Papermaking Word of the Day for June 6

 papermaking studio safety |  general studio safety

Paper Fibers 

 

 

Papers can be made from most any plantKey: (C) well suited for calligraphy with a soft brush 

 Bast Fibers

Inner bark fibers, some of the longest fibersLeaf Fibers

Grass Fibers

Shortest and most brittle fiber

Seed Fibers

  fiber

Milkweed (Ascleoias spp.) Mulberry  C  (Broussonetia papyrifera) Fig  (Ficus carica) Daphne  (Daphne odora) Leatherwood  (Dirca palustris) Mitsumata (Edgeworthia papyrifera) Flax Breadfruit Gampi(Philippine) C (Wikstroemia diplomorpha)Japanese Kozo C (Broussonetia papyrifera)Stinging nettle True hemp

Abaca (Banana Plant) Hemp FamilyPineapple  (Ananas comosus) Flax  (Phormium tenax) New Zealand Flax Sisal Yucca  (Yucca

Papyrus     (Cyperus papyrus) Corn    (Zea mays) Cornhusks and stalks Bamboo   (Phyllostachys aurea) Bagasse (sugercane stalk)rice straw

Cotton = 95% celluloseKapok

filamentosa)

       

General Processing of  Bast Fibers General Processing of  Leaf Fibers

General Processing of  Grass Fibers

 

All plants have cellulose fiber which is the ingredient to make paper but some plant fibers are too weak and other to strong and difficult to make paper pulp out of

     

 The most common Japanese papermaking fiber. The inner bark of shoots of the Paper Mulberry plant (Kozo). These shoots are harvested annually therefore the material is replenishable. 

   

LintersFiber cooked in lye before pressed into sheets.

Japanese KozoThere are three bark layers in this plant:

black bark (chiri) green bark inner white layer

strong fiber an very long strands cooked in mild caustic for preparation (soda ash) hand beaten 

     

too delicate for a Hollander beater. Traditional sheet requires use of formation aid

Thai Kozo = grown under different climate conditions

Philippine GampiThe most refined Japanese papermaking fiber.  Acts similar to Kozo in the vat but is a very different plant. Resulting paper has a silky sheen. Cook in soda ash. Do not beat in a Hollander.  requires use of formation aid.Crisp, lustrous off white to tan insect resistant high resistant high shrinkage.

     

       

Misc. Notes

Half Stuff is partially prepared fiber, sometimes from cloth scrapsWood fibers from soft and hardwood trees are possibleFibers used in textile and basketmaking are often suitable (Raffia,Seagrass, Jute, Sisal)Also: Linen, Milkweed. Iris, OkraRecycled Material- can be made from waste paper of good quality

Reference Books:

Bell, Lillian A. "Plant Fibers for Papermaking," Lilaceae Press, McMinnville, Oregon, 1990. Barrett, Timothy. "Japanese papermaking:Tradition, Tools, and Techniques." 

arts-in-company home | paper | papyrus | printmaking | web projects 

Child:

 

Same:

Paper FibersFiber   Test   Procedure Fiber   Test   Supplies Sheet/Fiber   Documentation   Form

 

Parent/Home:

HomeHistoryFibers   for   Paper

Japanese   Sheetforming Western   Techniques NepaleseSheet   Drying   Methods Dyes   and   Pigments Simple   Plant   Papers WatermarksjunkSupply   List CalendarRecycled   Paper SafetyMethods   of   Beating   Fibers GlossarySuppliersLinksPulp   Manipulation Children's   Class   Management ProjectsSimple   Plant   Papers GrainArchivalMold   and   Deckle AdditivesPulp   Casting

Surface   Decoration BibliographyMisc

 

 

Word of the Day for June 6 arts-in-company home

History of Papermaking

Papyrus

Sheet Formation   Western Techniques   Japanese Techniques ( Washi)     Nepalese Techniques

Simple Plant Papers

Fibers

Pulp Manipulation

Pulp Variations

Molds & Deckles

Sheet Drying 

Surface Decoration

Coloring Pulp 

Course and Workshop Materials

Glossary

Suppliers

Safety

Links

Projects

Paper Sculpture

Papermaking with Children

Vegetable Dye Research

site transformation in progress...

arts-in-company home | paper | papyrus | printmaking | web projects

© Beth LaCour 2001-2003

History

Historic uses and techniques of making common wasp, which rasps dry wood in its mouth to create a pulpy substance for

paper vary between cultures nest building

105 AD

Chinese eunuch T'sai Lun discovered a method for making paper from rags. . Hunter identifies a courtier named Ts'ai-Lun, from Lei-yang in China, as the inventor of paper and gives a date of 105 A.D. Because earlier paper-like remnants have been found in China since Hunter did his work, the date of paper's invention has been moved a least two centuries earlier by some historians. At what point the first paper was made will probably never be known, but Ts'ai-Lun most likely deserves recognition at least as one who refined and/or popularized paper as a material for writing. Prior to the invention of paper they used bamboo strips and silk.

c. 600 AD

Papermaking reaches Japan and Korea - introduced about the same time as Buddhism . Based on examples and records, papermaking is known to have stayed within China for several hundred years before reaching Korea and then Japan, countries where the craft would be carried to very refined levels, in about 600 A.D. Because of its unique properties and value, the manufacture of this material was kept a closely guarded secret.  Brought to Japan in 610 by Buddhist monks they made it for writing sutras, sacred Buddhist texts.  Paper was adopted into Shinto ceremonies often used as a symbol of purity and it became important in everyday life.  By 800 the Japanese papermakers were unrivaled. . .

  Its spread westward, along the silk and trade routes, reached Samarkand in about

750, where it is believed that Chinese papermakers were taken in  battle as prisoners and obliged to share their craft with their captors.   From here it spread throughout Islamic world. . . 

 

From this point, knowledge of the craft spread throughout the Arab regions, to Baghdad in 793, Damascus and Egypt in the 10th-century, By the 9th-century paper was the preferred writing material over papyrus and parchment. . .

 and Morocco by 1100 . .

Later

13th c --Spreads to Europe - had been available in Europe before as an expensive import from the Arabs for several hundred years. 

By late 1800's there were more than 100,000 Japanese families making hand made paper. . .

  It was only at this point that papermaking reached what we now consider Europe, through the Arab presence on the Iberian peninsula. The town of Xativa, Spain, was probably the site of the first European paper mill, by 1151, and from there,

papermaking spread to Italy, where the Fabriano and Magnani paper mills were established in the 13th century. France, Germany, and countries to the East and North followed in the establishment of mills and markets for paper. 1276 for Fabrianoother Spanish sites were Cordoba , Seville. . 

 England's first mill dates from about 1488. . . 

 

On its move westward, the techniques for making paper evolved based on available materials and needs. What we now consider European or Western papermaking differs from various Eastern methods in the type of mould, fibers, formation style, and drying. These changes were dictated mostly by the materials at hand, especially the plants which were being turned into paper. 

. 

.  

  The manufacture of paper, which was in competition largely with parchment or vellum as a surface for writing and printing, boomed with the rise in literacy and the invention of movable type in the 15th century. The volume of material required for the books and manuscripts being produced could not be met by the limited resources available for parchment, made from sheep and goat hides, and paper eventually won out. 

c1446 - Johann Gutenberg periodicals . .  

 . . 

 New illustration techniques - woodcut, engraving, etching, mezzotint . . 

1690 First paper mill established in the  United States.  (German colonist, near Philadelphia, PA) . Papermaking did not reach what is now the United States until 1690, although it had been introduced to Mexico by Spain more than a hundred years earlier. William Rittenhouse, a German papermaker who worked in the Netherlands for many years, is known to be the first papermaker in the states. His mill was established in Philadelphia and the site and some of the buildings (although not the mill) have been preserved. 

  By 1983 only 479 papermaking families remain in Europe. 

As the production of paper became subject to industrialization, we have lost alot of the characteristics of the hand made.  With the rebirth of papermaking, its limits are being stretched beyond historical use.  Now paper is one of the major disposable materials of our age 

. 

. Up to apx 150 years ago all paper was made by hand 

 

paper-like writing surface is papyrus, a Greek word from which our word "paper" derives. It comes from Egypt, of course, but was also used in Greece and Rome. 

parchment (sheepskin) or vellum(calves, lambs, or goats)

 

Much of the early years of papermaking were documented by 20th-century papermaker, explorer, and historian Dard Hunter. His work, Papermaking, The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft, covers much of the past of papermaking, as it was known in the middle of this century. Paper historians since then have expanded on his research, although no single work of equal magnitude has been published to rival Hunter's research.  

Chemical bleaching ------Acid sizing------------------ all a threat to permanaceWood Pulp -----------------

 

 

History Supply   List Glossary Suppliers Studio Safety Papermaking studio safety General studio safety Fibers   for   Paper Japanese   Sheetforming Japanese   Fiber   Information Japanese   Techniques Formation   Aid 04-Set-up   (Japanese   Techniques) Japanese   Sheetforming   Techniques washi Template Cooking   Plant   Fiber Tapa Western   Techniques Recycled   Paper Mold   and   Deckle Watermarks Nepalese

Sheet   Drying   Methods Pulp Painting

Dyes   and   Pigments Simple   Plant   Papers junk Surface Decoration Marbling Paste Paper Splatter Methods of Beating Fibers Links Pulp   Manipulation Inclusions Laminations Shaped   Paper Emboss Paper Children's   Class   Management Projects Simple   Plant   Papers Grain Archival Additives Bleach Sizing CMC 3D Techniques 3D Latex Cut and Fold

Low Relief Cast Over Object Physical Manipulation Plaster Mold Pulp Casting Surface   Decoration Bibliography Misc Bookmaking

Graphic Chemical Relief Ink Speedball Screen Filler

Multiple Plate Color Printing

Printmaking Links

Simple Plant Papers

Paper from plant fibers - fresh, non archival 

onion skins leaves celery           -      Boil first - these break down easily leeks rhubarb.  

Cut stalks into  1-2 pieces.  Boil until it breaks down into strands.  

Repeat these steps several times to make sure all of the excess plant material is removed: 

Rinse non fibrous part of plant away until the water runs clear.  Gather edges of the fabric and squeeze/wring out excess water. 

The resultant pulp is a small quantity compared to the larger bulk of plant material that you started with.  Variations: 

Add above to paper pulps (1:1 plant to paper pulp is a good starting point)  Make a sheet from pulp above 

Liquify then make paper 

Sprinkle flower petals over thepulp before making the sheets 

Make paper from dried flowers  

  Plant Paper from touher plants   Tougher plant materials have to be boiled longer and sometimes with a

   

stainless steel  pan scissors wood spoon sheer curtain fabric colander plastic/wood spoon 

caustic soda.  If a caustic is not needed, then it is best to not use it. 

Straw cornstalks ferns dead leaves wildflowers 

When using caustic uses rubber gloves and eye protection. 

In general, do not exceed 1 T caustic to 5 liters of water.  If you use too little, you can always rinse and reboil.  If you use too much, the fibers could become damaged. 

Plant must be washed after boiling to remove traces of the caustic.  Rinse for a minimum of 20 minutes, squeezing out water periodically. 

Try to liquify part and not liquify part. 

Try a meat grinder: If grind before cooking, sometimes you can get a coarse sheet without liquifying, usually with these you still need to add some liquified pulp. 

With very coarse paper having huge hunks of plant material, the paper is usually too fragile other than as a decorative paper for chine colle. 

Absence of pulp can make a paper with holes that has an interesting

woven effect. p31Papers can be made from most any plantKey: (C) well suited for calligraphy with a soft brush 

 Bast Fibers

Inner bark fibers, some of the longest fibersLeaf Fibers

Grass Fibers

Shortest and most brittle fiber

Seed Fibers

  fiber

Milkweed (Ascleoias spp.) Mulberry  C  (Broussonetia papyrifera) Fig  (Ficus carica) Daphne  (Daphne odora) Leatherwood  (Dirca palustris) Mitsumata (Edgeworthia papyrifera) Flax Breadfruit Gampi(Philippine) C (Wikstroemia diplomorpha)Japanese Kozo C (Broussonetia papyrifera)Stinging nettle True hemp

Abaca (Banana Plant) Hemp FamilyPineapple  (Ananas comosus) Flax  (Phormium tenax) New Zealand Flax Sisal Yucca  (Yucca filamentosa)

Papyrus     (Cyperus papyrus) Corn    (Zea mays) Cornhusks and stalks Bamboo   (Phyllostachys aurea) Bagasse (sugercane stalk)rice straw

Cotton = 95% celluloseKapok

       

General Processing of  Bast Fibers General Processing of  Leaf Fibers

General Processing of  Grass Fibers

 

All plants have cellulose fiber which is the ingredient to make paper but some plant fibers are too weak and other to strong and difficult to make paper pulp out of

     

 The most common Japanese papermaking fiber. The inner bark of shoots of the Paper Mulberry plant (Kozo). These shoots are harvested annually therefore the material is replenishable. 

   

LintersFiber cooked in lye before pressed into sheets.

Japanese KozoThere are three bark layers in this plant:

black bark (chiri) green bark inner white layer

strong fiber an very long strands cooked in mild caustic for preparation (soda ash) hand beaten too delicate for a Hollander beater. Traditional sheet requires use of formation aid

     

Thai Kozo = grown under different climate conditions

Philippine GampiThe most refined Japanese papermaking fiber.  Acts similar to Kozo in the vat but is a very different plant. Resulting paper has a silky sheen. Cook in soda ash. Do not beat in a Hollander.  requires use of formation aid.Crisp, lustrous off white to tan insect resistant high resistant high shrinkage.

     

       

Misc. Notes

Half Stuff is partially prepared fiber, sometimes from cloth scrapsWood fibers from soft and hardwood trees are possibleFibers used in textile and basketmaking are often suitable (Raffia,Seagrass, Jute, Sisal)Also: Linen, Milkweed. Iris, OkraRecycled Material- can be made from waste paper of good quality

Reference Books:

Bell, Lillian A. "Plant Fibers for Papermaking," Lilaceae Press, McMinnville, Oregon, 1990. Barrett, Timothy. "Japanese papermaking:Tradition, Tools, and Techniques." 

arts-in-company home | paper | papyrus | printmaking | web projects

© Beth LaCour 2001-2003

Pulp Manipulation

Unryu-shi (cloud-dragon paper)   add long swirling fibers to the pulp during sheet making  cut colored silk into small piece  Purify in blender 

Speckled paper    cut 2 or more different color papers   soak overnight   partially liquefy   add to vat of base color 

Lace paper    spray water (plant spray bottle) at freshly formed sheets -   adjust nozzle control - mist, jet   can spray directly or use stencils   lace   grid 

 leaves 

If you use stencil, the water will wash out the unprotected areas  Rain paper 

couch paper onto a contrasting sheet or alone 

 

arts-in-company home | paper | papyrus | printmaking | web projects

 

History

Process

Samples

Unsuccessful

 

Papermaking Links

History

What is papyrus?

Papyrus is probably the best-known paper-like writing surface.  Original version of papyrus is made from a plant of the same name. Our term, paper, comes from the Greek word, papyros.  Papyrus, which comes from Egypt, was also used in both Greece and Rome. For almost 4000 years it was the primary writing surface for the Greco-Roman world.

The Papyrus plant has a tall, thick multi-layered stalk. To make a writing surface, these layers are split, flattened, and placed side by side.  Additional layers are placed perpendicular to and on top of the first layer.  The stalks are then pressed, dried, and dressed with paste, before it is beaten flat and smooth.  The papyrus is then ready as a writing surface. 

Papyrus was used for literary documents, administrative documents , receipts, and various other private and official documents. True Paper

"To be classed as true paper, the thin sheets must be made from fiber that has been macerated until each individual filament is a separate unit; the fibers are then intermixed with water, and, by the use of a sievelike screen, are lifted from the water in the form of a thin stratum, the water draining through the small openings of the screen leaving a sheet of matted fiber upon the screen's surface. This thin layer of intertwined fiber is paper." 

 --- Dard Hunter

     Copyright 1998, Hand Papermaking, Inc.

  

Shared Prep:

Thin slice vegetable.Method One:

Soak in water.

Total number of soaking days is dependent attributes of the vegetable.  Cucumbers are quicker than carrots.

Method Two:

Some light cooking is used in conjunction with soaking.

Cooking shortens the number of days needed to reach the desired consistency.Shared Method:

Roll vegetable slice daily with a rolling pin until the vegetable becomes spongy (time varies):

Cucumber - 1 day Carrots = may take several weeks 

Lay out the "paper" on pellon. Place vegetable on a cloth so that the pieces overlap.

Place another cloth on top and press for approximately an  hour.  Remove from the press and change the cloths and keep changing the cloths until your papyrus is

dry. 

The cloths must be changed a minimum of once a day to reduce the risk of mold.  This is the time when mold is most likely to occur.

Papermaking Links

Unsuccessful experiments

Cherimoya

Prickly pear

Potatoes- too starchy  

  

Radish

Day One: Sliced 3/32”  Microwave – 1 min - uncovered  Microwave – 1 min – uncovered  Microwave – 2 min – uncovered  Microwave – 2 min – uncovered  Soak  Not refrigerated 

Day Two - Four:  Roll out  Soak (water changed) 

Not refrigerated 

 Papermaking

Image credit

Web Resources

Museums and Non-Profit Organizations 

Robert C. Williams American Museum of Papermaking Hand Papermaking, Inc.

Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc.

An international arts organization with a diverse membership. The interest of this group is handmade paper and related arts and crafts. Dard Hunter reintroduced handpapermaking to the U.S.

Magazines and Publications

Hand Papermaking Magazine P.O. Box 77027Washington, D.C. 20013-7027800.821.6604

Japanese

History of Washi

   Papyrus A little searching through my book marked web sites has resulted in a bonanza:  Directions for several different woven fish, as well as a number of other folded paper items, including  a dollar bill wreath (similar to tea bag folding in that multiple small pieces of paper are folded, then held together to form a particular pattern), and Moravian stars (also known as Advent/ Swedish /German stars), may be found on the following web site: http://members.aol.com/cinkmirror/instruction/pow1.htm  This is a web site specifically devoted to tea bag folding : http://www.ozemail.com.au/~allcraft/teabag.htm  The Fascinating folds web

site has information and products for any number of different paper activities, including tea bag folding (books and paper supplies), paste paper making, collage, origami, paper making,  and paper cutting.  Search through the web site under the "paper arts" section to reach the tea bag folding area: http://www.fascinating-folds.com/welcome.htm  My favorite paper cutting web site shows some extremely beautiful examples of paper cutting (many in book form): http://idt.net/~beart/bookp.html#book  The Fabric origami web site, which follows, has some very wonderful box and card designs.  These objects could be as easily folded from paper. http://www.owt.com/gdscott/  This is a great template site, with template diagrams for a multitude of  different objects, envelopes, and cards: http://www.bydonovan.com/templates.html  The following origamic architecture web site offers fascinating architectural forms, all done with scissors and paper! http://members.aol.com/kselena/OA/oamainpg.html  Some wildly wonderful and advanced paper folding examples and information can be found on the following web site devoted to geometric paper folding: http://www.sgi.com/grafica/huffman/index.html   American Museum of Papermaking http://www.ipst.edu/amp/   Dieu Donné Inc. http://www.colophon.com/dieudonne/dd1.html is a not-for-profit hand papermaking studio located in the Soho art district of

New York City. Dieu Donné celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1996. Founded in 1976 by Susan Gosin and Bruce Wineberg, the mission of Dieu Donné is the advancement of the art of handpapermaking by reinventing and adapting the age-old techniques of handpapermaking for contemporary artmaking.   Hand Papermaking Magazine  http://www.bookarts.com/handpapermaking This site includes an indispensable series of articles for beginners. The magazine is a must-read for papermakers.    Peter Verheyen's Book Arts Web Site  http://www.dreamscape.com/pdverhey/ He is the list manager for the book arts list and has links to the book arts archives, among others at this site.   Paper List PAPER-L@vma.cc.nd.edu or PAPER-L@IRISHVMA.BITNET, Fine art printmaking, papermaking, & bookarts List name: PAPER-L, Host name: IRISHVMA.BITNET. To subscribe, send mail to LISTSERV@IRISHVMA.BITNET with the command (paste it!): SUBSCRIBE PAPER-L. For more information, you can contact the list owner at PAPER-L-request@IRISHVMA.BITNET   Waterleaf Mill and Bindery a teaching facility for bookbinding, papermaking, marbling and the production arm of Pequeno Press http://www.primenet.com/~patbooks  Teaching Hand Papermaking http://soli.inav.net/~zpaper/ A wonderful, thorough, inspiring book.   Introduction to Paper Casting http://home.earthlink.net/~macarney/paper.htm   The Prairie Paper Project http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/prairiepaper.html by Douglas W. Jones, The

Center for the Book at The University of Iowa.  An introduction to papermaking using straw. "To further the connection to the vanishing natural environment of the Midwest, I used straw from big bluestem grass, one of the grasses that once towered over Iowa's tallgrass prairies."  (I had problems connecting direct, the page is there, do the connection in parts-Akua>  Papermaking at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design http://www.mcad.edu/classrooms/papermaking/paper.html great course description, blibliography and links.   The Paper Shed, papermaking supplies and exotic papers http://www.polwarth.demon.co.uk/  They're in Britain- so my correspondents in th U.K. have another great place from which to order, and visit. Moulds in those A3, A4, A5 sizes, papermaking kits, pulps and linters, dye pots, paper string .... a lovely, well-presented site.   Women's Studio Workshop  http://www.wsworkshop.org/    Women's Studio Workshop is a not for profit artists' space founded in 1974 to provide a supportive working environment for all persons interested in the arts. WSW staff artists coordinates grants, fellowships, internships, and exhibition opportunities for visual artists in state of the art printmaking, papermaking and photography studios.   Seastone Papers, a studio for hand papermaking, surface designing, and book arts,  http://www.tiac.net/users/sbernat/upcoming.html    offers winter, early spring and summer series of papermaking classes on

Martha's Vineyard. Classes included Forming Paper: Size, Shape, Lamination, Techniques of Fiber Collage and Multiple Dips, Decorative Interiors: Inclusions and Coagulation, Surface Design: Focus on Pulp Painting, Shaping Flax Three-Dimensionally, Working with Plant Fibers, Pulp Book Art.... a well organized and presented site.   Stefan's Florilegium: producing pulp, making handmade paper http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/papermaking-msg.html Mark S. Harris'papermaking-messages- 6/7/94- a collection of various messages collected from various computer networks.  Paper Casting Using Rycraft Ceramic Stamps http://www.rycraft.com/pc/pc1.htm     Paper Crafts Bulletin Board http://www.wwvisions.com/craftbb/papercrafts.html    Marbling for Paper and Fabric, Information and Sources http://members.aol.com/marbling/marbling  The Best Little Craft Mall http://www.craftmall.com sponsors a discussion area, links to extensive book resource   Aunt Annie's Craft Page Recycling and Crafts http://auntannie.com   ArtsWire http://www.artswire.org   Beverly's Craft and Fabric Message Board... with several paper threads http://www.beverlys.com//wwwboard.htm  Craft Equipment Exchange Newsletter  http://www.sonic.net/~ceen     Creators on the Net Bini Atkinson 

http://www.larts.co.uk/atkib.htm  Jane Ingram Allen, Sculptor/Installation artist http://www.borg.com/~allents works in/with paper, offers workshops, and has great articles to read at her site.  Francesco Baietti's Maché. http://www.well.it/baietti/  Catherine Campaigne Valentine Bowl, 1994 Papier Maché/Acrylic 5 3/4" x 2 3/8" http://www.lanminds.com/proarts96/artists/043.html     Paper Pottery from Gentle Art http://www.maui.ne/~southsky/gentle/paperpot.html  Paper Pursuits, a gallery of handmade Judaica arts and crafts by Lois Mittleman, fiber artist http://members.aol.com/Papursuits/   Studio Beth - Paper Projects http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/3307/paper1.html 

Image credit

Western Sheet Forming Techniques

Equipment Required

Mould and deckle vat (concrete mixing container) a press (2 boards held together with C-clamps can work) sponge felts or couching  cloths ( Remember that the texture of the felts will be

transferred to the paper)

Method

Put about 4 inches of warm water into your vat. Add about 3 cups of pulp and mix well. Hold the deckle onto the mould and lower into the vat vertically, as you reach

the bottom of the vat, move the mould and deckle to a horizontal position and slowly raise through the water.  As you leave the surface of the vat, gently shake the mould and deckle from side to side and back and forth. When most of the water has drained through tilt to one comer to drain some more then remove  the deckle.

Couch- Invert the mould onto a very wet felt. Rock back and forth and rock the mould off the felt leaving the sheet of paper

on the felt. Put another wet felt on top of the  paper and repeat the process. Ten to twelve sheets can be made at one time by placing a felt between each sheet. The sponge is then removed  and the paper is pressed between two boards for an hour or overnight.  Once pressed the paper can be hung to dry on the felts. When it is dry the paper will peel easily from the felt but should be pressed lightly between dry boards or under books.Different shapes can be made by using different deckles. Some mould  and deckle sets come with an envelope deckle which has the corners  blocked. An embroidery hoop can be used as a deckle to make circular  sheets of paper. 

 

Western Sheetforming Techniques

Thickness of the sheet is determined by the proportion of pulp to water.  Good to start 1 pulp: 4 water As needed, regular intervals, add measured

amount of prepared pulp. o Stir to evenly distribute the pulp. 

     Hydrate the vat.  Place palm flat to the bottom of the vat. In general, the more water-the thinner the sheet the more pulp-the thicker the sheet.

o Japanese call this tame-zuki "to fill and hold way to make paper". 

Japanese method Nagashi-zuki - "the flowing or sloshing way to make paper". 

Floating mold method

Pull the mold through vat to form the sheet 

Deckle placed on top of the mold to control the edge of the sheet.  Screen trap the fiber and lets the water drain away.

Hold the two mold parts together onthe short sides of the mold.

Perpendicularly insert mold and deckle into the far side of the vat 

Dip the mould into the pulp in a slow continuous motion pulling forward and gradually bringing the mold into a horizontal

position

Vat Man Shake 

Shake the mold gently a couple of times (both side to side and front to back) to align the fibers and let excess water drain out.

Fibers alignment affects the strength of the paper

Remove deckle and check sheet quality 

Tip mold to drain the excess water from the corners.  Hold a sponge below the help catch any water that does not return to the vat.

Remove deckle.  Kiss of deckle.

If the sheet is inferior,kiss it off screen so that pulp goes back into the vat 

Re-stir the pulp slurry

Can stack layer of pulp and damp felts

Paper press

Transfer paper to felt 

 Damp felts

Couch: (Rhymes with smooch -"kooching"). From French "coucher" - to lay down) Turn mold onto felt (or newspaper) so that paper is between the screen and felt

Remove some of the water from the back of the screen with a sponge.  (Not always necessary)

Paper will stick to dampfelt before you remove the mold

Remove mold

Place another layer of newsprint, or damp felt, on top and gently press with a rolling pin to remove excess water.  Gradually increase pressure. Pressing helps to strengthen paper.

Remove top felt.

Transfer paper to cotton sheeting or drying board

Place paper and felt "upside down" onto white board.  The felt will be on top

oll down again with rolling pin.

Mark your new sheet of paper with a post-it note with your name

Press dry.  (OPTIONAL - We will not do in class)

Place another layer of cotton sheeting on top Press with a warm iron.  Keep it moving

Can directly iron the paper when it is nearly dry

From blender- aim for approximately 1/8" thick as pulp. Creamy consistency. 

Wash mold and deckle after each use to prevent any transfer of pulp residue between batches 

Do not fill vat closer than 3" to top of vat to prevent too much splash. 

Big sheets from small molds Place sheets next to each other slightly overlapping until you reach the desired size 

coloured pulps, shaped and alternative moulds, stencils, creative watermarks, string pulls, lace and rain papers are just some of the exciting possibilities you will experience. 

Unique packaging for special gifts (or gifts in themselves, just as they are) Decorative papers will be handmade, shaped with mould & deckle to form boxes, cards, envelopes, bags and packets.

 

Japanese Techniques (Washi) General Studio Safety Papermaking Studio Safety

Materials and Supplies     Set-up

Preparation of Raw Fiber  Beating Fiber Formation Aid (Neri) Vat Set-up Sheetforming Techniques Drying

Paper in Japan is traditionally used for much more than a writing surface. The superior strength of  washi (Japanese handmade paper) suitable for umbrellas, lanterns, kites, clothing, string, packaging, even building materials. It is unfortunately that Western culture and, modern mass-production methods have permeated Japanese culture and as a result, washi is much less prevalent today. 

Washi is extremely durable but lightweight paper.  Its  translucent beauty makes it a favorite printmakers, bookbinders, fine artists, and craftspeople.

  Until recently, handmade paper production was part of a natural cycle in rural Japan. Toward the end of each year, when the rice harvest was finished and the silk was all spun, out came the papermaking paraphernalia. Papermaking used to be a winter endeavor, when cold weather limited bacteria growth, the formation aid was more effective, and kozo was at its prime. It is now a year round activity, making imported pulp and chemical preservatives necessary. Some 100,000 households made paper in the mid 1800's. Now only about 400 continue the tradition.  

Kozo, mitsumata, and gampi are the three most common fibers used for Japanese paper production, with kozo--a type of mulberry--by far the most popular. Compared with Western pulp, they differ most importantly in the length of the individual fibers--up to 12mm compared to less than 4mm for cotton rag pulp. These long fibers are kept suspended in the vat with the use of a slippery, viscous substance called formation aid, or neri. The predominant source of neri is the root of the Tororo-aoi plant, harvested at the same time as kozo.  

Japanese kozo = pale yellow paper 

Thai kozo -- tan paper

.Neri production is relatively easy--just pound the Tororo-aoi roots and soak them in water. Preparation of the actual fiber takes more patience. After soaking, the outer bark of the plant must be removed; the black bark below and the underlying green bark must be scraped off with a knife. The white, inner bark--or bast--is dried, soaked again, and boiled in an alkaline solution which removes non-cellulose matter. After a thorough washing, and bleaching in the sun, final impurities are removed by hand. Finally, the fiber is formed into small balls ready for beating.  

Beating fiber for washi is a more delicate operation than the beating of Western fibers. Unlike cotton rag, kozo only needs a light beating to "tease" the fibers apart without tearing them. This is still done by hand, generally. If a Hollander is used, the roll and bedplate are brought close for only a short length of time, or not at all.  

Eastern and Western style methods of sheet formation differ greatly. The Japanese call the Western method tame-zuki which might be roughly translated as "the fill-and-hold way to make paper," since pulp is held in the mould until it drains and the remaining felted pulp forms the sheet. In contrast, the Japanese method is called

nagashi-zuki and means something like "the flow-and-slosh way to make paper." The neri in the pulp allows for multiple dips into the vat, flowing in from the near edge and sloshing off the far side of the mould, in a continuous movement that keeps the pulp constantly moving. The number of times the papermaker dips the mould essentially determines the thickness of the sheet.  

The Eastern mould differs from its Western counterpart in that the deckle is attached with a hinge, and the screen is removable. This bamboo screen, or su, facilitates removing the sheet from the mould and couching it onto a post of finished sheets. Felts are  unnecessary between sheets as the neri and long fibers allow the individual sheets to separate even after pressing. Each sheet is then carefully peeled off the post and brushed onto a smooth surface to dry.  

  Copyright 1997, Hand Papermaking, Inc.

papermaking studio safety |  general studio safety

Nepalese 

Child:

Amate

Materials and Supplies pulp mold/deckle  couching cloths

Based on a traditional Chinese method of pouring pulp onto a partially

 

Same:

HistoryFibers   for   Paper Japanese   Sheetforming Western   Techniques NepaleseSheet   Drying   Methods Dyes   and   Pigments Simple   Plant   Papers WatermarksjunkShaped   Paper Supply   List CalendarRecycled   Paper SafetyMethods   of   Beating   Fibers GlossarySuppliersLinksPulp   Manipulation Children's   Class   Managemen

submerged mold. Deckle not required because you are using essentially the back of the mold.

Sheets have distinctive cloud-like fiber formation 

Sheet allowed to dry on the mold and then peeled off.  Nepalese Sheet Drying Technique

Need lots of molds.  Can use standard mold but a slightly deeper mold is good. 

Method

1.  Half filled vat.  Place mold so the water partially fills mold 

2.  With screen submerged, pour pulp into the mold.  Stir to disturb. 

3.  Repeat slap mold with back of hand to even layer. 

4.  Lift mold straight up and out of vat. 

5.  Drain approximately 5 minutes. 

6.  Place mold on absorbent felt.  Can carefully use a couching felt to help remove water from inside of mold, but do not remove pulp. 

tProjectsSimple   Plant   Papers GrainArchivalMold   and   Deckle AdditivesPulp   Casting Surface   Decoration BibliographyMisc

 

Parent/Home:

Home

 

 

 

 

7.  Prop to dry. 

8.  When dry, rub back of screen to loosen paper, then peel it off. 

Mold & Deckle

Materials and SuppliesDAY SIX - MOLD & DECKLE

Dawson pp 2022

 Show slides 

wove laid samples

.Ideal:  Mahogany, teak. Work well in repeated use in water without sealants and varnish 

Free of knots and warpages 

Inside dimension= size of paper 

Adequate: pine, ash, fir, or walnut  

Slides 

Japanese Western Nepalese

1x2 if mitered flat L shaped brackets (Brass) Fabric screen = brass nails or brass stapled

Spray

Wove Laid

Brass staples (steel rusts)

Watermarks - make of thin brass and sew on mold with

Mold- rectanglular wood frame covered with porous screen or cloth stretched 

Deckle-uncovered frame- raised edge around screen helps pulp from rinsing off mold.

Deckle is the removable wooden frame which fits the mold exactly and creates a raised edge. Picture frame molding can be used. 

Any glue used in the construction of the mould and deckle should be insoluble in water.

Wove mold - mid 18th c devel

Japanese style 

Japanese molds are called sugeta.  The su is the removable screen-Parallel strips of bamboo held together with silk thread.  Mold & deckle hinged. 

First molds- pour pulp onto woven colth - streched across wood frame- and let dry on the cloth.  Needed lots of molds. 

Early Spanish and Italian paper likely used a version of this mold with removable bamboo or reed cover.  Japanese use this to develop their technique: nagashi-zuki.  

No matter what type the main function is to allow water to drain away from the then layer of pulp.

papermaking studio safety |  general studio safety

Sheet Drying Methods 

Child:

 

Same:

HistoryFibers   for   Paper Japanese   Sheetforming Western   Techniques Nepalese

Equally important as the actual forming of the sheet is the process used for removing excess water from the sheet and the drying of the newly formed paper.  No matter what drying method is used, always dry the paper slowly.

Paper made from high shrinkage fibers, such as linen, must be dried under pressure to keep them flat. Otherwise, distortion, cockling, and other irregularities will appear in the dried sheets. 

Method 1: Drying under a press

Place a stack of sheets with alternating felts (a"post") into press.  As the post is created, it is naturally curved which facilitates pressure that forces

Sheet Drying MethodsDyes   and   Pigments Simple   Plant   Papers WatermarksjunkShaped   Paper Supply   List CalendarRecycled   Paper SafetyMethods   of   Beating   Fibers GlossarySuppliersLinksPulp   Manipulation Children's   Class   Managemen tProjectsSimple   Plant   Papers GrainArchivalMold   and   Deckle AdditivesPulp   Casting Surface   Decoration

water from the center out.  This technique strengthens the paper by increasing fiber bonding and accelerates drying by squeezing out large amounts of water.

Presses range from boards with heavy weights to elaborate, large screw presses or large hydraulic presses.

This process often requires that forced air be used in conjunction with sandwiched layers of damp paper, blotters, and corrugated or porous plates. These layers are kept under moderate pressure while air is forced through the entire stack, until the paper is dry.   Most papermakers do not fully dry sheets of paper in a press.  The need for good air circulation and other considerations make alternative methods more practical.

Method 2: Drying under a press- Exchange Method

Place a stack of sheets with alternating felts (a"post") into press.  As the post is created, it is naturally curved which facilitates pressure that forces water from the center out.

Presses range from boards with heavy weights to elaborate, large screw presses or large hydraulic presses.

1st Press- Remove most of water using a press.The press is then used to expel water from the paper sheets.   This technique strengthens the paper by increasing fiber bonding and accelerates

BibliographyMisc

 

Parent/Home:

Home

 

 

 

 

drying by squeezing out large amounts of water.  Remove felts and damp sheets as soon as approximately 1/2 hour of water expulsion.

2nd Press-  Separate felts and sheets. Lift sheets using opposite corners of closest long side.  If this is too difficult, pick up the felt. Take care to not remove the sheet below.  Stack sheets with new dry felts and re-press with lighter pressure.

3rd Press-Restack with a dry felt at the top and bototomof the stack. No felts between paper.  Press again more lightly than before.  Repeat this 3rd press several times.  Each time you should separate and restack the papers until the papers are dry and smooth.

Method 3: Nepalese-style

When sheets of paper are formed Nepalese-style, the sheets are formed in a floating, cloth-covered mold.  In this technique, the sheets are then dried in the same mold used for sheet creation.  Usually sunlight and air alone dry this type of paper, they are not pressed). Following the Nepalese tradition requires a large number of molds since each mold is in use throughout the drying process.

Method 4: Restraint Drying

Paper can be dried sheet by sheet, with one side applied to a flat surface, such as formica or plexiglass, and the other exposed to the air.   This

process gives the paper a two-sided quality: the side exposed to the air often softer and less compressed; the side facing the surface is dense, with a regular almost glasslike surface.

Method 5: Traditional Western

Traditionally paper was dried in sets of several pages together (called "spurs"), which were clipped to or draped over ropes or wooden dowels, hung in well-ventilated rooms. After a partial drying, the sheets were separated from the spur and rehung.

http://www.arts-in-company.com/paper/index.html

papermaking studio safety |  general studio safety

Paper Fibers

 

 

Papers can be made from most any plantKey: (C) well suited for calligraphy with a soft brush 

 Bast Fibers

Inner bark fibers, some of the longest fibersLeaf Fibers

Grass Fibers

Shortest and most brittle fiber

Seed Fibers

  fiber

Milkweed (Ascleoias spp.) Daphne  (Daphne odora)  Flax  (Phormium

Papyrus     (Cyperus papyrus) 

Cotton = 95%

Leatherwood  (Dirca palustris) Mitsumata (Edgeworthia papyrifera) Flax )Japanese Kozo C (Broussonetia papyrifera)Stinging nettle True hemp

tenax) New Zealand Flax Sisal 

Corn    (Zea mays) 

Bamboo   (Phyllostachys aurea) 

       

General Processing of  Bast Fibers General Processing of  Leaf Fibers

General Processing of  Grass Fibers

 

All plants have cellulose fiber which is the ingredient to make paper but some plant fibers are too weak and other to strong and difficult to make paper pulp out of

     

 The most common Japanese papermaking fiber. The inner bark of shoots of the Paper Mulberry plant (Kozo). These shoots are harvested annually therefore the material is replenishable. 

   

LintersFiber cooked in lye before pressed into sheets.

Japanese KozoThere are three bark layers in this plant:

black bark (chiri) green bark

     

inner white layer

strong fiber an very long strands cooked in mild caustic for preparation (soda ash) hand beaten too delicate for a Hollander beater. Traditional sheet requires use of formation aid

Thai Kozo = grown under different climate conditions

Philippine GampiThe most refined Japanese papermaking fiber.  Acts similar to Kozo in the vat but is a very different plant. Resulting paper has a silky sheen. Cook in soda ash. Do not beat in a Hollander.  requires use of formation aid.Crisp, lustrous off white to tan insect resistant high resistant high shrinkage.

     

       

Misc. Notes

Half Stuff is partially prepared fiber, sometimes from cloth scrapsWood fibers from soft and hardwood trees are possible

Fibers used in textile and basketmaking are often suitable (Raffia,Seagrass, Jute, Sisal)Also: Linen, Milkweed. Iris, OkraRecycled Material- can be made from waste paper of good quality

Reference Books:

Bell, Lillian A. "Plant Fibers for Papermaking," Lilaceae Press, McMinnville, Oregon, 1990. Barrett, Timothy. "Japanese papermaking:Tradition, Tools, and Techniques." 

Edible Flowersby S.E. Newman and A. Stoven O'Connor 1(11/09)

Quick Facts... Proper identification of edible flowers is important. Use flowers that are grown without pesticides. For best flavor, use flowers at their peak. Introduce new flowers into the diet slowly to be able to pinpoint allergic reactions. Edible flowers also may be preserved in oils or vinegars.

Edible flowers have been used in the culinary arts for flavor and garnish for hundreds of years. Early reports indicate that the Romans used flowers in cooking, as did the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. During Queen Victoria’s reign, edible flowers were popular and they are again popular in North America and Europe.

Many flowers are edible and the flowers of most culinary herbs are safe. However, proper identification is essential because some flowers are poisonous and should not be eaten. (See Table 1.)

Pick flowers early in the day. Use them at their peak for the best flavor. Avoid unopened blossoms (except daylilies) and wilted or faded flowers. They may have a bitter or unappealing flavor. Do not use flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides, which often occurs along roadsides, or collect flowers from plants that have been fertilized with untreated manure. Generally avoid purchasing flowers from florists, garden centers or nurseries. These flowers are not grown for consumption. Table 2 lists many plants that can be added to food for flavor, aroma, color or garnish.

Fresh flowers also can be preserved for later use. Choose flowers with larger petals, such as pansies, and paint the petals with an egg-white wash. Use a soft brush and dehydrated egg whites to avoid food borne illness. These flowers are edible if the dehydrated egg powder has been pasteurized. After painting, dust the petal with super-fine granulated sugar and dry it. Store preserved flowers in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Avoid dark-colored petals; they turn even darker with this treatment.

Using Edible Flowers

To avoid stomach upset or to determine if there is an allergic reaction, try a small quantity of the new flowers yourself. Edible petals or entire flowers can be eaten. However, remove stems, anthers and pistils because they may be bitter (Figure 1). Use flowers that are free of insects and diseases.

Many edible flowers are high in vitamin C and/or vitamin A, along with other essential nutrients. Use them as garnishes and in salads. Recipes for flowers may be found in the following areas: baking, sauces, jelly, syrup, vinegars, honey, oil, tea, flower-scented sugars, candied flowers, wine and flavored liquors. Flavored vinegars and oils prepared at home have a limited shelf-life and should be stored in the refrigerator (Kendall and Rausch, 2006). Pick the flowers, gently with running water, rinse and place between damp paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to use. Some varieties may last longer if not washed until they are ready to use. Some flowers may be dried and used as dried herbs.

Figure 1: Flower parts.

References

Kendall, P. and J. Rausch. 2006. CSU Extension Fact Sheet 9.340, Flavored Vinegars and Oils.

Knight A.P. A Guide to Poisonous House and Garden Plants. Teton New Media. 2006.

Lampe, Kenneth F. AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, 1985. American Medical Association

Table 1: Some common Garden plants with TOXIC flowers (not a complete list).

Scientificname

Common names

Scientific nameCommon

names

Achillea millefolium Yarrow, milfoil Lantana camara Lantana, red sage, shrub verbena

Anconitum spp. Monkshood Lathyrus spp. Sweet pea (seeds)

Clematis spp. Clematis, virgin's bower Lobelia spp. Cardinal flower

Colchicum spp. Crocus Narcissus spp. Daffodil, jonquil

Convallaria majalis Lily of the Valley Nerium oleander Oleander

Daphne mezereum Daphne Nicotiana spp. Flowering tobacco

Datura spp. Jimson weed Papaver somniferum Opium poppy, common poppy

Delphinium spp. Larkspur Phoradendron spp. Mistletoe

Dicentra Formosa Bleeding heart Physalis spp. Chinese or Japanese lantern

Digitalis purpurea Foxglove, digitalis Rhododendron spp. Azaleas, rhododendrons, rose bay

Euphorbia spp.1 Euphorbia Ricinus communis Castor bean, African coffee tree

Hippeastum spp. Amaryllis Zantedeschia aethiopica Calla lily

Hyaninthus spp. Hyacinth Zigadenus spp. Death camas, alkaligrass, wild onion

Jasminum spp. Jasmine    

1Poinsettias are not considered poisonous, but they are not edible. If eaten, all plant parts may cause varying degrees of mouth irritation and vomiting, but not death. The cultivated rubber tree Heavea brasiliensis, Manioc or cassava (Manihot), and Castor bean (Rincinus) are close relatives, which are poisonous. With its close genetic ties to the rubber tree, which is where natural latex is derived, those who are sensitive may also be sensitive to the latex from poinsettias.

 

Table 2: Recommended plants with edible flowers.

Plant name

Type1 Flowercolor

Bloom Taste Fragrance Comments and hints

Abelmoschus aesculentus Okra, gumbo, gombo

A Yellow, red Mid-July to August

Mild, sweet and slightly mucilaginous

-- Full sun, hot weather; prefers clay to clay loam.

Agstache foeniculumAnise hyssop

P Lavender July to frost

Strong anise, sweet, licorice

-- May die back to the ground;readily resows; full sun to light shade; well-drained soil.

Alcea rosea Hollyhock

P Various July to frost

Little, slightly bitter -- Best as a garnish or container for dip. Full sun to light shade.

Allium schoenoprasum Chive

P Lavender, red to purple

May to June

Onion, strong Onion Separate florets to serve. Forms clumps; part shade to full sun; indoors.

Allium tuberosum Garlic chive

P White August to frost

Onion, strong Onion Separate florets to serve. Partial shade to full sun; also indoors.

Anethum graveolensDill

A Yellow June to frost

Stronger than leaves Dill Resows readily, tolerates poor soil but prefers well-drained soil; full sun.

Anthemis nobilis English chamomile

P White petals; yellow center

Late June to frost

Sweet apple flavor -- Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile; drink no more than one cup of tea per day. Prefers moist, well- drained soil; full sun to part shade.

Anthriscus cerefoliumChervil

A White May to June

Parsley-like, hint of citrus, tarragon

-- Start in cold frame.

Begonia x tuberhybrida Tuberous begonia

TP White, pink, yellow, red, orange and combinations

July to August

Citrus -- Grow indoors or out; dig tubers each fall, just after frost and store; prefers moist, fertile soil; part to full shade. Only hybrids are edible.

Bellis perennis English daisy

P White to purple petals

April to September

Mild to bitter -- Use as garnish or in salads. Thrives incold weather;

prefers full sun, moist soil.

Borago officinalis Borage

A Blue, purple to lavender

June to July

Cucumber -- Use as garnish; may be candied. Full sun; light, poor, dry soil. Attracts bees.

Brassica spp. Broccoli, cauliflower

B (grown as A)

Buds: blue-green; yellow flower, white buds in cauliflower

June to August

Broccoli -- Vegetable. Prefers full sun; rich, well-drained soil. Sow indoors six weeks prior to transplant.

Brassica spp. Mustard

A Yellow April to May

Mustard, hot -- Salad garnish. Watch for allergies.

Calendula officinalisCalendula, pot marigold

A Yellow, gold/orange

June to August

Tangy and peppery

-- Ornamental. Dries well. Prefers cool weather; rich loam; direct sow.

Carthamus tinctorius Safflower, American safflower, saffron

A Yellow to deep red

August Bitter flavor -- May impart yellow color to cooked foods. Full sun; light, dry, well-drained soil; start indoors and transplant.

Cercis canadensis Redbud

P Pink April Beanlike to tart apple

-- Native tree to U.S. ; may be marginal in Colorado. Full sun to part shade; sandy loam; difficult to transplant.

Chrysanthemum coronariumGarden chrysanthemum, shungiku

P Yellow to white August to October

Mild -- Ornamental. Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil.

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum Oxeye daisy

P White/yellow center

April to August

Mild -- Use as garnish or in salad. Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil, invasive.

Cichorium intybus Chicory

P Blue to lavender

July to frost

Pleasant, mild-bitter similar to endive

-- Considered a weed. Grows in most soils; sun to shade; invasive.

Citrus limonLemon

P White Varies with variety

Citrus, slightly bitter

Sweet floral Subtropical tree but may be grown indoors.

Citrus sinensisOrange

P White Varies Citrus, sweet/strong

Perfume,sweet Subtropical tree but may be grown indoors.

Coriandrum sativum Coriander

A White June to frost

Like leaf but milder Fragrant Herb. Sow continuously for several harvests; sun; rich, well-drained soil.

Cucurbita spp. Squash or pumpkin

A Orange, yellow July to August

Mild, raw squash Slightly floral Vegetable. Enrich soil with compost; prefers full sun.

Cynara scolymusArtichoke

A Immature head: green

Fall Artichoke -- Prefers rich soil, abundant moisture; propagate from

division for annual harvest.

Dendranthema x grandiflorumChrysanthemum

P Red, yellow, pink, orange, purple, white

August to October

Varieties differ, strong to bitter

Pungent Ornamental. Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil.

Dianthus spp. Dianthus or pinks

P Pink, white and red

June to August

cloves Spicy, Some varieties are spicier

Ornamental.Tolerates wide range of soils; full sun.

Eruca vesicariaRocket, arugula

A White May to frost

Nutty, smoky, less piquant than leaves

-- Salad green. Sow continuously for harvest; full sun to light shade; well-drained soil.

Feijoa sellowianaPineapple guava

P White to deep pink

Grow indoors

Floral flavor; papaya or exotic melon

-- Grow indoors in a greenhouse. Rich,well-drained soil; full sun-light shade.

Foeniculum vulgareFennel

P Pale yellow July to August

Licorice, milder than leaves, sweet

-- Tolerates wide range of soils; part shade to full sun.

Galium odoratum Sweet woodruff

P White May Sweet, grassy, vanilla

Vanilla Herb or ground cover. May be invasive; prefers shade. Can have a blood thinning effect if eaten in large quantities. It is considered liver toxic.

Gladiolus spp. Gladiolus

TP Various except true blue

6-8 weeks after planting

Mediocre -- Best as a container for garnish or dips or spreads.

Hemerocallis fulva Daylily

P Tawny orange June to July

Cooked, combination of asparagus/zucchini

-- All parts are edible. Full to part shade; easy to grow. Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lilies may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Hibiscus, China rose, Rose-of-China

P Orange, red or purplish red

Late summer

Citrus/cranberry flavor

-- Subtropical tree but may be grown indoors. Used in many tea flavorings.

Hibiscus syriacus Rose-of-Sharon

P Red, white, purple, violet

July to August

Mild, nutty -- Shrub. Prefers well-drained soil; full sun to part shade; deadhead to keep blooming.

Hyssopus officinalis

Hyssop

P Blue, pink, white

July to October

Bitter; similar to tonic

-- Used to flavor chartreuse, a liqueur; strong flavor. Prefers part shade and well-drained soil.

Lavandula angustifolia

P Lavender, purple, pink,

June to early

Highly perfumed Floral Taste may be very strong depending on the plant.

Lavender white August

Levisticum officinale Lovage

B Yellow, white August Mild celery -- Herb.

Malus spp. Apple or crabapple

P White to pink May Slightly floral to sour

Sweet floral Petals may be candied. Seeds are poisonous. Specimen tree, prefers full sun, fertile soil.

Melissa officinalis Lemon balm

P Creamy white July to August

Lemony, sweet Lemon Herb. May be invasive.

Mentha spp. Mint

P Lavender, pink to white

July to September

Minty; milder than leaves

Fresh, minty Herb. May be invasive; tolerates a wide range of soils; prefers part shade.

Monarda didyma Bergamot, bee balm, Oswego tea

P Red, pink,white, lavender

July to August

Tea-like, more aromatic than leaves

Sweet, perfumed

Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; part shade to full sun; prefers moist, rich soil. Powdery mildew when grown in part shade.

Muscari atlanticum, M. botryoides,Grape hyacinth

P Pink, blue April to May

Grapey, slightly sour with bitter aftertaste.

Grapey Bulb.

Ocimum basilicum A White to pale July to Milder than leaves, -- Sow continuously for several

Basil pink frost spicy harvests; well-drained rich soil; full sun.

Origanum majorana Marjoram

TP Pale pink June to August

Spicy, sweet -- Herb. Prefers full sun and dry, alkaline, well-drained soil.

Origanum spp. Oregano

P White June to August

Spicy, pungent-like leaves

-- Herb. Prefers full sun and dry, alkaline, well-drained soil.

Pelargonium spp. Scented geranium

TPWhite, red, pink, purple

Varies Like variety selected, e.g., rose, lemon; varies

MildOrnamental. Prefers full sun; light, dry well-drained soil.

Phaseolus coccineus Scarlet runner bean

TP Bright orange to scarlet

July to August

Raw bean but milder

-- Vegetable. Flower crunchy; use in salad.

Pisum sativum Garden pea

A White, tinged pink

May to June

Raw peas -- Vegetable. Prefers full sun; sandy, well-drained soil.

Poterium sanguisorbaBurnet

P Red July to August

Cucumber -- Salad herb. May be invasive; tolerates wide range of soil; sun or part shade.

Prunus spp. Plum

P Pink to white April to May

Mild, like flower nectar

Sweet Petals candy well. Pits of mature fruit are poisonous.

Raphanus sativusRadish

A White, pink, yellow after

One month Spicy -- Prefers full sun; well-drained, sandy soil but will

planting grow in almost any soil.

Rosa spp. Rose

P White, pink, yellow, red, orange

May to June, September

Highly perfumed; sweet to bitter

Rose Ornamental. Remove sour petal base. Full sun; rich, well-drained soil.

Rosmarinus officinalisRosemary

TP Pale blue, dark blue, pink, white

Depends on cultivar

Mild rosemary Delicate Herb. Do not cook flower. Tolerates full sun to part shade; well-drained, evenly moist soil.

Salvia elegans Pineapple sage

TP Scarlet September Pineapple/sage overtones

-- Herb. Prefers full sun; light, well-drained soil; may be invasive.

Salvia officinalis Garden sage

P Blue, purple, white, pink

May to July

Flowery sage, slightly musky

-- Herb. Full sun to light shade; sandy, well-drained soil; may be invasive.

Satureja hortensis Summer savory

A Pink July to August

Mildly peppery, spicy

-- Herb. Prefers full sun; light, sandy soil.

Satureja montana Winter savory,

P Pale blue to purple

July to August

Mildly peppery, spicy

-- Herb. Prefers full sun; light, sandy soil.

Syringa vulgaris Lilac

P White, pink, purple, lilac

April to May

Perfume, slightly bitter

Lilac Candies well. Prefers well-drained, alkaline soil; sun to part shade.

Tagetes erecta African marigold

A White, gold, yellow, red

May to September

Variable; some cultivars are strong

Strong, pungent

Ornamental. Prefers full sun; well-drained soil.

and bitter

Tagetes tenuifolia Signet marigold

A White, gold, yellow, red

May to September

Citrus; milder than T. erecta

-- Ornamental. Prefers full sun; well-drained soil but tolerates many soils.

Taraxacum officinale Dandelion

P Yellow May to June; fall

Bitter -- Eat cooked only. Cool weather; full sun; tolerates wide range of soils.

Thymus spp. Thyme

P Pink, purple, white

July to August

Milder than leaves -- Herb. Most creeping thymes have little flavor.

Trifolium pratense Red clover

P Pink, lilac June to September

Hay Hay Scatter florets on salad. Tolerates most soils; self sows.

Tropaeolum majusNasturtium

A Varies July to August

Watercress, peppery

-- Container or in salads. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil.

Tulbaghia ciolaceaSociety garlic

A or TP

Lilac Spring Onion flavor -- Best in full sun; tolerates part shade; prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil.

Viola odorataViolet

P Violet, pink, white

April to May

Sweet Sweet Ornamental. Candies well. Sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil.

Viola x wittrockiana

A Violet, white, pink, yellow,

May to July

Stronger than violets

-- Ornamental. Prefers cool weather; moist, rich, loamy

Viola tricolor Pansy or Johnny Jump-Up

multi-colored soil but tolerates many soils.

Yucca filamentosaYucca

P Creamy white with purple tinge

July Hint of artichoke, slightly bitter

-- Ornamental. Full sun; well-drained, sandy soil.

1A = annual; B = biennial; P = periennial; TP = tender periennial

1S. E. Newman, Colorado State University Extension greenhouse crops specialist and professor, horticulture and landscape architechture; and A. Stoven O’Connor, Extension horticulture agent, Larimer County. Original publication by K.B. Badertscher, former Colorado State University horticulture agent, Boulder County. 12/96. Reviewed 11/09.

Go to top of this page.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html

Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’– This golden-leaved Pineapple Sage was introduced in 2007 and features lime to chartreuse foliage (depending on sun exposure) with bright red flowers in September-October. Both the

leaves and flowers are edible, making a great addition to fruit salads and iced teas. Attracts hummingbirds. Grows 24-30″ high and wide. Tender Annual.

http://mikesgardentop5plants.wordpress.com/tag/edible-flowers/

ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS

Sandy Messori, assistant landscape manager who designed the Ojai Valley Inn's hummingbird garden, said “Home gardeners in every climate can be successful in attracting these little flying jewels.” Hummingbirds are not easily deterred by the presence of people. They will feed and nest in gardens that contain flowers, shrubs, and trees with intensely colored blossoms, especially red, blue, and purple. Provide a shallow birdbath. You will be treated to metallic flashes as they dart around from blossom to blossom.

Hummingbird's favorite plants include

fuschia,

salvia,

Chinese lantern,

penstemon,

hibiscus,

petunias,

violet trumpet vine,

lavender,

and foxglove.

They are attracted to the golden yellow flower clusters of the Grevillea robusta (silk oak), honeysuckle, and the creamy-white blossoms of orange trees.

http://socalgardenclub.org/Horticulture.htm

Empress of India: A collector’s heirloom with unusual blue-green leaves and long-spurred, deep red flowers, Empress of India is beautiful underneath tall summer-flowering bulbs or dahlias. It also matches darker leaved vegetables such as kale or broccoli. Plant it in children’s gardens to attract hummingbirds!

 

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/nasturtiums.html

try planting basil, catnip, fill, fennel, lavender, parsley, thyme and sage

The black-eyed Susan grows as a biennial. It just requires plenty of sun and well-drained soil. It also tends to be drought-resistant, in addition to attracting hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

The biennial foxglove comes in pink, white, red, purple, lavender and yellow. These tall flowers have plenty of small flowers that attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

The Rose of Sharon is a hardy flowering shrub. It has plenty of short-lived blooms.

http://www.ask.com/explore/best-flowers-attracting-butterflies

Grow Herbs That Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook

You may already know that hummingbirds are attracted to the color red (orange too), especially when red blossoms have a deep, trumpet or tubular shape.

Herbs That Attract Hummingbirds

Herbs have gourmet fragrance hummingbirds love, too. If you enjoy having fast fliers around your patio, deck or garden, make them welcome with a few strong scents and colors they'll appreciate.

Hummingbirds aren't noted for their sense of smell, so the stronger the herb scent is, the better they'll like it.

You can attract them with: pineapple sage cat mint common culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) lavender bee balm globe thistle goldenrod mint mallow

These common flowers will get their attention too: snapdragon shasta daisy sweet alyssum aster

clove pink fuchsia trumpet vine zinnia

Hummingbirds can be fun and funny in the garden. When I lived in Northern California, they were common garden visitors. They tantalized the cats by staying only just out of reach. When the cats started to lose interest, the birds would come in a little close or bob back and forth to get their attention again. I never saw one nabbed by a feline, but they did inspire lots of exercise. I've also been out gardening in a bright tee and had them zoom in to investigate.

Although you may find hummingbirds in most U.S. states, they are seasonal and only occasional in some areas. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Office (it's free) for more information about humming birds specific to your area.

Labels: Herbs that attract hummingbirds

http://theherbgardener.blogspot.mx/2011/05/use-herbs-to-attract-humming-birds-to.html

Edible flowers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search "Edible Flowers" is also the title of a song by the Finn Brothers on their 2004 album Everyone Is Here.See also: List of edible flowers

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009)

Moringa oleifera flowers are a popular food item in the Indian Subcontinent.

Gỏi bông điên điển và tép đồng Vietnamese cuisine dish with Sesbania bispinosa flowers.

Edible flowers are flowers that can be consumed safely. Edible flowers may be preserved for future use using techniques such as drying, freezing or steeping in oil. They can be used in drinks, jellies, salads, soups, syrups and main dishes.[1] Flower-flavoured oils and vinegars are made by steeping edible flower petals in these liquids. Candied flowers are crystallized using egg white and sugar (as a preservative).

Contents 1 Common edible flowers 2 Risks 3 See also

4 References

Common edible flowers

Blue "starflowers" from Borage are used as a garnish and have a sweet honey-like taste Artichoke (flower bud) Broccoli (flower buds) Cauliflower (flower buds) Caper (flower buds) Chamomile (for tea) Cannabis (flowers or buds) Chives (flowers or buds)

Chrysanthemum (flower) Citrus blossoms (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit) Clover (Trifolium) Daisies (Bellis perennis quills) Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale leaves, roots, flowers, petals, buds) Daylilies (Hemerocallis buds, flowers, petals) Elderflower (blossoms for drink) Hibiscus Honeysuckle Jasmine (for tea) Lilac (salads) Moringa oleifera Nasturtium (blossoms and seeds) Osmanthus fragrans (flower) Pansies (Viola x Wittrockiana flowers, petals) Pot Marigolds (Calendula officinalis petals with white heel removed) Roses (Rosa petals with white heel removed, rose hips) Sesbania grandiflora (flower) Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus buds, petals, seeds) Violet ('leaf and flowers in salads, candied flowers for pastry decoration') Zucchini blossoms (blossoms)

Risks

Some flowers are toxic, others may be edible only after appropriate preparations. Toxic flowers may be misidentified as edible when gathered. Allergic reactions are possible, especially from eating pollen. Both gathered flowers and those from a

commercial grower may have been sprayed with toxic pesticides. Damaged, dirty or insect-ridden flowers may be unsafe to eat. Some flowers, like Madhuca longifolia, are not safe if eaten often.

See also List of edible flowers Kitchen garden Hwajeon Berries

References 1. ̂ http://www.freshorigins.com/edible-flowers.html

Barash, Cathy Wilkinson. Edible Flowers from Garden to Palate. Golden: Fulcrum Publishing, 1993. Brown, Kathy. flowerpower. New York: Anness Publishing Limited, 2000. Mead, Chris and Emelie Tolley. a potpourri of Pansies. New York: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1993. Strowbridge, Cynthia and Francesca Tillona. A Feast of Flowers. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1969.

Categories: Garden plants Inflorescence vegetables

List of edible flowers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search

Other parts than the flowers of the plants mentioned in this list may be poisonous.

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Scientific name Flavor Color Common nameAbelmoschus esculentus Vegetal Medium-yellow OkraAllium schoenoprasum Onion Lavender-pink ChivesAlthaea Vegetal White, pink, red Marshmallow plantAnethum graveolens Herbal Yellowish-green DillAntirrhinum majus Bitter Wide range SnapdragonAnthriscus cerefolium Herbal White ChervilBellis perennis Mildly bitter Pink DaisyBorago officinalis Anise Lilac [1] StarflowerBrassica oleracea Spicy Green Cabbage, etc.Calendula officinalis Slightly bitter Yellow, orange MarigoldCentaurea cyanus Vegetal White, pink, blue CornflowerChrysanthemum Strong Wide range ChrysanthemumCichorium intybus Herbal Blue ChicoryCucurbita pepo Vegetal Yellow [2] Squash, etc.Dianthus Sweet clove Wide range CarnationEruca sativa Spicy White ArugulaFoeniculum vulgare Mildly anise Yellow-green FennelGalium odoratum Sweet, nutty, vanilla White Woodruff, etc.Helianthus annuus Varies Yellow Sunflower

Scientific name Flavor Color Common nameHemerocallis Vegetal, sweet Wide range [3] DaylilyHibiscus rosa-sinensis Mildly citrus Rose, red Chinese hibiscusLavendula Sweet, perfumed Lavender Lavender, etc.Levisticum officinale Celery White LovageLonicera japonica Sweet White to pale yellow Japanese honeysuckleMalus Floral White to pink Apple, etc.Matricaria recutita Sweet apple White CamomileMentha Minty Purple Mint, etc.Monarda didyma Minty, sweet, hot Wide range Bergamot, etc.Ocimum basilicum Herbal White, lavender BasilPassiflora Vegetal Purple Passion flowerPelargonium Varies Wide range GeraniumPhaseolus vulgaris Vegetal Purple Common beanRosa Perfumed Wide range RoseRosmarinus officinalis Herbal Blue RosemarySalvia elegans Sweet, fruity Red Pineapple sageSalvia officinalis Herbal Purple-blue Common sageSambucus canadensis Sweet White American elderberrySyringa vulgaris Varies Lavender LilacTagetes patula Bitter Yellow, orange French marigoldTagetes tenuifolia Spicy, herbal Yellow French marigoldTaraxacum officinale Sweet, honey-like Yellow Common dandelionThymus Herbal White Thyme

Scientific name Flavor Color Common nameTilia Honey-like White Linden, etc.Trifolium pratense Sweet Red Red cloverTropaeolum majus Spicy, peppery Wide range Indian cress, etc.Tulipa Vegetal Wide range TulipViola odorata Sweet, perfumed Purple, white Common violetViola tricolor Wintergreen Purple and yellow Heart's ease, etc.Viola × wittrockiana Vegetal Wide range Pansy

See also

Food portal Bushfood Kitchen garden Gardening List of culinary herbs and spices List of edible nuts List of companion plants List of poisonous flowers Flower Edible flowers List of useful plants

References 1. ̂ Edible Flowers

2. ̂ Zeldes, Leah A. (2011-07-20). "Eat this! Squash blossoms, a solution to the zucchini problem". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc. Retrieved 2012-08-03.

3. ̂ Zeldes, Leah A. (2011-07-27). "Eat this! Daylilies, more than just a pretty flower". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc. Retrieved 2012-08-03.

External links Edible Flowers

Help improve this pageWhat's this?

Did you find what you were looking for?

Yes No Categories:

Lists of plants Gardening lists Garden plants Agriculture-related lists Lists of foods

List of poisonous flowers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can. (May 2008)

Oleander flowers in Maharashtra, India. Aconitum Adonis Anthurium Angel's Trumpet Asclepias (Milkweed) Azalea Belladonna Bloodflower Bloodroot Boxwood Buttercup Butterfly Bush [citation needed]

Scotch Broom Blue Cohosh Calla Lily Caladium Clematis Crown Vetch Colchicum Daffodil Datura Delphinium Dogbane Duranta erecta Leaves, fruit and bark are poisonous.

o Alternative Name(s): Geisha Girl, Sheena's Gold.o Family: Verbenaceae.o Form: Shrub

False Indigo Foxglove (Grecian, Purple, Yellow) Gloriosa lily Goldenseal Grevillea Henbane Horse Nettle Horse-chestnut Iris Laceflower Larkspur

Lily of the Valley Lords and ladies Maikoa Moleplant Monkshood Mountain Laurel Nightshade Oleander Opium Periwinkle Philodendron Pittosporum Poison Hemlock Pokeroot Rhododendron Spurge (the weed) Stramonium Toloache Yellow Jessamine Wisteria Sweetpea Frangipani Lantana Century Plant daffodils Yellow bell

lily morning glory

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.Categories:

Poisonous plants

Fiber crop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  (Redirected from Plant fibers)Jump to: navigation, search

Part of a series on

Fiber

Natural fibers

Animal [show]

Vegetable[show]

Mineral [show]

Synthetic fibers

Cellulose [show]

Mineral [show]

Polymer [show]

Agriculture and Agronomy portal Engineering portal

Category: Fibers

v t

e

Fiber crops are field crops grown for their fibers, which are traditionally used to make paper,[1] cloth, or rope. The fibers may be chemically modified, like in viscose (used to make rayon and cellophane). In recent years materials scientists have begun exploring further use of these fibers in composite materials.

Fiber crops are generally harvestable after a single growing season, as distinct from trees, which are typically grown for many years before being harvested for wood pulp fiber. In specific circumstances, fiber crops can be superior to wood pulp fiber in terms of technical performance, environmental impact or cost.[2]

There are a number of issues regarding the use of fiber crops to make pulp.[3] One of these is seasonal availability. While trees can be harvested continuously, many field crops are harvested once during the year and must be stored such that the crop doesn't rot over a period of many months. Considering that many pulp mills require several thousand tonnes of fiber source per day, storage of the fiber source can be a major issue.

Botanically, the fibers harvested from many of these plants are bast fibers; the fibers come from the phloem tissue of the plant. The other fiber crop fibers are seed padding, leaf fiber, or other parts of the plant.

Contents 1 Fiber crops 2 Fiber dimensions 3 References

4 External links

Fiber crops Bast fibers (Stem-skin fibers)

o Jute (widely used, cheapest fiber after cotton)

o Flax (produces linen)o Indian hemp (The Dogbane used by native Americans.)o Hemp (A soft, strong fiber, edible seeds.)o Hoopvine (Also used for barrel hoops and baskets, edible leaves, medicine.)o Kenaf (The interior of the plant stem is also used for fiber. Edible leaves.)o Nettles o Ramie (A nettle, stronger than cotton or flax, makes "China grass cloth")

Other fibers (Leaf, fruit, and other fibers) o Abacá (A banana, producing "manila" rope from leaves)o Bamboo fiber o Bowstring Hemp , (An old use of a common decorative agave, also Sansevieria roxburghiana, Sansevieria

hyacinthoides)o Cotton o Coir (fiber from the coconut shell)o Esparto o Henequen (An agave, useful fiber, but not as high quality as sisal)o Kapok o Milkweed o Papaya o Phormium ("New Zealand Flax", an agave)o Sisal (Often termed agave)ajayo Umbrella plant [disambiguation needed]

o Yucca (An agave)

Fiber dimensions

Source of pulp Fiber length, mm Fiber diameter, µm

Softwood 3.0 30Hardwood 1.0 16Wheat straw 1.5 13Rice straw 1.5 9Esparto grass 1.1 10Reed 1.5 13Bagasse 1.7 20Bamboo 2.7 14Cotton 25.0 20

References 1. ̂ Goyal, Hari. "Multiple references to non-wood fibers for paper". PaperOnWeb, PULP & PAPER

RESOURCES & INFORMATION SITE. Retrieved 2007-10-19.2. ̂ "Agripulp: pulping agricultural crops". Retrieved 2007-10-03.3. ̂ "Nonwood Alternatives to Wood Fiber in Paper". Archived from the original on 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-

10-03.

External links Waynesword Plant Fibers Accessed 2010-11-23

[show] v t e

Paper

[show] v t e

FibersCategories:

Fiber plants

papermaking studio safety |  general studio safety

Paper Fibers 

Child:

 

Same:

Paper FibersFiber   Test   Procedure Fiber   Test   Supplies Sheet/Fiber   Documentation   For

Papers can be made from most any plantKey: (C) well suited for calligraphy with a soft brush 

 Bast Fibers

Inner bark fibers, some of the longest fibers

Leaf FibersGrass Fibers

Shortest and most brittle fiber

Seed Fibers

  fiber

Milkweed (Ascleoias spp.) Mulberry  C  (Broussonetia papyrifera) Fig  (Ficus carica) 

Abaca (Banana Plant) Hemp Family

Papyrus     (Cyperus papyrus) Corn    (Zea

Cotton = 95% celluloseKapok

m

 

Parent/Home:

HomeHistoryFibers   for   Paper Japanese   Sheetforming Western   Techniques NepaleseSheet   Drying   Methods Dyes   and   Pigments Simple   Plant   Papers WatermarksjunkSupply   List CalendarRecycled   Paper SafetyMethods   of   Beating   Fibers GlossarySuppliersLinks

Daphne  (Daphne odora) Leatherwood  (Dirca palustris) Mitsumata (Edgeworthia papyrifera) Flax Breadfruit Gampi(Philippine) C (Wikstroemia diplomorpha)Japanese Kozo C (Broussonetia papyrifera)Stinging nettle True hemp

Pineapple  (Ananas comosus) Flax  (Phormium tenax) New Zealand Flax Sisal Yucca  (Yucca filamentosa)

mays) Cornhusks and stalks Bamboo   (Phyllostachys aurea) Bagasse (sugercane stalk)rice straw

       

General Processing of  Bast Fibers

General Processing of  Leaf Fibers

General Processing of  Grass Fibers

 

All plants have cellulose fiber which is the ingredient to make paper but some plant fibers are too weak and other to strong and difficult to make paper pulp out of

     

 The most common Japanese     Linters

Pulp   Manipulation Children's   Class   Management ProjectsSimple   Plant   Papers GrainArchivalMold   and   Deckle AdditivesPulp   Casting Surface   Decoration BibliographyMisc

 

 

 

 

papermaking fiber. The inner bark of shoots of the Paper Mulberry plant (Kozo). These shoots are harvested annually therefore the material is replenishable. 

Fiber cooked in lye before pressed into sheets.

Japanese KozoThere are three bark layers in this plant:

black bark (chiri) green bark inner white layer

strong fiber an very long strands cooked in mild caustic for preparation (soda ash) hand beaten too delicate for a Hollander beater. Traditional sheet requires use of formation aid

Thai Kozo = grown under

     

different climate conditions

Philippine GampiThe most refined Japanese papermaking fiber.  Acts similar to Kozo in the vat but is a very different plant. Resulting paper has a silky sheen. Cook in soda ash. Do not beat in a Hollander.  requires use of formation aid.Crisp, lustrous off white to tan insect resistant high resistant high shrinkage.

     

       

Misc. Notes

Half Stuff is partially prepared fiber, sometimes from cloth scrapsWood fibers from soft and hardwood trees are possibleFibers used in textile and basketmaking are often suitable (Raffia,Seagrass, Jute, Sisal)Also: Linen, Milkweed. Iris, Okra

Recycled Material- can be made from waste paper of good quality

Reference Books:

Bell, Lillian A. "Plant Fibers for Papermaking," Lilaceae Press, McMinnville, Oregon, 1990. Barrett, Timothy. "Japanese papermaking:Tradition, Tools, and Techniques." 

This information is reprinted from the Beginner Topics column of Hand Papermaking Newsletter #72 (October, 2005).

To learn how to order Hand Papermaking bi-annual magazine and quarterly newsletter, click here.

Harvesting Fibers

In general, harvesting at the end of growing season or during dormancy will yield the most papermaking fiber, but there are a few things to consider. You might want to let the plant naturally decompose in the field to make processing easier. For example, herbaceous basts such as milkweed and nettles (Urtica lyalli) will start to decompose if left in the field over the winter. Most fibers can be harvested during more than one season. Paper made from fiber harvested in the spring may look different from paper made from the same fiber harvested in the fall. Young nettles harvested in the spring make a green paper, but if they are harvested in the fall, the resulting paper is brown. The age of the plant, soil, environmental conditions such as air quality and rainfall, and geographic location of the plant will also affect the fiber quality and the look of the sheet. Experiment with different seasons and locations and keep records to note ease of harvesting and paper results.

There are three main types of plant fiber used in papermaking: bast fiber, leaf fiber, and grass fiber. What follows is a description and instructions for harvesting each type. From other papermakers, books on fibers, and my own experiments, I have discovered papers made from many plants, ranging from common items such as wheat straw (Triticum aestivum) and hosta (Hosta fortunei, a.k.a. plantain lily), to things I would never think of using such as seaweed. When collecting your first plant fibers for papermaking, I would recommend starting with a plant from one of the lists that is widely known to produce paper. After you become familiar with the processing, feel free to go out on your own.

The fibrous, inner bark of trees or shrubs is called the bast. The bast fiber is located in the stem and branches between the outer bark and the woody core. There are three types of bast fiber: woody, herbaceous, and petiole. Woody bast is found in shrubs like blackberry, vines like kudzu (Pueraria lobata), and trees such as paper mulberry and willow (Salix spp.); herbaceous bast is found in non-woody annuals and perennials such as nettles and milkweed (Asclepias speciosa); petiole bast is found in the leaf stalks and stems of banana plants like manila hemp (Musa textilis).

If you cut a shoot of a tree, shrub, or vine and look at it in cross section, you will find the bast fiber (inner bark) between the outer black bark and the woody core. To collect the bast fiber, choose shoots or branches of trees that are one-half to one inch in diameter. Smaller shoots will have less fiber and larger might be tough to process. Cut the shoots at a forty-five degree angle near the base or just above a bud, leaving the main plant intact so that it can continue to grow. (The angle is important because it will aid later in the stripping process. Where you cut will affect how the plant continues to grow.) Many papermakers harvest bast fibers while they are pruning. Remember that you are only using the inner bark for papermaking, so you need a fair amount of branches to produce a small amount of paper. In order to have enough bast fiber to make paper, you need to harvest at least five or six branches that are approximately five or six feet long. This will yield approximately one pound of bast fiber, which will produce about thirty sheets of paper that are 8-1/2” x 11”. Strip leaves and twigs from the branches.

Herbaceous bast is collected in a similar fashion to the bast of trees, by cutting the stalks at an angle. Annuals like hollyhock (Alcea rosea) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) can be pulled up by the roots. The roots, leaves, and twigs should be removed.

The petiole of a plant is the leaf stem that is connected to the stalk and supports the blade of the leaf. In manila hemp (abaca) plants, the leaf stalks are often many feet in length and contain long strands of bast fiber that are easily obtained once the stalks are cut from the plant. Many banana plants in the Musaceae family yield this type of fiber, and they usually have fibrous trunks as well. Petiole fiber tends to be very tough and can require extensive processing.

Once you have collected enough plant material, you will need to separate the bast fiber from the woody core and outer bark. In certain plants, the bast fiber can be easily separated from the woody core after harvesting. For example, gampi (Wikstroemia retusa), one of the important papermaking fibers in Japan, is harvested in the spring when it is easy to peel. Willow and elm trees (Ulmus americana and U. pumila) are also easy to peel. With other plants you will need to steam or ferment the stalks in order to recover the bast fiber.

In most cases, substantial, elongated leaves such as the leaves of iris (Iris spp.) or yucca (Yucca filamentosa or Yucca elata) plants are the best sources of leaf fiber for papermaking. A general procedure I follow when determining whether a leaf will yield paper is to check its tear strength--the harder it is to tear crosswise, the better the paper will be.

The easiest leaves to process come from plants like iris, gladiolus (Gladiolus), and lilies, which can be cut right from the plant and are ready to process directly into paper pulp. These types of leaf fiber can be collected in the spring or fall, producing a green paper in the spring and a brown paper in the fall. To harvest in the spring, cut individual leaves near the base of the plant, removing only the outer leaves The leaves at the core should be left on the plant so that it can continue to grow. You can also collect the leaves in the fall when they drop from the plant--a gentle tug will release the leaf from the tuber underground, where the leaf is connected to the plant.

Leaves from sword-like plants such as sisal (Agave sisalana) and yucca have long, stringy fibers inside that look like fishing line. These fibers are difficult and time consuming to process, and often require specialized equipment. Harvest these leaves as you would the others--removing only the outermost leaves and cutting them near the base. These leaves contain a large

amount of fleshy connective tissue that should be removed immediately after harvesting by decortication, retting, or cooking.

With any leaf fiber, you will need to harvest at least one pound of dry fiber in order to have enough leaves to make a small amount of paper. The dry weight is tricky to determine if you are collecting fresh leaves--I usually collect three times more fiber than I think I will need. One pound of dry leaf fiber will yield approximately fifteen sheets of 8-1/2” x 11” paper.

Grass fibers are among the shortest papermaking fibers, but nevertheless they still make interesting papers. You can find them almost anywhere. Tall weeds and wild grasses such as straws, rushes, swamp grasses, and beach grasses are good sources of papermaking fiber. You can even use corn stalks and corn husks. Many grasses can be harvested in any season and are relatively simple to process. With grass fiber, one pound of dry fiber will yield about ten small, lightweight sheets of paper. Collect more fiber than you think you will need to ensure that you have enough. You can always dry and store the rest for future processing.

The best papermaking grasses are the ones that are the most difficult to tear. When you find a good source, collect all but the roots and remove the non-grassy parts of the plant, like cattail spikes and wheat fronds. Some grasses, such as bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), are extremely tough and must be crushed or shredded. To crush tough weeds, some papermakers use garden shredders. You might consider renting one. If you live in an area where sugar is processed, you might be able to obtain leftover crushed stalks, called bagasse, directly from a manufacturer. Bagasse fiber is a good fiber to mix with another fiber since it does not hold together well on its own.

There is a fourth fiber category: seed fiber. Cotton (Gossypium) is the most common seed fiber, and it is one of the most widely used raw materials for hand papermaking in the United States. After cotton has been ginned for textiles, weaker fiber left on cotton seeds is collected for papermaking during a second ginning. This fiber is processed into rough sheets, called cotton linters, which can be processed in a blender or a Hollander beater. Paper also can be made from cotton rags. Your old,

ratty blue jeans and 100% cotton t-shirts (no synthetics) can make wonderful paper, but doing so requires a lot of work. The rags must be cut into tiny squares and beaten in a Hollander beater.

There are many fine sources of papermaking fibers that do not fall into any of the above categories. A papermaker in Oregon collects seaweed that washes up from the ocean after storms and makes a beautifully translucent, brown-flecked paper. A papermaker in England uses the skins of fruits like mango to produce lovely sheets.

If you do not want to collect your own plant fibers, you can buy processed fibers (like cotton linters) from a number of mail-order papermaking supply companies (see advertisements in this newsletter). Other fibers such as abaca, Spanish flax, and esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) are also available in semi-processed sheet form. You can buy the three traditional Japanese bast fibers: kozo, mitsumata, and gampi. Some grass, leaf, and seed fibers such as wheat straw (Triticum aestivum), raffia (Raphia ruffia), and kapok from the Ceiba pentandra tree, are available in their raw, unprocessed form. Fibers like raffia and flax can also be purchased at weaving supply shops. Sometimes you can even find sisal, jute (Corchorus capsularis), and other strong natural fibers for sale at your local hardware store in the form of string or rope.

Portions excerpted from Papermaking with Plants, © 1998, by Helen Hiebert with permission from Storey Publishing. <www.storey.com>.

http://newsletter.handpapermaking.org/beginner/beg72.htm

Orris Root: Perfume and Preservative

Dried orris root smells like violets. It is coveted not only for its soft and sweet fragrance but also for its strong and protective chemical properties. In combination with weaker botanicals, orris root acts as a fixative that prolongs their aromas and preserves their organic structures without overpowering their unique fragrances.

Also known as Iris Florentine, orris root is the collective term for the roots of three species of European Iris (germanica, florentina, and pallida) common in landscapes throughout the world and commercially cultivated in southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean region, northern India, and northern Africa. The iris is the royal flower depicted in the symbol of imperial France, the fleur de lis.

Orris root is harvested from iris plants that are at least three years old. The roots are peeled and left to dry. Fresh orris root has an earthy smell and acrid taste (it puckers your mouth). As it dries, the bitter taste mellows and it acquires the strong yet delicate scent of fresh violets – described as tenaciously flowery, heavy, and woody. This aroma takes two to five years to fully develop but is then retained and may further intensify over time.

The flowery scent of orris root is contained in its essential oil. The dried roots are ground into powder, dissolved in water, and distilled. The resulting thick, oily substance is known as orris butter.

Orris butter is one of the most precious materials used by perfumeries, because it strengthens other botanical scents and preserves them from evaporating. It takes one ton of iris roots to produce just 4.5 pounds (2 kilos) of essential oil, making

orris butter one of the most expensive raw materials in the world.

The chemical component that causes the violet odor, irone, has been synthesized, and the synthetic version is more commonly used to create cheaper perfumes and other scented products.

Iris PerfumesI found a list of iris perfumes in which the orris component prevails. After looking at the beautiful bottles and reading the poetic descriptions that sound like exotic spice blends, I couldn’t resist putting together a little carasol shop to show you.

http://seasonalitybylogovida.blogspot.mx/2011/08/orris-root-perfume-and-preservative.html

Exploración / Iris /

Iris (Iris Germanica, Iris Pallida, iris Florentina)

Polvoso, verdoso, amaderado, violeta

Origen

El iris es originario del Extremo Oriente. Italia y Marruecos son los principales productores.

Método de extracción

A los tres años, las raíces se pelan, secan, trituran, y destilan al vapor para obtener la esencia o pasta de iris (erróneamente llamada esencia concreta). El proceso de extracción, largo y complicado para un rendimiento pobre, explica su precio elevado (más de 1500 €/Kg.). La purificación de la esencia elimina los ácidos grasos y permite obtener la esencia absoluta. Dado que ningún método de extracción ha resultado completamente satisfactorio, los perfumistas recrean con otros medios la extraordinaria fragancia de ciertas variedades de la flor.

Empleo

La esencia absoluta del iris constituye uno de los productos más caros de la paleta del perfumista y se emplea exclusivamente en la perfumería de prestigio. Los rizomas, bajo forma de polvo, son utilizados para la fabricación de talco o de polvos de maquillaje. Los rizomas secados pueden colocarse dentro de los armarios para perfumar el contenido.

Historia

La raíz griega de la palabra iris significa a la vez arco iris y mensajero. Iris aparecía ante los ojos de los mortales con apariencia de arco iris para comunicarles mensajes divinos. La flor se asociaba con los dioses Osiris y Horus. Grabado en la frente de las esfinges egipcias, el iris representaba a Horus. La flor del iris originó el símbolo de la flor de lis, emblema de la monarquía francesa. Virtudes Su aroma ejerce una influencia positiva sobre el comportamiento.

http://es.osmoz.com/enciclopedia/materias-primas/iris/175/iris-iris-germanica-iris-pallida-iris-florentina

Orris Root Powder

9

Orris root iris in bloom.

Making your own orris root powder to use as a fixative in potpourri or other crafts is easier than you might think. Orris powder is made from the rhizome of the Iris x germanica var florentina, often referred to as orris iris. The pale lavender flowers appear almost white.

Use a sharp knife to cut through the orris root rhizomes.

Once this iris is established, the rhizomes multiply rather quickly. Allow the plants to grow until they are beginning to get crowded, then begin to harvest what you want. Some people remove their iris rhizomes from the ground and divide them that way. I leave mine in the ground and use a sharp knife or clean pruners to slice through the rhizome removing only the ones I wish to harvest.

The smaller the orris root rhizome is cut, the easier it will be to powder once it's dry.

Once I am back inside, I cut off all the roots and foliage. This discarded material goes into the compost pile where it will break down. I then wash off the rhizomes to remove any dirt remaining on the rhizome. I pat the rhizome dry with paper towels, then put it on a cutting board and slice it into thin strips. Some people prefer to grate the rhizome because that gives you smaller chips that are easier to powder.

Dried orris root ready to use.

Once the rhizome is cut or grated up, lay it out on a drying screen to dry. You can put it in a dehydrador on the lowest setting if you prefer. Give this root plenty of time to dry. You don’t want to put it away wet and risk mold ruining your stash.

Once it is completely dry, put it in a glass bottle with a lid. Put this in a cool, dark, dry place. It needs to sit for two years at this point. Shake the bottle from time to time if you think about it. As the orris root ages, it takes on a unique smell similar to lilacs.

Store orris root in a sealed jar in a cool, dark and dry place.

Once the two years is up, mix the orris root up one last them, then it is ready to use. You can use it like it is or powder it as needed. To powder the root you need a heavy duty food processor or kitchen grinder.

http://experimentalhomesteader.com/cc/2011/10/13/orris-root-powder/

Wet Strength: The Use of Konnyaku in Hand Papermakingby Catherine Nash

In 1995, I was fortunate to study with "National Living Treasure" Minoru

Fujimori, at the Awagami Factory in Yamakawa, Tokushima, on the island of Shikoku in Japan. It is an area renowned for washi (paper) production since before the first written documentation of 807 A.D.. Established "to preserve and broaden the awareness for the beauty, strength and sensitivity of washi", today, Awagami Factory produces a variety of beautiful handmade papers and paper products and is especially known for indigo dyed washi. They offer workshops, conduct research and mount special exhibitions to further their goals. An amazing place!

It was at the Awagami Factory that I learned about konnyaku (pronounced kohneeyahkoo). Konnyakubiki is a paper treatment that I now use quite often and really appreciate the strength that it gives the dry sheet of paper, whether I am using it with dyeing (or other wet techniques), decorative surface techniques or leaving it unaltered. In Washi, The World of Japanese Paper from 1978, Sukey Hughes writes,

“Konnyaku is a tuberous root of the devil’s tongue plant of the Arum genus, the starch of which is used as a mucilage....The application of konnyaku makes paper strong and flexible enough to withstand the rubbing and wrinkling process; both treatments, in turn, render momigami [wrinkled, kneaded paper] much stronger, softer, and more flexible than untreated paper. Because the mucilage coats the paper’s pores, the sheet becomes not only wind and water-resistant, but the paper’s natural heat-retention qualities are enhanced; and yet the paper still breathes.”

A treatment of konnyaku imparts strength, in particular, wet strength, so that when paper is immersed in a dye bath for instance, the sheet stays strong and completely intact.

There are other Japanese treatments for strengthening paper such as shibubiki (using prepared kakishibu [persimmon juice] which yields a dark brown tannic acid originally used for flat paper fans), aburabiki (using kiri, an oil from the paulownia seeds that dry without being sticky, originally used to waterproof umbrellas and rain capes), and dosabiki (a 50/50 mixture of alum and nikawa [animal hide] glue, which imparts sizing and strength. But only konnyakubiki offers wet strength, without affecting the absorbancy of the sheet, so it will still absorb dye. Sponged onto a dry sheet of paper, the konnyaku strengthens the fiber to fiber bond of a dry sheet, so that when wet, it will not tear. It also protects the fibers from the alkalinity of the indigo dye bath.

Konnyaku root is sliced, dried and ground into a powder. My workshop notes indicate that the konnyaku is prepared by boiling the vegetable or its concentrate in water which solidifies in an alkali solution such as lime or soda ash to obtain a gelatin-like mucilage. Without the lime, konnyaku can be used as a vegetable gelatin sizing or glue.

The konnyaku solution is sponged over one side of a sheet of paper from the center out, let dry and repeated on the other side of the sheet. (A simple penciled x in the corner of the first side clarifies which side has been

treated as there is no visual change.) The dry, treated sheet is ready for the dye bath or whatever other decorative, wet techniques are desired. It is also used to make momigami.

Momigami paper has a leather like surface that is very durable and creates a uniquely pliable sheet. It has been used historically for making paper clothing and is also used for book covers, etc..

The method for making momigami is this: Folding the four corners into the center, one crumples the treated dry sheets gently into a loose ball...one by one, they are taken up, and each packed into a tighter ball, turned round and round, squeezing and wrinkling them carefully but firmly. The sheet is unfolded, rewrapped, and the wrinkling and crumpling repeated. After three to four minutes of this, the sheet is then opened up, grasped at the near corner and rubbed together between the palms of the hand, paper rubbing against paper. The entire sheet is rubbed down, laid on a flat surface and stretched slightly by applying pressure with the hands in an outward direction toward the sides and corners. All the crumpling, rubbing and stretching may then again be repeated.

I buy a powdered version of konnyaku from Magnolia Paper that works wonderfully. You can call Magnolia Paper directly for information about konnyaku powder at (510) 839-5268 (address: 2527 Magnolia St., Oakland, CA 94607 USA).

References: Awagami Factory, Yamakwa, Tokushima, Japan.Hughes, Sukey, Washi: The World of Japanese Paper. NYC: Kodansha International, 1978

All Rights Reserved — use of images/text by written permission of the artist only © Nash/Renfrow Productions

http://www.papermakingresources.com/articles_wet.html

jo Modified Japanese Papermaking: A Quick Explanationby Catherine Nash

I have studied in Japan twice and out of respect for my three Japanese teachers who taught me traditional sheetforming, I am quick to call my version of Japanese papermaking an “adapted” method. Although I still practice and teach the traditional techniques I have learned, sometimes I need my own paper to be finished more quickly, and also sometimes while teaching a weekend long class I want my students to have the wonderful satisfaction of thin translucent sheets, albeit rustic. Many contemporary paper artists love rustic!

Basic equipment differences:Traditional Japanese mould is made of a hinged wooden support frame/deckle called a keta and a separate, flexible, finely split and knotted bamboo mat called a su. Many non-Japanese papermakers use a contemporary Western mould and deckle with heat shrink polyester screening in lieu of a Japanese su-keta. My experiences teaching in Europe and elsewhere have

led me to realize that not all polyester screening allows this kind of Japanese formation. Sometimes it just slides off the screen, so experimentation is key. I have great luck with the heat shrink screening sold by Carriage House Paper in Brooklyn, NY.

Materials differences:Traditional pulps are from gampi, kozo (mulberry) and mitsumata barks: the first two of which are readily available outside of Japan, at least in North America, thanks to various suppliers who import these fibers for us. But contemporary papermakers also use many varied plants for their pulps with great variation and success.

Neri (also known as formation aid) is traditionally plant based...some usage of synthetic formation aid can be found in Japan. Although many non-Japanese papermakers use a readily available synthetic formation aid, we also use okra, prickly pear cactus, kiwi branches, hibiscus root, etc...as well for plant derived mucilage. Neri is used to slow the drainage down during the sheetforming process and does not, as sometimes thought, act as a “glue” that helps bind the fibers together.

Formation differences:Although perhaps there would be close parallels here with the actual sheetforming motion (dipping into the vat numerous times to slowly build up a very thin sheet), in Japan, each sheet is couched directly on top of the next to form the post with a fine thread or slice of plastic... or very traditionally, a blade of grass between each to help with separation later.

Experiment with simply pulling (no shaking) a western screen without a deckle up through the vat six or seven times. One learns to discern visually the least amount of pulp needed on the screen. This is a modified technique that is far from traditional, not as strong or smooth, but yields lovely, thin sheets that contrast thicker Western style paper. Couch on pieces of cotton sheeting rather than Western felts as the sheets are too delicate for the rougher texture of the felt.

Pressing:The post is pressed extremely slowly with a gradual build up of weight, using a lever press...I observed hydraulic presses in

action in Japan as well. It can take several days to press traditionally.

Leave a cotton sheet between each “modified” sheet, and press each sheet by hand with a rolling pin, or an entire post lightly in a screw or hydraulic press. (I emphasize lightly because there needs to be some moisture left for brushing onto boards while restraint drying.

We may have cut some corners off the traditional techniques in our home studios, but don’t be mistaken in believing that our sheets equal those done by masters in Japan! Fourteen hundred to fifteen hundred years of continuous papermaking in Japan led to some very explicit methods of harvesting, cooking and processing the plant fibers, extremely refined sheetforming motions (many of which were completely lost during the industrialization of Japan) and carefully observed pressing and drying techniques.

Plant Fibers That Can Be Processed By Hand Beating or In a Blender...and make great paper by themselvesby Catherine Nash

There are as many recipes as there are papermakers! Many who are more experienced have learned to judge the stages of fiber processing by eye and feel. Once you have been making paper from plants you will gain a sense, as well. Keep in mind if you are experimenting with an unknown fiber start with the mildest caustic first. Try soda ash before lye (caustic soda).

Remember to always add the caustic to the water, not the other way around, slowly shaking the granules into the liquid. Do not just dump it in. If you add water to the caustic it can explode in your face. One of the best ways to know how much caustic to add is to use pH test strips to measure the pH of the alkali in the cooking water. It should be about 11. This method can be used with green or dry plant fibers. After cooking, rinse completely (sometimes it may take up to 8 changes of water) until the water is clear or the pH is neutral (between 6 and 7), or until fiber doesn't feel slimy.

Please note that there is a big difference between how hand pounding separates the fibers and the way a blender cuts the fiber shorter and shorter. If it is at all possible, choose to process the pulp by hand beating, resorting to a blender if necessary.

Many papermakers vary the length of time of blending to allow for fibers of different lengths in the vat. Many different results can come from the same hand-beaten or blended pulp as you vary sheet-forming techniques, pressing methods, and how you dry the final sheet. Generally, the stronger the press, the stronger the paper. Restraint drying (brushing the pressed sheet onto a board, Formica, or glass) controls the shrinkage of the fiber and also gives you stronger results.

By all means, EXPERIMENT! And have fun!

Downloadable pdf table at no charge.41 plants suggested by 6 papermakers.

Welcome artists and papermaking friends!

Congratulations! You have found one of the internet's best resources for paper making information.

My name is Catherine Nash and after more than 25 years of making handmade paper, studying traditional sheetforming in Europe and Japan and teaching varied aspects of paper making internationally,

Preview DVDs NEW Sample! NEW Articles!

NEW BOOK!Authentic Visual Voices:Contemporary Paper and Encaustic

Offering a rare opportunity to gain insight into the artistic process, 28 professional artists in their own voices discuss their artwork with artist/author Catherine Nash during in-the-studio video interviews... Read more

(520) 740-1673cnash (at) wvcnet.com

I would like to share my knowledge and experience with you!

This website is for anyone who wants instructions on making paper: from learning how to make simple homemade paper to information on advanced studio sheetforming techniques.

Beginners, artists, craftspeople, and seasoned paper makers will find this website to be a valuable and educational paper making resource.

Of particular interest to anyone making paper are the instructional DVDs and videos, educational lesson plans, articles, a 50 page e-book on the Hollander Beater and paper making history notes.

Classes and workshops on paper making, photography, encaustic, drawing and more, along with my blog and valuable links on these subjects are

just a click away.

Paper making: The magic of transforming plants into paper is enamoring and exciting and potentially addicting!

Smooth and soft to crisp and rattly, the art of hand-forming sheets:

• evokes memories of nature • encapsulates our ties to history and culture,• inspires the creative mode - drawing/painting/casting/embossing  /embedding - folding/cutting/tearing/collaging- cards/poetry/books - etc., etc., etc.!

Making paper has been my creative muse: I find paper making a media which invokes deeper and deeper exploration.

Explore this site to discover educational and instructional paper making resources for artists, crafts people, teachers and professionals. I'm happy to share with you: • articles about papermaking and etc. I've written • ideas for teachers  • my favorite links  • educational workshops in not only papermaking         but photography, encaustics and more  • instructional DVDs and videos

Hope you find yourself as captivated by papermaking as I! Enjoy!

-Catherine Nash

All Rights Reserved — use of images/text by written permission of the artist only © Nash/Renfrow Productions

. Notes . Video . Examples .

Course on

Handmade Paper Making Moudule II

by

Mr. Anupam Chakraborty

Department of Design, IIT Guwahati

Product Semantics Home Handmade Paper Making From Plant Fibres:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

00. Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

01. Handmade Paper Making From Plant Fibres

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

02. 3D Sculptural Form

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

03. Video

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

04. Contact details

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

05. Comments and Feedback

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

06. Credits

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Techniques and methods in making

(i). Hand Papermaking From Plant Fibres

(a). Gathering

The hunt of interesting raw materials can be an adventure. Any natural material composed of cellulose and capable of being reduced to pulp-like consistency can be considered as appropriate material for experimentation, including:

Cotton, Jute, Hemp, Straw, Bamboo leaves & twigs, Coarse grasses, Banana stem, Hibiscus, Cabbage stumps, Mulberry, Corn stalks, Sugarcane, Gladiolas leaves, Flax, Nettles etc.

(b). Identification

The part of the plant which can be used for making paper is identified according to its fibre type in the following manner:

1. Fruit seed hair – example: cotton

2. Bast / Inner Bark / Phloem – example: banana, hemp, jute, flax

3. Leaf – example: bamboo, gladiolas

4. Grass – example: sedge, reeds

5. Stem structure – example: bamboo, mulberry

(c). Preparation

Once the raw material is gathered, workable parts are separated either by stripping or by decorticating or by removing outer bark and core. Selected parts are then soaked in plain water for overnight in plastic container.

For boiling transfer wet stuff in a stainless steel container and pour water to cover that.

(c). 1. Application of Alkali:

alkali removes impurities from fibre and also looses the fibre structure. Percentage of alkali

depends upon the strength of the fibre.

Alkali chart for use with fibres for papermaking:

10 grams of caustic in 1 litre of neutral pH water equals 1% solution

15 grams of caustic in 1 litre of neutral pH water equals 1.5% solution

20 grams of caustic in 1 litre of neutral pH water equals 2% solution

(c). 2. The pH (potent of hydrogen) scale is used to determine the acidity and alkalinity of a substance. The

numbers of the scale range from 0 (strong acid) to 14 (strong alkali) with 7 being neutral.

For hard / tough fibre (like bark of a tree) use 2% solution. For medium strength fibre (like hemp, jute) use

1.5% solution. For soft fibre (like banana, leaves, rushes) use 1% solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). Always mix caustic soda in cold water. Be advised that caustic can cause skin irritation. Rubber gloves, aprons and a well-ventilated room is strongly recommended.

Pour caustic solution in that stainless steel container and cook the plant for 2-4 hours. Wash cooked fibre in running water until it shows pH7.

(d). Beating

By now the vegetable material is a pulpy mass with a somewhat slick and fatty appearance. Much of the unwanted dirt and lignin (an organic substance which acts as a binder for the plant material) has been separated from the crude pulp. Cut the pulpy mass in small pieces and beat them either in hand grinder (kitchen mixer / grinder) or in Hollander beater. In another way, shortened pieces of pulpy mass are placed on a wooden plank and are pounded with heavy pestle or mallet to separate the fibre.

(e). Formation

The pulp is now poured in a tub or vat and water is added to give proper consistency for forming the sheet on the hand mold. The mold is placed inside a deckle.

Mold is the chief tool for making handmade paper. It is a wooden frame on which the pulp is drawn from a tub or vat. The frame is covered with a metal (copper or stainless steel) or nylon mesh. There are two types of mold

Wove mold and Laid mold. The screen on a mold which contains wire sewn transversely is called wove mold. Paper formed on wove mold evinces no lines. The screen on a mold having a pattern of more widely spaced longitudinal wires held together with smaller transverse wires, called a laid mold. The mold pattern im

(e). Formation

The pulp is now poured in a tub or vat and water is added to give proper consistency for forming the sheet on the hand mold. The mold is placed inside a deckle.

Mold is the chief tool for making handmade paper. It is a wooden frame on which the pulp is drawn from a tub or vat. The frame is covered with a metal (copper or stainless steel) or nylon mesh. There are two types of mold

– Wove mold and Laid mold. The screen on a mold which contains wire sewn transversely is called wove mold. Paper formed on wove mold evinces no lines. The screen on a mold having a pattern of more widely spaced longitudinal wires held together with smaller transverse wires, called a laid mold. The mold pattern imprints itself on the finished sheet of paper.

Deckle is a wooden frame that fits over a mold while a sheet of paper is being formed. The deckle prevents the paper pulp from overflowing the mold.

The papermaker dips the mold and deckle into a vat containing liquid substance (called half stuff). Before this dipping process the watery substance of the vat must be thoroughly stirred either by hand or by a stick in order to prevent the deposition of pulp in the bottom of the vat. When the mold and deckle are scooped up from vat, the surface of the mold is coated with a thin film of fibre-water mixture. The device is then shaken forward and backward and from side to side. This shaking has two effects; it distributes the mixture evenly on the surface of the mold and causes the individual fibres to interlock with the adjacent, giving strength to the sheet. While the device is being shaken, much of the water from the mixture drains out through the mold mesh. The device, with its formed sheet of wet paper, is then laid aside until the paper is sufficiently cohesive to permit the removal of the deckle.

(f). Pressing

After the deckle has been taken from the mold, the mold is turned over and the sheet of paper is laid smoothly on a felt (woven woolen cloth). Another felt is laid over the sheet of paper, and the process is repeated. The process of placing the paper between two felts is known as couching. When a number of sheets of paper have been interleaved with felts, the entire pile, called a post, is placed in a hydraulic press and subjected to

pressure of 100 or more tons, expelling most of the water remaining in the paper. Sufficient pressure is required so that the fibres are matted well enough to allow of the paper from the felt.

(g). Drying

The paper can now be placed in between blotting papers or can be hung for drying in shadow until its moisture has almost completely evaporated.

(h). Sizing

Sizing is a solution used to make the paper moisture resistant in varying degrees. Size can be added at twostages of the papermaking process. The degree of sizing of paper determines their resistance to the penetration of moisture.

There are two types of sizing – internal/engine/beater sizing and tub sizing. The former describes moisture resistant pulps which receive sizing treatment in the beater. This sizing is especially useful when pulps are used for paper casting. Neutral Rosin or Alkaline ketene dimmer (AKD) or methyl cellulose (CMC – carboxyl methyl cellulose) is generally used as internal sizing. Tub sizing is acquired by passing through the dried paper into a solution of gelatin (or other size), contained in a bath or tub. The wet paper again has to be dried by previous manner.

EXPENDIO DE HUIPILES Y ENAHUAS COOPERATIVA

FLORES DE LA TIERRA AMUZGA

 

ESTELA PINEDA NAVARRETE

 Comercio al por menor de ropa, excepto de cuero y

piel MÉX. 

  Teléfono:    País / Estado:México, Guerrero    Municipio: Xochistlahuaca    Localidad: Xochistlahuaca    Colonia: BARRIO SIN NOMBRE   

Fiber Plants

People have been using plant fibres for thousands of years in order to make clothing, rope, paper etc. Whilst all land plants contain fibres they are usually too short or too weak to be used for anything other than paper-making, but there are well over 100 species suitable for growing in temperate climates that produce long and relatively strong fibres. These fibres vary greatly in their physical properties and can supply us with cloths ranging from fine and silky to coarse sackcloth or ropes strong enough to berth large ships. We will describe a few of these fibre plants in more detail and, will confine the list to the perennial species. However, we must mention Flax (Linum usitatissimum), a well known fibre (and oil) producing annual which can be grown successfully all over Britain.

We'll start this list with a few native plants. Our common Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

probably deserves an article to itself since it has so many uses. Apart from its wildlife value, it can supply us with food, medicine, liquid fertilizer and compost material. It also produces a good quality fibre suitable for cloth, indeed it has in the past been cultivated for this purpose. It prefers a rich soil and is more than capable of fending for itself so doesn't really need to be cultivated. Almost any species of nettle can be utilised for fibre.

The Hop (Humulus lupulus)

is often cultivated as a herb or a flavouring for beer. Found wild in hedgerows, it responds very well to generous treatment in the garden, looking especially ornamental in early autumn. Tender young shoots in spring are very nice cooked. The stem fibres are used to produce a coarse cloth.

Those people with more space could grow our native Lime Trees (Tilia cordata, T. x. europaea and T. platyphyllus). The fibre is found in the inner bark and is best from trunks 6-12 inches in diameter so a 10 year coppice rotation is probably the best way of growing these trees. The fibre can be used for cloth or ropes. These trees produce the nicest edible leaf that we've as yet found on a tree. Only eat young leaves, which can be produced from April to October on coppiced plants, they are mucilaginous without any strong flavour. A refreshing herbal tea is made from the dried flowers, the fresh flowers are a magnet to bees and a mixture of fresh flowers and immature fruits is said to make a delicious chocolate substitute.

Moving into S Europe, Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum)

is a medium sized shrub growing in dry situations amongst rocks and shrubs. Easily grown in a sunny position and well-drained soil, this plant has become naturalized in S Britain. The stem fibres are a hemp substitute being used mainly for coarse fabrics, cordage and paper. The stems are very pliable and can be used in basketry.

Going much further east we find in China one of the very finest and strongest fibres, Ramie (Boehmeria nivea).

This member of the nettle family is probably only suitable for the warmer southern part of Britain, it is a herbaceous perennial and requires a rich well-drained soil. It prefers conditions of high humidity and fairly high rainfall so might need irrigation in dry years. The fibres from this plant are the longest known in the plant world. Their tensile strength is seven to eight times that of silk or cotton and this is actually improved by wetting. Cloth made from this fibre is said to be moth-proof, it is also used for making very strong ropes and nets.

The Paper Mulberry (Broussonetya papyrifera) is a small deciduous tree whose range extends from China to the tropical South Sea Islands and yet it is hardy in Britain if given a warm position and a fairly rich soil. When grown for its fibre it is usually coppiced on an annual basis (though perhaps less often if grown in our cooler climes). To make cloth from this plant the bark is usually cut into strips about 4 x 12 inches and laid out flat on a smooth wooden surface. It is then beaten with wooden mallets, the more it is beaten the thinner and finer it becomes. Size can be increased by overlapping other strips of bark and beating them together. Depending upon the degree of beating the resulting cloth can range from a thick material suitable for sacking to the very finest gossamer thin clothing. This plant also produces a delicious fruit but only a very small proportion of the structure is actually edible which makes it too fiddly to be very worthwhile.

Moving on to New Zealand in this journey around the globe, New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax)

Dwarf

is found growing wild in lowland swamps and on low ground. A member of the Lily family, so completely unrelated to our native flax plants, it is easily grown in most soils and is so tolerant of maritime exposure that it can be grown as a screen and windbreak near the coast. The fibre is found in the long leaves and it can be used to make fine cloth and ropes. There is some difficulty, however, in preparing these fibres due to the presence of a gum in the leaves. The residual leaf pulp can be fermented to make alcohol for fuel, a fast brown dye is produced from the flowers, a strip of leaf can be used as an emergency garden tie and the whole leaf is used in basketry.

Finally to N. America where there are a number of fibre plants. Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

not related to Marijuana - is a herbaceous perennial growing in moist or shady places and is easily cultivated in most soils in sun or shade. The fibre, obtained from the stems in early to late autumn, is very strong, does not shrink and retains its strength in water. It is used mainly for sails, twine and garden nets. Two other members of this genus A. androsaemifolium

and A. venetum

produce a similar though slightly inferior fibre.

Along the Pacific west coast of America grow a number of Iris species (I douglasiana, .

I. macrosiphon

and I. purdyi)

whose leaf fibres produce a beautifully strong and pliable rope. Traditionally the N. American Indians would take just one fibre from each outside edge of the leaves, though I know of no reason why all the fibres could not be used. The Indians would have needed thousands of plants by their method in order to produce any quantity of rope. Usually found wild on grassy slopes, these beautiful plants are easily grown, preferring rich well-drained lime-free soils in sun or semi-shade.

The Milkweeds (Asclepia species) are also very good fibre plants - see our leaflet The Milkweeds.

The Milkweeds

Every so often in our researches we come across a plant with so many uses that we wonder why it has never been commercially exploited. One such group of plant - all of them ideal for the Permaculturalist - is the Milkweeds (Asclepias species) from North America. The genus Asclepias contains over a hundred species of mainly perennial herbs growing in temperate and topical regions. We will look at four of these species:-

A. incarnata Swamp Milkweed

Growing to 4ft in swamps, wet thickets and on shores.

A. speciosa Showy MilkweedGrowing to 2.5ft on prairies in sandy and loamy, usually moist soils.

A. syriaca Common MilkweedGrowing to 3ft in thickets, roadsides, dry fields and waste places.

A. tuberosa Pleurisy RootGrowing to 2ft in dry, open soils.

All the above are fairly easy to grow preferring a rich light or peaty soil and a sunny position. A. icarnata is probably the easiest to grow and is the most adaptable to different soil types. They all succeed in most areas of Britain. The only real problem We have has in growing them is that young plants are very attractive to slugs who will totally decimate them. However, established and strong growing plants seem to be little affected.

Virtually all parts of these plants are edible when cooked though there are reports that large quantities can cause stomach upsets. The young shoots, gathered in April-May, can be used as an asparagus substitute whilst the younger parts of old shoots can be cooked like spinach.

Young flower buds have a delicious pea-like flavour as do the very young seed pods (before the seed floss is produced). The flowers are used as a flavouring and a thickener in soups and were also harvested in the early morning when dew was still on them and then boiled down to make a sugary syrup. In hot weather the flowers often produce so much nectar that it forms crystalline lumps. This can either be sucked or picked off the flowers and is a real delicacy. In our experience to date A.

tuberosa is the most likely to do this. A. tuberosa, as the name suggests, also produces a tuberous root and this is edible when cooked, with a nutty flavour. The seed of all species are said to be edible raw but we have not tried them, they certainly do look very interesting.

All these edible qualities, though, are just one aspect of the plants uses, they have much more to offer. All the species produce a tough fibre in their stems. This can be used to make cloth, twine, etc and was traditionally harvested from the dead stems in autumn and winter, a fairly simple process. Dry summers produce the strongest fibres.

Mature seed pods contain quite large quantities of floss. This is a lovely white silky material with a number of applications. It can be used as a kapok substitute for stuffing soft toys etc, and being very water repellant, it has been used in life preservers where its buoyancy can keep a person afloat for days. Although difficult to spin on its own, it can be mixed with other fibres to make cloth and it has also been used for making candle wicks.

The plants also contains a latex which can be extracted and made into a good quality rubber. This latex is largely found in the leaves, is produced mainly in hot weather when grown on drier soils and is destroyed by frost. Concentrations vary and are considered to be too low for commercial exploitation. The latex has also been used as a chewing gum and regular applications are said to be a cure for warts.

The seeds contain up to 20% of an edible semi-drying oil. This oil can be used in making soap etc, though, since the seed is quite light, vast quantities of plants would need to be grown in order to obtain reasonable quantities of oil. The plants also have medicinal applications, for more details on these you should consult a good herbal such as 'A modern Herbal' by Mrs M Grieve.

Plants are very easily raised from seed, sown in a cold greenhouse from February to April. Seedlings should be potted up when quite young since they resent much root disturbance. Plant them out in their permanent positions in early summer and look out for slugs. If the plants have been well grown and are in vigorous growth then they are normally alright but any

weaker plants are likely to disappear. We have had very little trouble with older plants. If done with great care, plants can be divided in spring when they come into active growth though We have not done this myself since seed is so easy.

One final thought - all of the above plant uses come from wild grown plants, there has been no attempt made, for example, to increase the latex content by selective breeding. We feel that there is vast potential with this group of plants and with many other species for improvements in yield, flavours, etc.

(You might also like to have a look at Milkweeds and Monarch Caterpillars a site with a lot of info about the plant and about the catapillers which like them. )

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Obtaining the fibres from the plant is usually a fairly straightforward though smelly and labour intensive process. We don't intend to go into any great details having no experience of the extraction process. The basic principle however is to encourage the softer parts of the plant to rot so that only the stronger fibres remain. This is usually done by either immersing the plants in water or tying them up in bundles outdoors for the dew and rain to work on them. Once the softer parts start to rot the fibres are separated and cleaned and are then ready for use. At least it sounds easy, though we would advise you to read up on the subject before trying it.

(The best internet resoure for using fibers I've found is The Fiber Resources Page)

The Milkweeds Asclepias species

John Barr Sun May 29 2005

Milkweeds contain cardiac glycocides(?) which can be harmful. These glycocides are what make the monarch and other milkweeds butterflys and bugs distasteful to birdds and other preditors. The monarchwatch litserve contains anicdotal incidence (multiple) of reversable blindness following handeling of milkweed plants including some of the species you mentioned. Cattle have been made sick by consuming hay with some varieties of milkweed. I have never heard of eating the plants without multiple water changes to rid them of the toxins. I am surprised to not see any mention of these issues in your article. Otherwise an interesting site.

MonarchWatch

The Milkweeds Asclepias species

Ken Fern Mon Sep 18 2006

The only records of toxicity we have for these plants are related to eating them - they can cause stomach upsets if not cooked properly. I can think of three possible ways in which milkweeds might cause external irritation. First, the sap contains a latex. Perhaps this could have an irritant effect. Second, in late summer and autumn the plants produce masses of seed floss. Whilst this is non-irritant, is it possible your granddaughter got some caught in her eyes? Third, could she have poked herself with some of the stems? Apart from this, I suggest there may have been something else amongst the milkweed that caused the problem. There is an excellent American Government site giving information on their native plants (including toxicity). Visit http://plants.usda.gov/ for more information.

The Milkweeds Asclepias species

Sharon Sat Oct 14 2006

The recommendations I've read about for eating young milkweed pods indicate that the pods must be cooked in two changes of boiling water without allowing the pods to cool between water changes to extract the milky sap. It is the sap which causes stomach upset. Source: Wilderness Survival by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer.

The Milkweeds Asclepias species

mike Pewtherer Fri Dec 1 2006

I have harvested and eaten milkweed pods and treated them in the following manner: Heat one pot of water to boiling and cook pods until water is milky (about 3-4 min). Heat a second pot of water and once hot add the pods (do not add pods to cold water). Two changes of water are usually sufficient though not always. I have felt rather uncomfortable in my stomach after eating poorly "cleaned" milkweed pods. Actually I felt awfully sick for a few hours.

The Milkweeds Asclepias species

Ken Fern, Plants for a Future Sun Mar 18 2007

The flowers of Asclepias species are a rich source of nectar and attract many different species of butterfly to feed on them. In addition, they are also the food plant of the caterpillars of several species of butterflies including the North American Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. Asclepias species contain quantities of cardiac glycosides in their leaves. Whilst the larvae can feed upon these leaves without any harm to themselves, they do accumulate these glycosides in their bodies, making them unpalatable to birds. This provides a chemical defence for the larvae, the pupae, and the adult butterflies. Any

bird unwise enough to try and eat even one Monarch caterpillar, larvae or butterfly will quickly reject it and in future avoid any other Monarchs.

Contact details

We have no office staff or volunteers so contacting us is difficult and we cannot guarantee that you will get a reply.

However there are a number of options

Enquiries about plantsThere should be directed to the Plants For A Future mailing list. You can subscribe on this page or by sending an email to pfaf-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Volunteering at the Cornwall SiteYou can ring Addy on 01208 873 554 you will probably need to leave an answering machine message. You may also be able to email kenfern1@btinternet.com. or write to Plants For A Future, The Field, St Veep, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0QJ, England

Enquiries about the Devon siteEmail Rich at devon@pfaf.org or phone 01208872 963, you write to 1 Lerryn View Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0QJ, England We are in the process of selling the site so there are no volunteer activities.

Book and Database OrdersPlease see the web pages for Book and Database.

Other enquiriesOther enquiries can be directed to admin@pfaf.org we can make no guarantees that your question can be answered.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus –Hmoscheutos, H. mutabalis , H. sabdariffaLavendar (Lavandula–many cultivars and hybrids) EvergreenRoseof Sharon, Althea(Hibiscus syriacus)Deciduous Purple/lavender/pink/white/rose flowers. Mexican Bush Sage/ Velvet Sage (Salvia leucantha)NativeMountain Sage (Salvia regla)Begonia (Begonia semperflorens) Annual/perennial.California Fuschia, Hummingbird Flower (ZauschneriaDaylily (Hemerocallis–many hybrids) Giant hyssop or Hummingbird Mint(Agastache–many cultivars and hybrids)Nasturtium (Ntropaeolum) Salvia and sage(Salvia–900 species throughout world)Honeysuckle (Lonicera–several)

Hummingbird Mint (Agastache

Asclepias Begonia

Fuchsia

Bee balm Monarda didyma Perennial Pink, red, rose, violet, white

24 to 48" Sun to partial shade

Moist soil; flowers in summer

Begonia Begonia semperflorens

Annual Pink, red, white 6 to 12" Sun to heavy shade Late spring to early fall; low drought tolerance

Dahlia Dahlia spp. Perennial Pink, white, yellow, red, orange 4 to 6' Sun Flowers summer to fall; semihardy in zones 6, 7Evening primrose Oenothera spp. Perennial Pink, white 12 to 24" Sun Well drained, infertile soil

Geranium Pelargonium x hortorum Annual Bicolors, pink, red, salmon, white 12 to 24" Sun Flowers late spring to early fall

.

Edible FlowersThis chart is a collaborative research project by Amy Barclay de Tolly and Home Cooking Guide Peggy Trowbridge. The links will take you to full color photos of the specific flowers to help with identification, but please don't depend solely on these photos. Be sure you know exactly what you choose to consume. If you are allergy-prone, it's probably best to forego consumption of flowers. For more information, refer to the article on Incredible Edible Flowers and Poisonous Plants and Flowers Chart.

• Poisonous Plants and Flowers Chart • Edible Flowers Information and Recipes• Herb Information

• Spice Information • A to Z Recipes and Food

Edible Flowers

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Angelica Angelica archangelicaMay be skin allergen to some individuals. Good with fish and the stems are especially popular candied. Tastes like: celery-flavored. More info here.

Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Tastes like: sweet, anise-like, licorice

Apple Malus species Eat in moderation; may contain cyanide precursors. Tastes like: delicate floral flavor

Arugula Eruca vesicaria Tastes like: nutty, spicy, peppery flavor

Basil Ocimum basilicumTastes like: different varieties have different milder flavors of the corresponding leaves. Tastes like: lemon, mint. More info here.

Bee Balm Monarda speciesAlso known as bergamot, it is used to make a tea with a flavor similar to Earl Grey Tea. More info here.

Borage Borago officinalis Taste like: light cucumber flavor. More info here.

Burnet Sanguisorba minor Tastes like: faint cucumber flavor, very mild. More info here.

Calendula* Calendula officinalis Tastes like: poor man's saffron, spicy, tangy, peppery, adds a golden hue to foods

CarnationDianthus caryophyllus (aka Dianthus)

Tastes like: spicy, peppery, clove-like

Chamomile* Chamaemelum nobile Tastes like: faint apple flavor, good as a tea

Chicory* Cichorium intybus Buds can be pickled.

Chives: Garden Allium schoenoprasum Tastes like: mild onion flavor. More info here.

Chives: Garlic Allium tuberosum Tastes like: garlicky flavor

Chrysanthemum: Garland*

Chrysanthemum coronarium

Tastes like: slight to bitter flavor, pungent

Citrus: Lemon Citrus limonTastes like: waxy, pronounced flavor, use sparingly as an edible garnish, good for making citrus waters

Clover Trifolium species Raw flowerheads can be difficult to digest.

Coriander Coriander sativumPungent. A prime ingredient in salsa and many Latino and Oriental dishes. Tastes like: Some palates detect a disagreeable soapy flavor while others adore it. More info here.

Cornflower*Centaurea cynaus (aka Bachelor's Buttons)

Tastes like: sweet to spicy, clove-like

Dandelion* Taraxacum officinalis Tastes like: very young buds fried in butter taste similar to mushrooms. Makes a potent wine.

Day Lily Hemerocallis speciesMany Lilies (Lillium species) contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Daylillies may act as a laxative. Tastes like: sweet, crunchy, like a crisp lettuce leaf, faintly like chestnuts or beans

Dill Anthum graveolens More info here.

English Daisy* Bellis perennis Tastes like: tangy, leafy

Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Tastes like: sweet, licorice flavor. More info here.

Fuchsia Fuchsia X hybrida Tastes like: slightly acidic

Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides Tastes like: light, sweet flavor

Gladiolus* Gladiolus spp Tastes like: similar to lettuce

Hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Tastes like: slightly acidic, boiled makes a nice beverage

Hollyhock Alcea rosea Tastes like: very bland, nondescript flavor

Honeysuckle: Japanese

Lonicera japonica Berries are highly poisonous. Do not eat them!

Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Should be avoided by pregnant women and by those with hypertension and epilepsy.

Impatiens Impatiens wallerana Tastes like: very bland, nondescript flavor

Jasmine: Arabian Jasminum sambac Tastes like: delicate sweet flavor, used for teas.

Johnny-Jump-Up Viola tricolor Contains saponins and may be toxic in large amounts. Tastes like: sweet to bland flavor

Lavender Lavendula species Lavender oil may be poisenous. More Info. Tastes like: floral, slightly perfumey flavor

Lemon Verbena Aloysia triphylla Tastes like: lemony flavor, usually steeped for tea

Lilac Syringa vulgaris Tastes like: lemony, floral, pungent

Mallow: Common Malva sylrestris Tastes like: sweet, delicate flavor

Marigold: SignetTagetes tenuifolia (aka T. signata)

Tastes like: spicy to bitter

Marjoram Origanum majorana More info here.

Mint Mentha species More info here.

Mustard Brassica species Eating in large amounts may cause red skin blotches. More info here.

Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus Buds are often pickled and used like capers. Tastes like: sweet, mildly pungent, peppery flavor

OkraAbelmoschus aesculentus(Hibiscus esculentus)

Tastes like: similar to squash blossoms

Pansy Viola X wittrockiana Tastes like: very mild sweet to tart flavor

Pea Pisum species Flowering ornamental sweet peas are poisonous.

Pineapple Guava Feijoa sellowiana Tastes like: similar to the ripe fruit of the plant, flavorful

Primrose Primula vulgaris Birdseye Primrose (P. farinosa) causes contact dermatitis. Tastes like: bland to sweet flavor

Radish Raphanus sativus Tastes like: milder, sweeter version of the more familiar radish heat

Redbud Cercis canadensis Tastes like: mildly sweet

RoseRosa rugosa or R. gallica officinalis

Tastes like: sweet, aromatic flavor, stronger fragrance produces a stronger flavor. Be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals. Rose hips are also edible (see Rose Hips Recipes).

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Tastes like: pine-like, sweet, savory. More info here

Runner Bean Phaseolus coccineus Tastes like: nectar, bean-like

Safflower* Carthamus tinctorius Another "poor man's saffron" without the pungent aroma or strong flavor of the real thing

Sage Salvia officinalisSage should not be eaten in large amounts over a long period of time. Tastes like: varies by type. More info here.

Savory: Summer Satureja hortensis More info here.

Scented Geranium Pelargonium speciesCitronella variety may not be edible. Tastes like: varies with differing varieties from lemon to mint. More info here.

Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus Tastes like: bland to bitter flavor

Society Garlic Tulbaghia violacea Tastes like: a very mild garlic flavor

Squash BlossomCucurbita pepo species (aka Zucchini Blossom)

Tastes like: sweet, nectar flavor. More info here.

Sunflower* Helianthus annusTastes like: leafy, slightly bitter. Lightly steam petals to lessen bitterness. Unopened flower buds can be steamed like artichokes.

Thyme Thymus vulgaris Tastes like: lemon, adds a nice light scent. More info here.

Tuberous Begonia Begonia X tuberosaONLY HYBRIDs are edible. The flowers and stems contain oxalic acid and should not be consumed by individuals suffering from gout, kidneystones, or rheumatism. Further, the flower should be eaten in strick moderation. Tastes like: crisp, sour, lemony

Violet Viola species Tastes like: sweet, nectar

(Banana) Yucca Yucca baccataFlowers (petals only) and fruit are edible. Other parts contain saponin, which is poisonous. Large amounts may be harmful. Tastes like: crunchy, fresh flavor Tastes like: crunchy, fresh flavor

Flowers to Avoid Some flowers in particular to be avoided (but not a complete list) are: azalea, crocus, daffodil, foxglove, oleander, rhododendron, jack-in-the-pulpit, lily of the valley, and wisteria. See a more complete list.

*Only the petals of these composite flowers are edible. The pollen of composite flowers is highly allergenic and may cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Sufferers of asthma, ragweed, and hayfever should not consume composite flowers, and may have extreme allergies to ingesting any flowers at all.

Non-edible Poisonous Flowers

This chart is a list of the most commonly-known poisonous plants and flowers to avoid while selecting edible flowers. It is not complete, so just because you do not see it listed here, do not assume it is safe to eat. Be sure you know exactly what you choose to consume. For more info on edible flowers, refer to my feature on Incredible Edible Flowers and Edible Flowers Chart with links to full-color photos and flavor info.

•  Edible Flowers Chart •  Edible Flowers Information and Recipes•  Herb Information •  Spice Information •  A to Z Recipes and Food

Poisonous Plants and Flowers

Common Name Botanical Name

Aconite (wolfsbane, monkhood) Aconitum spp.

Anemone (windflower) Anemone spp.

Anthurium Anthurium spp.

Atamasco lily Zephyranthes spp.

Autumn crocus Colchicum autumnale

Azalea Azalea spp. (Rhododendron spp.)

Baneberry Actaea spp.

Black locust Robinia pseudo-acacia

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis

Boxwood Buxus spp.

Burning bush (strawberry bush, spindle tree, wahoo) Euonymus spp

Buttercup Ranunculus spp.

Butterfly weed Asclepias spp.

Caladium Caladium spp.

Calla (calla lily) Calla palustris (Zantedeschia aethiopica)

Carolina jasmine (yellow jessamine) Gelsemium sempervirens

Castor bean Ricinus communis

Cherry laurel Prunus caroliniana

Chinaberry (bead tree) Melia azedarach

Christmas rose Helleborus niger

Clematis Clematis spp.

Daffodil Narcissus spp.

Deadly nightshade (belladonna) Atropoa belladona

Death cammas (black snakeroot) Zigadenus spp.

Delphinium (larkspur) Delphinium spp.

Dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium

Dumbcane Dieffenbachia spp.

Elephant ears Colocasia antiquorum

False hellebore Veratrum viride

Four o'clock Mirabills jalapa

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Giant elephant ear Alocasia spp.

Gloriosa lily Glonosa superba

Golden chain tree (laburnum) Labunum anagryroides

Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis

Heavenly bamboo (nandina) Nandinaa domestica

Henbane (black henbane) Hyoscyamus niger

Horse chestnut (Ohio buckeye) Aesculus spp.

Horse nettle Solanum spp.

Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis

Hyacinth bean Dolicbos lab lab

Hydrangea Hydrangea spp.

Iris Iris spp.

Ivy (English ivy) Hedera helix

Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaemia triphyllum

Jerusalem cherry Solanum pseudocapsicum

Jessamine (jasmine) Cestrum spp.

Jetbead (jetberry) Rhodotypos tetrapetala

Jimson weed Datura spp (Brugmansia spp.)

Jonquil Narcissus spp.

Kentucky coffee tree Gymnocladus dioica

Lantana Lantana camara

Leopard's bane Arnica montana

Lily of the valley Convallaria majalis

Lobelia (cardinal flower, Indian tobacco) Lobelia spp.

Marsh marigold Caltha palustris

May apple (mandrake) Podophyllum peltatum

Mescal bean (Texas mountain laurel, frijo lillo) Sophora secundiflora

Mistletoe Phoradendron spp.

Morning glory Ipomoea violacea

Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia

Nightshade Solanum spp.

Oleander Nerium oleander

Periwinkle (myrtle, vinca) Vinca spp.

Philodendron Philodendron spp. (Monstera spp.)

Pittosporum Pittosporum spp.

Poison hemlock Conium maculatum

Potato Solanum tuberosum

Privet Ligustrum spp.

Rhododendron Rhododendron spp.

Rock poppy (celandyne) Chelidonium majus

Schefflera Schefflera spp.

Spring adonis Adonis vernalis

Spurge Euphorbia spp.

Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum

Sweet pea Lathyrus spp.

Tobacco Nicotiana tabacum

Trumpet flower (chalice vine) Solandra spp.

Water hemlock Cicuta maculata

Wild cherry (black cherry) Prunus serotina

Wisteria Wisteria spp.

Yellow allamanda Allamanda cathartica

Yellow oleander (tiger apple, be still tree, lucky nut) Thevetia peruviana

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow Brunfelsia spp.

Disclaimer: This is a list of the most common poisonous plants and flowers but it is by no means complete. If the plant is not on this list, that doesn't necessarily make it edible or non-poisonous. Be sure you know what you are putting in your mouth!

Scented Geraniums: Beautiful, Fragrant, EdiblePosted on May 30, 2013 by veggiedrStandard

I love scented geraniums!  A lot of folks have never even heard of them, or so they think!  If you’ve ever seen a “mosquito plant” at the garden center, then you have seen a scented geranium!  I talk about these amazing plants whenever I give a presentation on edible landscaping.  I am also incorporating them into an edibles program I am doing for some nature camp kids at Crosby Arboretum next month!

From Home Grown Edible Landscapes… Follow them on Facebook or visit them at www.groedibles.com!

The leaves and flowers are edible and highly perfumed making them perfect to use in mixology, preserves and desserts!

Here are some Scented-leaf pelargoniums and their flavors:

Almond – Pelargonium quercifolium

Apple – Pelargonium odoratissimum

Coconut – Pelargonium grossalarioides (Pelargonium parriflorum)

Lemon – Pelargonium crispum

Nutmeg – Pelargonium fragrans (Pelargonium x fragrans)

Old Spice (sort of a nutmeg)- Pelargonium fragrans ‘Logees’

Peppermint – Pelargonium tomentosum

Rose – Pelargonium graveolens (Pelargonium roseum)

Rose – Pelargonium capitatumRose – Pelargonium radensLemon Scented – Pelargonium citronellumSouthernwood (camphor-woodsy scent) – Pelargonium abrotanifolium

Strawberry – Pelargonium scarboroviae (Pelargonium x scarboroviae)

Cultivars‘Attar of Roses’‘Attar of Roses’ – a cultivar of P. capitatum‘Crowfoot Rose’ – a cultivar of P. radens‘Dr. Livingston’ – a cultivar of P. radens‘Grey Lady Plymouth’ – a cultivar of P. graveolens‘Prince Rupert’ – a cultivar of P. crispum

Hybrids‘Ginger’ – P. x torento‘Lemon Balm’ – a hybrid: P. x melissinum‘Lime’ – a hybrid: (P. x nervosum)‘Prince of Orange’ – a hybrid: P. x citrosum

Share this: Twitter 2 Facebook 3 More

Like this:Filed under Uncategorized and tagged Crosby Arboretum, edible landscapes, mosquito plant, scented geraniums | Leave a comment

About veggiedrChristine is an Associate Research and Extension Professor of Urban Horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, MS. She works as the resident scientist at the Beaumont Horticultural Unit in Perry County, MS. Her research

interests include urban agriculture, backyard farming, container gardening, high tunnel production, local foods, horticultural therapy, green roofs, and small farm issues. Christine is passionate about feeding people and growing farmers. View all posts by veggiedr »

Pelargonium

Pelargonium abrotanifolium, plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium abrotanifolium, blooming plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

 

Pelargonium abrotanifolium, flowers close up  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium abrotanifolium, leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium acetosum, flower (Photo Stephan Selbach) 

Pelargonium aciculatum close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium aciculatum, Sect. Hoarea, tuber and leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium aciculatum, Sect. Hoarea, tuber and leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium aciculatum, Sect. Hoarea, tuber and leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson

Mann) 

Pelargonium alpinum, Sect. Ligularia, flower (Photo Petr

Reichelt) 

Pelargonium alternans, plant - from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium alternans, flower - from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium alternans, leaf -  from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium alternans, flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium alternans sbsp. alternans ,Sect. Otidia, plant (Photo Katya

Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium alternans sbsp. alternans ,Sect. Otidia, flower close up (Photo Katya

Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium anethifolium , Sect. Polyactium, flower (Photo Petr

Reichelt) 

Pelargonium antidysentericum (Photo Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium appendiculatum, plant -   from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium appendiculatum, flower - from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium appendiculatum, plant with unripe fruits- from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium articulatum, close up (Photo Cliff Blackman)

Pelargonium auritum ssp auritum, close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium auritum sbsp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, leaves development (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, leaves development  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, leaves withering and flower scape development (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, leaves withering and flower scape development  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. auritum, Sect. Hoarea, leaves withering and flower scape development (Photo Vered Adolfsson

Mann) 

Pelargonium auritum ssp. carneum , Sect. Hoarea, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium australe 'Mitagong' (Photo Richard Riedy)                                 

Pelargonium australe,  Sect. Peristera , plant (Photo Katya

Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium australe,  Sect. Peristera , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium australe ssp. erodioides ,  Sect. Peristera, blooming plant (Photo Petr

Reichelt) 

Pelargonium barklyi, flower close-up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium barklyi, young plant - from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium barklyi, leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium boranense, plant- from the Group Seed List 2011 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium boranense , flower close-up (Photo Ian Gillam) 

Pelargonium boranense (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium boranense plant (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium boranense (Photo Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium bowkeri close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium bowkeri 2 flowers from the same plant in different years (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium bowkeri , plant (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg) 

Pelargonium caffrum, Sect. Polyactium, flower (Photo Petr

Reichelt) 

Pelargonium campestre plant (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium campestre, Sect. Hoarea, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium carneum close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium carneum, Sect. Hoarea, tuber and leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson

Mann) 

Pelargonium carneum, Sect. Hoarea, tuber and leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium carneum, Sect. Hoarea, withering leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium caroli-henrici, flower close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium caroli-henrici, bud (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium caroli-henrici, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium caucalifolium, Sect. Myrrhidium , plant (Photo Katya

Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium caucalifolium, Sect. Myrrhidium , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium ceratophyllum, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ceratophyllum, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ceratophyllum, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ceratophyllum, flower  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cordifolium (Photo Anita Schweig- Bourg) 

Pelargonium cortusifolium , young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cortusifolium , leaf  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cortusifolium , plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cortusifolium close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium cotyledonis (Photo Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium cotyledonis plant 16 years old (Photo Cliff Blackman)

Pelargonium cotyledonis close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium crassicaule (Photo Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium christophorarum (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium crithmifolium (Photo Stephan Selbach) 

Pelargonium cucullatum , flower close-up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium cucullatum ssp. strigifolium, plant  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cucullatum ssp. strigifolium, leaf  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cucullatum ssp. strigifolium, flowers close up  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium cucullatum ssp. strigifolium, flowers  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium curviandrum , plant (Photo Marie Westerbom) 

Pelargonium curviandrum , flower close up (Photo Marie Westerbom)

Pelargonium curviandrum, flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium denticulatum, Sect. Pelargonium (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium denticulatum 'Filicifolium' Sect. Pelargonium (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium dichondrifolium, Sect. Reniformia, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium dipetalum close up (Photo Richard Soar)

Pelargonium dolomiticum, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium dolomiticum, young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium echinatum (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium echinatum, leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium echinatum, white flowered form (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium endlicherianum (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium endlicherianum (Photo Mark Smyth) 

Pelargonium extipulatum (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium extipulatum, Sect. Reniformia , plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium extipulatum, Sect. Reniformia , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium ferulaceum plant (Photo Cliff Blackman)

Pelargonium fissifolium close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium gibbosum , flower close up (Photo Stephan Selbach)            

Pelargonium gibbosum, Sect. Polyactium , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium gibbosum and Pelargonium gibbosum marron flowers, Sect. Polyactium , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium gibbosum marron flowers, Sect. Polyactium , flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium grenvilleae ,seedling    (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium grenvilleae ,buds   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium grenvilleae ,plant detail  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium grenvilleae, blooming plant   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium grenvilleae ,flowers   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium greytonense (Photo Stephan Selbach)            

Pelargonium incrassatum close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium incrassatum ,close up (Photo Marie Westerbom) 

Pelargonium incrassatum , flowers close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium incrassatum, young plant - from the Group Seedlist 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium incrassatum, blooming plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium incrassatum, bud  (Photo Chris Stevenson) 

Pelargonium incrassatum, flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium incrassatum, Sect. Hoarea, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium incrassatum, Sect. Hoarea, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium iocastum , flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium iocastum, Sect. Peristera, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium ionidiflorum (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium karooicum, Sect. Ligularia, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium klinghardtense, Sect. , plant(Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium laevigatum, Sect. Glaucophyllum, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium laevigatum, Sect. Glaucophyllum, flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium lanceolatum, Sect. Glaucophyllum, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium laxum, plant ( Photo Franco Ceriana)

Pelargonium laxum, flower (Photo Richard Riedy)                 

Pelargonium laxum, plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium laxum, young plant - from the Group Seedlist 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium laxum, young plant, flower (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium longicaule (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium longifolium close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium longifolium, plant (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium longifolium, flower (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium luteolum close up (Photo Richard Soar)

Pelargonium luteolum, Sect. Hoarea, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium madagascariense (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium madagascariense, Sect. Peristera, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium madagascariense, Sect. Peristera, flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium magenteum, plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium magenteum, leaves (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium magenteum, flowers (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium mirabile (Photo  Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium mirabile (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium mirabile, plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium mirabile, plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium mirabile, flower close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium mollicomum, flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium moniliforme (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium multicaule, Sect. Myrrhidium, plant  (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium multicaule, Sect. Myrrhidium, plant  (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium nephrophyllum (Photo Allan Burns)

P. sp. aff. vinaceum Nne Concordia -Sect. Hoarea species found near Concordia, SA- plant  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

P. sp .aff. vinaceum Nne Concordia- Sect. Hoarea - flowers  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

P. sp .aff. vinaceum Nne Concordia- Sect. Hoarea - flowers  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium oblongatum close up (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium oblongatum  plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium oblongatum  blooming plant, white-cream flowers (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium oblongatum  blooming plant, yellow flowers (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium oblongatum  the 2 blooming plants confronted (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium oblongatum  white -cream flowers close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium oblongatum  yellow flowers close up  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium ochroleucum ,plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ochroleucum ,buds (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ochroleucum ,blooming plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium ochroleucum ,flowers (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium ovale (Photo Stephan Selbach)            

Pelargonium ovale ssp. veronicifolium ( Photo Jean-Pierre Damion)

Pelargonium papilionaceum (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg) 

Pelargonium parvipetalum (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium petroselinifolium, Sect Hoarea, plant (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium pinnatum, Sect Hoarea, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium pinnatum, Sect Hoarea, flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium polycephalum ,Sect. Otidia, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium polycephalum ,Sect. Otidia, flower (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium praemorsum ssp.praemorsum (Photo Jean Pierre Damion)

Pelargonium praemorsum ssp.speciosum (Photo Jean Pierre Damion)

Pelargonium pulverulentum (Photo Richard Riedy)                    

Pelargonium pulverulentum (Photo Richard Riedy)                    

Pelargonium punctatum (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium quercetorum (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium quercetorum in pot (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium quercetorum, close up (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium quercetorum, close up 2 (photo Jean-Pierre Trivi)

Pelargonium quercetorum, close up 3 (photo Jean-Pierre Trivi)

Pelargonium quercifolium  (Photo Allan Burns)

Pelargonium quinquelobatum (Photo Richard Riedy) 

Pelargonium radiatum , Sect. Hoarea (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium radiatum , Sect. Hoarea (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium radiatum ,Sect. Hoarea , young plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium radiatum ,Sect. Hoarea , young plant blooming (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium radiatum ,Sect. Hoarea , flower close up  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium radicatum, Sect. Hoarea (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium rapaceum, yellow form, foliage ( Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium rapaceum, yellow form, foliage ( Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium reniforme (Photo Erle Randall)

Pelargonium reniforme ssp. velutinum, Sect.Reniformia, flower (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium rubiginosum, Sect. Hoarea,  buds  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium rubiginosum, Sect. Hoarea,  flowers  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium rubiginosum, Sect. Hoarea,  developing seeds  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium rotundipetalum - from the Group Seed List 2010 (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium scabrum, Sect. Pelargonium, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium schizopetalum (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg)

Pelargonium sibthorpiaefolium (Photo Jean-Pierre Trivi)

Pelargonium sibthorpiaefolium (Photo Jean-Pierre Trivi)

Pelargonium sidoides (raspberry pink flowers), Sect. Reniformia, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium sidoides (raspberry pink flowers), Sect. Reniformia, flowers (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium spinosum, Sect. Ligularia, plant (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium tabulare (photo Stephan Selbach)

Pelargonium tabulare , flower (photo Stephan Selbach) 

Pelargonium tomentosum (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg) 

Pelargonium tongaense   (Photo Ingrid Brundin)

Pelargonium tongaense, flower ( Photo Richard Riedy)             

Pelargonium tongaense, flower (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium tragacanthoides, Sect. Ligularia, flowers (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium transvaalense , flowers (Photo Peter J. Liekkio)

Pelargonium transvaalense, blooming plant (Photo Peter J. Liekkio)

Pelargonium transvaalense (Photo Richard Riedy)

Pelargonium tricolor var.album, Sect Campylia, blooming plant  (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium tricolor var.album, Sect Campylia, flower  (Photo Petr Reichelt) 

Pelargonium trifoliolatum , Sect. Hoarea (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium triste (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg) 

Pelargonium triste, Sect Polyactium (Photo Katya Kotskaya) 

Pelargonium triste, Sect Polyactium (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium vinaceum ,young plant   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium vinaceum ,buds    (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium vinaceum ,blooming  plant  (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium vinaceum ,flowers   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium vinaceum ,flowers   (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann) 

Pelargonium vinaceum , flower close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium x 'Ardens' flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson)

Pelargonium x 'Miss Stapleton' (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)  

Pelargonium x 'Miss Stapleton' , plant (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium x 'Miss Stapleton', flower close up (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium magenteum, 'Miss Stapleton', echinatum white - flowers (Photo Vered Adolfsson Mann)

Pelargonium x 'Schottii'   (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg) 

Pelargonium x 'Schottii' plant (Photo Chris Stevenson)  

Pelargonium x 'Schottii' flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson) 

Pelargonium x 'Shannon' flower close up (Photo Chris Stevenson) 

Pelargonium x 'Splendide' (Photo Rik de Backer)

Pelargonium x 'Splendide' (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg)

Pelargonium x vespertinum Sweet (Photo Rik de Backer)

Pelargonium woodii N.E.Brown = P.schizopetalum Sweet (Photo Anita Schweig-Bourg)