Biodiverse Polyculture (USDA 8a Zone Pasture) - sounds better than "My Acres of Weeds"

[3KillerBs]

Skins on these are quite thick, and they are seeded. Makes them popular for wines and jams/jellies, not a "table grape".

I have to disagree.

While I have multiple cases of excellent muscadine/scuppernong jams, we absolutely love them for fresh eating.

Yes, the skins take some chewing, but we don't care. They're richly flavored and I like them better than standard table grapes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have to disagree.

While I have multiple cases of excellent muscadine/scuppernong jams, we absolutely love them for fresh eating.

Yes, the skins take some chewing, but we don't care. They're richly flavored and I like them better than standard table grapes.

I will hold out hope then - the wild varieties were not particularly sweet, and the skins were quite tart. Would have made a good cheese pairing.

 

[3KillerBs]

I will hold out hope then - the wild varieties were not particularly sweet, and the skins were quite tart. Would have made a good cheese pairing.

The wild ones do have more bite (people claim amazing health benefits for them).

I enjoy the sensation of changing flavors you get from popping the very sweet center out of the "hull", eating that soft pulp off the seeds, then chewing the stronger-flavored skin/layer of pulp that's attached to the skin.

I admit that I'm a fan of strong flavors and chewy textures in many foods.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If rain (or muscle soreness) stops me, I hope to get the following up today:
Desert Chicory
Chamisso Sedge
Little Bluestem
Orangegrass
Purple Lovegrass

...as soon as I figure out where "PictureThis" stores photos on my phone - its not in a Gallery.

I did update the two from yesterday, now that its not raining and I could ID the one. Got in just under the "edit" wire.

 

[Kiki]

 

[Molpet]

The neutral to good -

Mulberry Bush - Seasonal Caution

View attachment 2753529

This is the first year I could identify the likely name of the plant, it appears to be a volunteer from the droppings of local birds. Very fast growing, many plants stand 4' tall in just a season. Not yet flowering, (Correction - very small flowers, easily overlooked - this is already fruiting) it appears it will be a late ripening species.

Prior to fruiting, this appears to be a preferred species for the chickens and ducks to seek shelter under during the heat of the day. A small number of hollows, whether intended as nests or dust bath, have been found at the base of these plants. Fast growing vertical stalks provide support for vining plants, helping to lift their fruits off the ground.

Male plants are apparently infamous for their pollen, which can be a powerful allergen.

The fruit is attractive to virtually all species, while the leaves and stems are currently largely ignored by the goats and birds. Unfortunate, as they are moderately high in protein and numerous amino acids and would be a valuable feed. Monitor while in fruit for potential dietary imbalance. Additionally, posters here at BYC indicate chickens eating a high mulberry fruit diet can display purple poops. There are no known toxicities associated with mulberry consumption, and they are a widely recommended supplimental feed source while in season.

Nutritionally, Mulberry fruit is mostly water, but is comprised of about 2.5% protein, 2% fat, 4.5% fiber. Apparently, the plant has good amounts of lysine, methionine, and tryptophan - with red mulberry having more in the leaves, less in the fruit and white mulberry demonstrating the reverse.

Apart from thinning to remove male plants and to discourage gorging, this is valuable in specimen plantings. I need to get the goats to eating it.

My mulberry are trees. The fruit tastes different on different ones. Not sure if different species or something else. There's one in the middle of the poultry yard that everything likes best. It's about 50 ft tall. Turkeys like to roost in it until there's berries. Then they move to a male tree or the walnuts, I assume because of the racoons and opossum favorite berries.
When a fall comes and the leaves fall is when the poultry eat the leaves. Something must change because they could eat them all summer.

 

[RubelliteRose]

My mulberry are trees. The fruit tastes different on different ones. Not sure if different species or something else. There's one in the middle of the poultry yard that everything likes best. It's about 50 ft tall. Turkeys like to roost in it until there's berries. Then they move to a male tree or the walnuts, I assume because of the racoons and opossum favorite berries.
When a fall comes and the leaves fall is when the poultry eat the leaves. Something must change because they could eat them all summer.

The trees are a different species, most likely Morus alba. The U_Stormcrow's mulberries are also known as American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana. We have a beautyberry bush by our house and it is one of our chickens favorite hang-outs

Love this thread! We seem to have many of the same plants and I am learning so much!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

And we have subsequently determined that what was previously identified as a "Mulberry Bush" is in fact Amercian Beautyberry. I'll correct that when/if this becomes a guide.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

The neutral to good -

Mulberry Bush - Seasonal Caution

View attachment 2753529

This is the first year I could identify the likely name of the plant, it appears to be a volunteer from the droppings of local birds. Very fast growing, many plants stand 4' tall in just a season. Not yet flowering, (Correction - very small flowers, easily overlooked - this is already fruiting) it appears it will be a late ripening species.

Prior to fruiting, this appears to be a preferred species for the chickens and ducks to seek shelter under during the heat of the day. A small number of hollows, whether intended as nests or dust bath, have been found at the base of these plants. Fast growing vertical stalks provide support for vining plants, helping to lift their fruits off the ground.

Male plants are apparently infamous for their pollen, which can be a powerful allergen.

The fruit is attractive to virtually all species, while the leaves and stems are currently largely ignored by the goats and birds. Unfortunate, as they are moderately high in protein and numerous amino acids and would be a valuable feed. Monitor while in fruit for potential dietary imbalance. Additionally, posters here at BYC indicate chickens eating a high mulberry fruit diet can display purple poops. There are no known toxicities associated with mulberry consumption, and they are a widely recommended supplimental feed source while in season.

Nutritionally, Mulberry fruit is mostly water, but is comprised of about 2.5% protein, 2% fat, 4.5% fiber. Apparently, the plant has good amounts of lysine, methionine, and tryptophan - with red mulberry having more in the leaves, less in the fruit and white mulberry demonstrating the reverse.

Apart from thinning to remove male plants and to discourage gorging, this is valuable in specimen plantings. I need to get the goats to eating it.

That looks like "American Beauty Berry". Does it have purpilish berries later in summer. Wild birds love it and spread the seeds everywhere.

Edit ... Posted this before I got to the end of the thread.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

The wild ones do have more bite (people claim amazing health benefits for them).

I enjoy the sensation of changing flavors you get from popping the very sweet center out of the "hull", eating that soft pulp off the seeds, then chewing the stronger-flavored skin/layer of pulp that's attached to the skin.

I admit that I'm a fan of strong flavors and chewy textures in many foods.

We have them all over too. Mostly growing up in the trees and yopon. We always try to get as many as we can reach and snatch before all the critters attack them.