Scripps-Mesa Garden Club Uncategorized Plants that sustained the British Empire

Plants that sustained the British Empire

There are many plants that fit this description, e.g. tea, anyone? or cinchona the source of the anti-malarial medicine quinine, but here is one I did not know.  Gutta percha.  By the late 1800’s the British Empire was the largest to have existed, spanning the globe from England to India, Malaya, Australia and Canada.  Communication by boat took weeks or months.  The invention of the telegraph and the unique properties of Gutta percha enabled the empire to remain manageable well into the 1900’s.

Enjoy this short video from the BBC

Gutta Percha: The tree that shrunk the world – BBC Reel

Related Post

Monarch CaterpillarMonarch Caterpillar

A migrating female Monarch placed her egg (the size of a pin head) on a leaf of this milkweed in my garden.

Four days later a caterpillar emerged and started eating.  Ten days later, and about 2” long, the caterpillar developed a chrysalis which can be found hanging on a nearby tree or post.

Ten days later, the monarch emerged.  Pretty amazing journey for 28 days

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on just one plant, and that is milkweed, Asclepias. This picture shows Asclepias curassavica.

This genus is herbaceous, perennial and flowering.  Monarch caterpillars eat only the leaves of the milkweed.

Milkweed is a beneficial wildflower and is not invasive. Other species use the nectar and some will also eat parts of the plant.

The plant, which has a milky sap, does contain toxins, which can be harmful to pets and humans, so be careful when handling.

post provided by SC.