ERICA'S NOTEBOOK
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    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
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​Web of Interdependence

Erica's Original Notes 
​There is a strong interdependence of all living things on this earth, and the following are some examples how plants fit into this system:

Eucalyptus has a toxic substance in its leaves which prevents competition and protects against predators.

Desert plants use toxic compounds to hold other plants at bay, as in Artemesia californica and Salvia leucophylla, which grow together, surrounded by a denuded 6-8 foot zone, in which only their seedlings will grow, the soil having absorbed the plants' terpenes.

Balsam fir has terpenes similar to the juvenile hormone of the larvae of a harmful tree-defoliating moth. This was discovered by accident; it was found that the larvae housed in containers lined by paper towels made from the Balsam fir did not mature.

Nature's insecticides are found in plants with strong alkaloids, which are particularly well protected against insect enemies. Examples are pyrethrum, nicotine in tobacco, quinine in cinchona, caffeine in coffee, strychnos in strychnine, cocaine in coca, marijuana in hemp, and morphine in the opium poppy.

More about insects: Some acacias have resident ants for defense; they feed on the nectar provided by their host; their main enemy is the leaf-cutting ant (who was a farmer long before man!). These ants maintain a pure culture of fungi in subterranean gardens thanks to their antibiotic saliva on bits of leaves they have collected; the fungi produce the usual mycelium (roots); and, instead of fruiting bodies, they produce bromatia (white globules) on which the ants feed. The young Queen Ant takes some of the fungus with her to start a new colony, much as the early pioneers took some 'starter' dough with them!

Chemicals and insects: The female flightless Polyphemus moth sits on the red oak which has chemicals that stimulate the formation of her 'perfume' to attract a male suitor; scientists have found a chemical to block this action. A fruit fly is lured by angelica oil. Monarch butterfly larvae feed on milkweed which contains glycosides, and birds have long since learned to avoid monarch butterflies. Viceroy butterflies have cleverly learned to mimic monarchs to avoid being eaten.

Carnivorous plants: (See also Leaves). These plants need to seek protein because they live in marshes which are nitrogen deficient. They have a system of reducing the flesh of victims to a digestible state after having successfully trapped them with visual and other devices. Darlingtonia drown their victims, and bladderworts have trap doors. Butterworts have a surface resembling fly paper to trap insects; the edges then curl to entrap them, the insect being kept in this temporary stomach for two to three days while it is being 'digested'. This plant was used to curdle milk. Sundews (Drosera) have sticky droplets on moving, entrapping hairs.

Passion Flower can fabricate imitation eggs on its leaves so as to put off butterflies intent on depositing eggs.


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  • Home
  • Updates
    • What's New
    • Curator Updates
    • Garden Stories >
      • Garden Story Index
    • Self-Guided Tours
    • Walks & Talks >
      • Walks and Talks 2023
      • Walks and Talks 2022
      • Walks -Talks 2021 & Zoom Tips
    • PDFs of Updates, Tours, & Talks >
      • Self-guided Tours (PDF)
      • Gardener Walks (PDF)
  • Plant IDs
    • ID By Flower Color >
      • Red Flowers
      • Pink Flowers
      • Orange Flowers
      • Yellow Flowers
      • Green Flowers
      • Blue Flowers
      • Purple Flowers
      • White Flowers
    • ID By Type >
      • Annuals
      • Berries-Fruits-Nuts
      • Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers >
        • Bulbs
        • Corms
        • Rhizomes
        • Tubers
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Medicinal Plants
      • Native Plants
      • Perennials >
        • Peonies
        • Salvias
      • Rhododendrons >
        • Rhodendron Erica Notes
      • Shrubs >
        • Calycanthus
        • Hydrangeas >
          • Hydrangea Background
        • Peonies >
          • Peonies-Overview
        • Rhododendrons
        • Roses >
          • Rose Background
      • Trees >
        • Conifers >
          • Cypress
          • Firs
          • Pines
        • Deciduous Trees >
          • Dogwoods
          • Ginkgos
          • Magnolias
          • Witch Hazels
        • Native Trees
        • Tree of the Month
  • In the Garden
    • Map and Collection Lists
    • Art in the Garden >
      • Symposium & Exhibitions
    • Building and Grounds >
      • Bridges
      • Formal Rose Garden Hardscape and Art
      • Grotto Area & Black Garden
      • Korean Pavilion
      • Maze
    • Gardener Assignments
    • Collections >
      • Ash Collection
      • Camellia Collection
      • Rhododendron Walk
    • Gardens >
      • Gardens A-D >
        • Alma VanDusen Garden
        • Backyard Bird Garden
        • Bentall Garden
        • Black Garden
        • Canadian Heritage Garden >
          • Bees
          • Canadian Heritage Orchard
        • Cascadia Garden
        • Cherry Grove
        • Chilean Garden
      • Gardens E-H >
        • Eastern North America Garden
        • Fern Dell
        • Formal Rose Garden
        • Fragrance Garden
        • Heather Garden
        • Herb Garden
        • Heritage Rose Garden
      • Gardens I-P >
        • Laburnum Walk
        • Livingstone Lake
        • Meconopsis Dell
        • Meditation Garden
        • Mediterranean Garden
        • Ornamental Grasses
        • Perennial Garden
      • Gardens R-Z >
        • Rhododendron Walk
        • Sino-Himayalan Region
        • South African Garden
        • Southern Hemisphere
        • Stone Garden
        • Vegetable Garden
        • Woodland Garden
    • Garden History >
      • History photos
  • Science
    • Animals & Insects >
      • Birds
      • Butterflies and Moths
      • Insect Friends
      • Small Creatures
    • Buds
    • Colour and Vision
    • Dynamic Symmetry - Fibonacci Spirals
    • Flowers
    • Fruit
    • Germination
    • Habitats and Environments
    • Hormones
    • Leaves
    • Life on Earth
    • Light, Energy, and Rainbows
    • Plant Calendars
    • Pollination
    • Pollen
    • Roots
    • Scents
    • Seeds
    • Soil
    • Stems
    • Vascular Plants
    • Web of Interdependence
    • Weeds
  • Bloedel
  • Search
  • About
    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
  • Contact