Devil's Claws, anyone need?

I will be harvesting these pods, any takers? Janetlee

I'VE GOT DEVILS CLAWS NOW....

HERE IS MY LIST OF PEOPLE

TANARAE
SEJ
TOOTSIE
SUGARWEED
BREEZE03
WENDY
GOURD
VWETZEL
BRENDA BLOOMER
ZAMELUZZA

Please email with what and how many you want...seeds or pods that are opened. Thanks, if you have some seeds to share or somethingelse that it great, if not just postage on the pods but not for the seeds...Janetlee

This message was edited Oct 22, 2005 3:07 PM

Thanks, I have plenty...you might try Karen7...she does a wonderful trade for some...she uses them in Natvie American basketry. She doesn't come to this forum so I will drop her an email. Jo

I would love some!

Still waiting on them Janetlee

Hi Janet i sure would pod to.. to show grandaughter for school.. will send bubble enevolope postage or how want.. ? if have any lmk.. thanks.. Twyla

Janet....Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

Hello, Janetlee - I'm a little late to the table, but I just joined Dave's Garden today and was pleased to see you have or had some Devil's claw. I too am a basketmaker and they are used for dye as you know. Your "crop" may be long gone but if you tell me what months they mature, I will calendar you for next year. Since I don't plan to use them for decoration, but for dye, you may have some old, not so beautiful ones still lying about that you would like to sell. Let me know what you want for them, how many you have and I will contact you right away. Thanks!

Karen Cotter
11728 Hartsook St.
Valley Village, CA 91607 (north Hollywood)

Karen...if she doesn't have any more I can help you out...and will seperate them and send you my "uglies"...I make crafts out of them,...not baskets though. Jo

Karen
Yes, I do have some uglies around and would be glad to send to you...I would love to see a picture of your baskets Janetlee

Thanks, Janetlee and Roadrunner! If you could each spare 3 "uglies" each, that would be enough to make a good small pot of dye for my purposes. Please feel free to e-mail me at doggydan@earthlink.net and let me know how much you would like for them and I will be happy to pay you and send you my address as well as get yours. I'm ashamed to say I haven't learned to download photos yet but I do have regular photos and will be happy to send you one or two, Janetlee. I also make gourd vessels and am an inveterate collector of found objects as well as strange pods and twigs for embellishments! So many interests, so little time! I am a lifelong student of California native plants and that's primarily what I have in my yard and why I joined this group last week. Sagelady

Hi to all, I have a large grocery bag full of devils claws if anyone would like them. First come first serve. You can have the whole kit and kabodal for postage. Let me know.
Jan

Jan...you want me to post your pictures of the Great Gourd...or are you going to do it??

If no one else takes your "claws" I'll take them and keep them to share with others. Jo

What does Devil's Claws look like? I went to plant files and couldn't find the plant.

Lavina

To Lavinia:


Proboscidea spp. Cultivated by many Southwest tribes, the seed is rich in oil and protein. The black fiber of the fruit or "claw" is used in basketry. Dried seeds can be peeled and eaten, and are sometimes used to polish ollas. The young fruits, when still tender, can be cooked as an okra-like vegetable. Very heat tolerant, the flowers and summer foliage make these attractive landscape plants

They are a long, black pod when dry - with 2 thin black, long "arms", 1 extending from each side, ending in undercurled "claws". I'e seen some 8" long but not all are that long. They are used medicinally, I believe, for arthritis but I'm not recommending that! They have been used traditionally to make a fine dark dye for natural fibers.

Here it is....Jo

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/333/index.html

Jo,
I posted some pics of th final bead celebration last night but the close up ones are too big to post. Too many pixels. If no one wants the claws I will bring them to your place on the 15th. Let me know when I should come.
Jan

Jan,

did anyone take the Devil's Claws? I'd like to have some. How much is the postage?

~* Robin

Nature Walker.
How many do you want? I have a whole bag full. If you want the whole bag let me know and I will give you postage.
Jan

Jan...download the free IRFAN VIEW program...very easy to change picture size. Come over about 9:00 or 9:30...BRING THE GOURD!! LOL

I'm glad you have someone to take the "claws" I have plenty. Jo

Okay Jo,
I downloaded the site and have displayed the new pics of the gourd at the african gourd thread.
See ya soon.
Jan

Jan,

How much is the postage for the whole bag full?

~* Robin

I will box it up and let you know. Its pretty light so it shouldn't be much.
Jan

oooo! another insomniac!

~* Robin

Yea, the doctor has me on these pain pills for my ankle and they keep me awake. I don't think thats the way they are suppose to react but they sure give me a buzz. One is a nerve desensitiser and the other is Oxycodon. I sure hope this ankle gets better soon as I don't want to become dependent on the pain pills. He says my ankle may get better or it may never get better. Boy howdy, that was some great news, heheh

I'm actually awake 'cause of my Cpap machine; it always wakes me up at night by sliding the mask around my face at night, even the one that's called 'Nose Pillows'.

BTW, my Devil's Claw plants (all 6 of them) got eaten down to the soil by some thing this year... is it edible?

Could you send me some seeds for them in the box too?

~* Robin

Robin...when you get the box...you will have seeds running out your ears!@ LOL

All you have to do is pull the "claws" apart and inside the "body" are lots of seeds.

The native Americans used to eat the seeds...I don't know how as they are hard as a brick.

Jo

Nature Walker, I haven't gotten to the PO yet but will try to get there on Friday. Have an appt. with a acupunctureist tomorrow to see if he can aleviate the pain. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Thanks for the info Jo. They probably soaked and sprouted them-LOL
I do that to my fenugreek seeds.


Ok Jan.

~* Robin

A guess about how the indigenous ate the seeds from the Devil's claws: probably ground them up like other seeds into a meal.
Like corn, like acorns, etc. I put flax seed into juice in the AM to help control my high cholesterol...I used to try to eat the seeds - bad idea! Many tummy complaints. Now I buy it at natural food stores in a bag, all ground into a fine meal - stir it into OJ, and even my Coke! So, I'd guess you can do the same with any seeds - as long as they are edible. Lotta work unless you need to do it!

Sagelady....Me thinks you are right! LOL Jo

I would like to try some seed again. Jo, The ones I received from you never germinated. I probably didn`t do something right but would like to try again, perhaps with some good directions.

I will send you some more...I know Shoe was able to get some to grow...I have never tried to grow any as they grow in abundance wild here. Are you in the Address Exchange? Jo

Yes I am. Thank you very much. Do you know how to plant them? Perhaps I can get the directions from Shoe or someone here will know. I appreciate the help.

Devil's Claw, Unicorn Plant http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/333/index.html

scratch it a bit a soak ouvernight first.

~* Robin

Thanks a bunch Robin. Maybe I will have some luck this time.

I have them ready to mail;...Jo

Hi Jo - Me again, just found this forum looking for these seeds for my wifes arthritis garden . . . she is getting really bad very young and the meds they have been giving to us are not working at all. So we are turning to every plant we can that might help for our spring garden. We are going to find a way to cure this and this is the one thing we are ready to try.

Mitch...They'll go out in the mail on Tuesday!!

What part of the plant will you use? Jo

Busybee - I'm a California native plant person and there are a number of seeds here that will only germinate if you scarify (use a piece of sandpaper with medium to hard grit) to rub each seed all around.
Yes it is hard work and a nuisance! That breaks down the hard "skin". Then you soak them for a day in warm water. Don't let them dry out and plant them in well-tilled but poor soil. Most of these desert plants do not like soil amendment, fertilizer, etc. They are used to the worst of the worst and prefer sandy, if you can get a small bag of sand and mix it in. Keep them dampish - but not flooded - until they (hopefully) begin to sprout. Once they are established, stop watering. Only water a little if they look a bit faint. The worse the environment, the happier they are! Above all else do not plant them with happy soils full of perrenials and annuals. Hope this works for you - it works for me. Karen

Thank you very much, sagelady. I appreciate the information.