Lynn Smythe
Multipurpose Ornamental Plants
January 12th 2008 19:10
Okra Flowers
The plants mentioned in this article serve a multitude of functions. They have ornamental foliage and flowers, they can be used for culinary and/or medicinal purposes and they attract a plethora of wildlife to your yard. The following article focuses on my top ten favorite multipurpose ornamental plants all of which I have growing in my zone 10 garden in SE Florida.
False Roselle (Hibiscus acetosella)
-ornamental flowers
-edible flowers
-Japanese maple type burgundy foliage
-leaves can be eaten in salads or stir-fires
-AKA red-leaf hibiscus, bronze hibiscus
The September 2003 issue of Better Homes and Gardens shows false Roselle in a planting along with yellow-green ornamental grasses and silver-leaved Artemisia. I have mine planted along side a giant clump of lemon grass. Carefully think out the location in your garden where you place this plant as it can quickly grow to size of a medium to large shrub.
Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
-AKA sun choke
-edible tubers can be used raw or cooked in a variety of culinary creations.
-wonderful 8' tall plants
-long lasting miniature sunflower like flowers
-attracts lots of beneficial insects
Jerusalem artichokes have no problem growing during our hot and humid south Florida summers although they don't start to flower until the early fall. They grow extremely tall, I have mine planted next to 8' tall sections of lattice trellis for support. They are a perennial that spreads prolifically unless you harvest every last bit of the tuber. This is not a problem if you are growing the plant to harvest the tubers for culinary purposes but I would not recommend growing it solely for ornamental purposes unless you have a large piece of land.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
-edible leaves
-edible flowers
-immature seed pods are edible and can be preserved and eaten like capers.
-wonderful ornamental plant with prolific flowers
My favorite type of nasturtium is the Alaska variety which has variegated foliage. Nasturtiums are also available as a vine variety which can be trained to grow up a trellis or pergola. This is an annual plant that produces many seeds which can be saved to plant the following years crop.
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus 'burgundy')
-vegetable
-seeds
-dried seed pods
-beautiful flowers
What's a vegetable doing on this list you may ask!?! I'm talking about the burgundy colored variety of okra. It gets pretty hollyhock-like flowers. You can eat the immature seed pods in a variety of dishes including my favorite - chicken gumbo. The mature seed pods can be harvested for their seeds and planted for next years crop. The mature seed pods with the seeds removed can be dried and used in a multitude of dried floral arrangements and potpourri blends.
Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens 'variegata')
-edible leaves and flowers
-variegated foliage
-use fresh leaves in your culinary creations
-use dried leaves in medicinal teas
This mint is not as invasive as some varieties of mint tend to be. I have had no problem planting pineapple mint directly in my garden whereas other varieties of mint I usually limit to container plantings.
Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)
-edible flowers
-edible leaves
-leaves used in tea
-attracts butterflies
-wonderful fruity scent
This is a beautiful plant with dark green leaves and bright red flowers. The flowers will attract a variety of beneficial insects to your garden.
My complete article, Multipurpose Ornamental Plants, can be found on the Associated Content website.
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