Of Bees and Chopsticks. Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel, Geumgang Botanical Garden, Busan, South Korea
I'd been a bit surprised here in South Korea that our chopsticks are always of steel instead of the wooden ones I'm used to in Japan or China or in 'ethnic' restaurants all over the world. Someone told me that former rulers of Korea used silver chopsticks for their protection because that metal discolors if touched by some poisons. Needless to say, I've survived all the delicious Korean food... thus far...
Anyway, walking today in the Geumgang Botanical Garden in Busan, I was surprised to see the Mountain Laurel of my youth in the hills of the northeastern United States. I was an amateur bee-keeper, and my elders warned me of the perils of Mountain Laurel honey. It was said to be poisonous. With that memory in my mind this morning, I imagined bees eating with little chopsticks in their claws.
Carolus Linnaeus in 1751 named our Mountain Laurel scientifically for Pehr Kalm (1716-1779). Kalm was originally destined to become a clergyman but on hearing a lecture by Linnaeus he decided to become a naturalist instead. He set off to North America (one of his feats here was to make the first scientific description of Niagara Falls, and he also collected many botanical specimens). Keeping in contact with Linnaeus, he learned to his enormous satisfaction - and not a bit of irony or humor - that the great Classificator had named our flower for him.
It's curious that this Kalmia is now found in the Geumgang Garden. Compared to other gardens I've visited here, this garden ranks low. Today it was more or less a playground for kids; the greenhouse is poorly kept and badly labeled. On the other hand, the trees are varied and well-marked. In fact it's more of an Arboretum than a plant garden. With that in mind, a visit is certainly worthwhile (and clambering over the rocks is much fun). Once finished looking here, climb through the forests to the 'fortress' on the top of the hill (or take the cablecar). On the way there are many wild plants... and I didn't see any Clidemia hirta, that bane of native forests.
Of Bees and Chopsticks. Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel, Geumgang Botanical Garden, Busan, South Korea
I'd been a bit surprised here in South Korea that our chopsticks are always of steel instead of the wooden ones I'm used to in Japan or China or in 'ethnic' restaurants all over the world. Someone told me that former rulers of Korea used silver chopsticks for their protection because that metal discolors if touched by some poisons. Needless to say, I've survived all the delicious Korean food... thus far...
Anyway, walking today in the Geumgang Botanical Garden in Busan, I was surprised to see the Mountain Laurel of my youth in the hills of the northeastern United States. I was an amateur bee-keeper, and my elders warned me of the perils of Mountain Laurel honey. It was said to be poisonous. With that memory in my mind this morning, I imagined bees eating with little chopsticks in their claws.
Carolus Linnaeus in 1751 named our Mountain Laurel scientifically for Pehr Kalm (1716-1779). Kalm was originally destined to become a clergyman but on hearing a lecture by Linnaeus he decided to become a naturalist instead. He set off to North America (one of his feats here was to make the first scientific description of Niagara Falls, and he also collected many botanical specimens). Keeping in contact with Linnaeus, he learned to his enormous satisfaction - and not a bit of irony or humor - that the great Classificator had named our flower for him.
It's curious that this Kalmia is now found in the Geumgang Garden. Compared to other gardens I've visited here, this garden ranks low. Today it was more or less a playground for kids; the greenhouse is poorly kept and badly labeled. On the other hand, the trees are varied and well-marked. In fact it's more of an Arboretum than a plant garden. With that in mind, a visit is certainly worthwhile (and clambering over the rocks is much fun). Once finished looking here, climb through the forests to the 'fortress' on the top of the hill (or take the cablecar). On the way there are many wild plants... and I didn't see any Clidemia hirta, that bane of native forests.