtium, yes! I was planning to get some of the paler varieties to plant in the spring - Moonlight, Milkmaid, etc - it will be tempting to sit out and watch them in the dark... :-\

[terrier]

Ever since OH  planted some in the borders they now grow like weeds, the more I pull up the more they seem to grow. I'm in the garden in the dark every night letting the dogs out and I've never seen any ghostly light or sparks coming from them.

[hellohelenhere]

Yes, they do seed like mad... I guess the best way to control them would be to deadhead them quite aggressively?

[star]

Ive not heard of this before, but please let us know if you see anything with the paler varieties ;)

[hellohelenhere]

Ooh - also observed in marigolds, poppies, and verbenas:
http://www.archive.org/stream/livinglightspopu00holdrich/livinglightspopu00holdrich_djvu.txt

(Search for 121, which will take you straight to the relevant section).

Strange, I'd never ever heard of this before. I'll spend the rest of my life looking sideways at orange flowers at dusk, and never see it, I'm sure! :)
X H

[Robert_Brenchley]

I remember one night when I was a kid, I was out seining for dabs with my grandfather, at St. Osyth in Essex. Every breaking wave glowed at us, and there were little phosphorescent jellyfish in it as well. I've never seen anything like it since. If flowers do glow in the dark, it's probably just as rare.

[saddad]

If you deadhead them you can eat the seed heads, nice and Peppery!
 :)

[tonybloke]

I remember one night when I was a kid, I was out seining for dabs with my grandfather, at St. Osyth in Essex. Every breaking wave glowed at us, and there were little phosphorescent jellyfish in it as well. I've never seen anything like it since. If flowers do glow in the dark, it's probably just as rare.

I've seen the sea light up a few times, Robert. It's very beautiful, and ghostly!! ;)

[terrier]

If you deadhead them you can eat the seed heads, nice and Peppery!
 :)

 I was led to believe that every part of the plant is edible? I've only eaten the leaves and seed pods so far.

[saddad]

To be fair there isn't much else to a nasturtium!  :)

[terrier]

To be fair there isn't much else to a nasturtium!  :)

There's the roots and MILES of stem  ;)

[hellohelenhere]

You can eat the flowers too. I was wishing I had some the other day - I'd made an orange and green main dish (pumpkin curry with coriander) and an orange and green salad (lettuce and grated carrot) - could have done with a splash of yellow and scarlet to chuck in the salad. I want to get some of the hot pink variety too, that would bring a nice garish element to the table!