I have two puzzles in my landscape...

Greywolf · Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:52 pm

One of them I have a fair idea what it is, and it's kind of cute in a way. The other has become kinda absolutely monstrous in proportion.

In this first animated picture series you see the number one. I am reasonably sure that this plant is something edible - if I could just figure out what it is! At the end of one season, I scattered a bunch of seeds of SOMETHING that I had been having no luck with. It may be Mustard, it may be Collards, but I'm pretty sure it is some sort of salad greens:

But WHAT?

This second image anime' is a thing that resembles nothing quite so much as a Tarzan vine from an old Johnny Weismuller movie. It has grown in huge loops and up into the tops of the tallest trees along that side of my property, and it produces some sort of small green berries.

I have actually eaten some of them with no ill effects.

It has been suggested that it may be an old Columbine or other similar berry vine left over from when my place was once part of a large family farm (which also explains why a number of Pecan trees surround the lot)

Any information about either of these would be most helpful indeed...

applestar · Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:12 pm

First one looks like Perilla, but not my Japanese red perilla and green perilla.
...which leads me to wonder if this is a native NA perilla, which I understand is questionable for eating and - I'm pretty sure - is not safe for livestock.

I have some that appear to be a green and red cross, but yours is even more faded in color than my probable cross.

I don't think I have any pictures of them, at least not intentionally taken. But I'll see....

applestar · Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:14 pm

Found a red one:

: Aka shiso

Green ones and a faded red (maybe a cross):

: Ao (green) Shiso

rainbowgardener · Sat Sep 06, 2014 12:26 am

I believe the second picture is wild grape vine.

The ripe [wild ] grape can be eaten but tastes better after the first frost*. They are not that large so eating them as a trail snack is suggested. Making juice from these is a great way to benefit from their goodness and the grapes freeze well so they can be used for juice throughout the winter. The leaves are also edible. They can be eaten in a salad (they have a tangy citrusy taste) or cooked. Throughout the Mediterranean, grape leaves are stuffed with rice, meat and spices. [and wild grape leaves can be used the same]
https://www.ediblewildfood.com/wild-grape-vine.aspx

*they will be very sour/bitter before that.

Greywolf · Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:48 am

More recent pics of item 1, taken this morning. They seem to be forming flower stalks now, so a definitive ID should soon be possible. The second pic shows the height they have attained, whatever they are they are not a local native specie

PS: They look nothing like your pics above, did you accidentally cross-post?

applestar · Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:27 am

No LOL look at the incidental weedy looking stuff in the bottom left corner -- maybe I should crop them down and show you.

Lazy me. I'll dash out and take some latest photos. Mine are also starting to bolt.
I've posted about using shiso in some previous threads/posts -- forum search may turn them up.

...I'm back!...

Here we go. The leaves get more frilly and the intense purple colors begin to fade once they start to bolt. The flowers are basil-like and bees and hummingbirds love them. Later on, I have watched finches and juncos eating the seeds so I leave them alone instead of clearing them out (that's why I have them coming back every year in huge weedy patches.

)