Hello all!

Well, I haven't been on the nexus much in the past 6 months as I havent had any internet access for that time, but in that time my wife and I found a beautiful little spot and are taking root up here in these small mountains, trying to cultivate these hills. I've been almost completely focusing on cultivating food crops and animals (goats ducks chickens and rabbits!) but now that spring is here I am thinking about my future ethnobotanical garden, and all the lovely power plants I'll be growing.

The next family in my sights is the Convolvulaceae, in particular does anyone have experience growing Ipomoea tricolor, Rivea corymbosa, or Argyreia nervosa in zone 6B or Colder? I feel that the Morning Glory will probably be ok (grown as an annual?), but what about the other guys? I have the ability to grow a few things indoors ( 1000w HPS light), but not sure if any of these guys tolerate being potted. I read that A. nervosa's rootsystem is too extensive to be potted, and it requires its full roots to bear flowers and give fruit - might this be the same for I. tricolor and R. corymbosa? I don't have as much hope for the last two, being as equatorial as they are and as temperate as we are here, especially if they do not do well in pots. I will also have a grow-dome with limited space in which a few things can be cultivated.
Also, does anyone know if I. violacea is active? some of the most beautiful varieties are violacea, i'll probably grow them anyway. Morning glories are sweet!

Has anyone grown Harmala? Any information on germination rates, or how long the seed remains viable? I have plenty of seed, but I'm not sure it would grow due to age or whatever. I have seen this plant growing wild in New Mexico, but that was it's natural environ. Harmala in more northernly zones? like 6b or above? I mean, it was pretty cold, actually i just checked and it was 6B, so it could be ok here. Is it a perennial or an annual?


Other than those were doing Poppies, Cannabis, and cactus (pachanoi and bridgesii). tips on those?

Thanks!

Another question:
What are the cold-hardy acacia, active and non? I haven't done much reasearch on this family, so I'll have to do that. There is some sort of acacia-oid here that I'll take photos of. I'd like to have at least 1 DMT-bearing plant that can grow outdoors in my region... but I may have to settle- like most of my cold-weather compatriots- on the grasses.

Anyone got any experience with the grasses? I know they are extremely invasive, setting up mono-species tracts and choking out native grasses, not something I want to do to my potentially fragile ecosystem here. I'd like to contain them.

Also, I'm planning on doing M. Hostilis here, of course it will have to be under my lights/in the heated greenhouse-dome that we're going to be building soon, probably in containers which wont be good for root growth... but its more just to get to know the growing plant, rather than to keep it as a primary source of entheogenic material. Anybody got experience growing this guy where he's not as comfortable?

I've seen a little Giant reed Grass here, down near the rivers. And what about Desmanthus illinoisensis. Apparently it grows native here, I've been keeping my eyes peeled. Luckily also have a type of passiflora as well as grapes growing wild here.

Ok ok, thnks.

I growy ipomea tricolor and have for years. It is an extremely easy plant to cultivate and it flowers and seeds effortlessly IME.

Grasses are pretty easy..not much else to say there. I find they like the shade more than the sun also..so thats easy to deal with. At least aquatica and brachys do horrible in the sun IME..arundinacea is the only one that tolerates the sun for me. I grow all 3.

If your going to do mimosa in a greenhouse that is outside you probly will not need lights..the normal lighting outside is enough for mimosa. If your thinking for indoors you definatly dont need any kind of greenhouse. If I put my mimosas out into the sun they burn really really bad..so they get acustomed to the light they grow up with IME..mine is 5 feet or more with lights that do not match the intensity of the sun outside..so if you have a greenhouse outside they should take off without any extra lights.

Acacia's are much harder to grow IME..they are very very slow to start. I made the mistake of trying to put some out too early. Acuminata seems to be the toughest IME..its the only one that seems to be doing well..confusa is also pretty tough though and I have not had any confusas die and I have a couple of them outside right now in the shade on my deck..been there for 3 weeks..they wont take the winter outside though in northern areas.

I am growing several A. nervosa and R. corymbosa in pots and they have all flowered. The root systems grow very fast and they tend to become root bound quickly. I put mine in large 15 gallon planters and when they out grow that I knock the bottom off the planter. In a heated greenhouse they should flower several times a year.

For the mimosa I also use over size planters but in the soil I add sharp paving gravel to stimulate root bark growth. The plants might not have a extensive root system but they produce a nice amount of bark for the size.

There should be some cold hardy acacias, it get's pretty cold in OZ during the winter (now). nen should be able to tell you what will do well there.

Spring of last year I successfully started plants from 6 year old harmala seed sown direct to my garden. Desert/arid plants tend to have long lived seed because most have to sit in the sun being baked in hot dry dirt until rains come. Thats probably why most cacti seed are still viable after being stored for more than 10 years, P. harmala seems to be the same.

I'm zone 7a, for an acacia I started an A. obtusifolia and grew it in a pot and just planted the whole pot in the garden in the spring and pulled it to bring in through winter. Last year I had to cut the top 3 feet off to get it in the house, so this year I removed the pot and planted it in hopes of loads of growth and may be seed before mid-fall when I'll prune it back and put in a new pot. Not hard to grow one if determination is there
I've heard of them going perennial in zone 8a so if I get a seed crop I'mma just grow a few hundred trees in the field and see if any survive a zone 7a winter, perhaps they can be bred for colder climates in a stepwise fashion.

Look into Desmanthus leptolobus and D. illinoensis for reliable zone 6a survivors

Jamie: Yeah the light is for indoors. I was thinking to only it during winter, but my cacti are doing so well under it that I may just leave it on... I dunno, energy costs are high, with a big portion going to those thousand watts so I'll probably end up turning it off. I'd have everything outside right now, but I have these two terroristic goats who destroy any plant not behind a goatproof fence. It'll be a week or so before we get ours up.

So you do your grasses in containers? I'm afraid of letting the stuff go in my yard or field, as I've read some reports of it completely taking over an area and being very hard to get rid of or reduce. Also, I;ve read of these grasses, and DMT containing plants in general, to cause problems and kill sheep, so I can't let it go in an area where we intend to raise these very animals! I've seen plenty of grasses in containers at a nursery where I worked last year, so I'm sure it could be done. Acctually I have a broken fridge that lays sideways, maybe I could convert it into a big grow box for phalaris.
If I were to do Jurema, I'd probably eventually have to start pruning it back in winter so as to fit it into the greenhouse. it would certainly die outside. Do you collect any roots from your trees? What size pots are they in?

nameless: Cool that is exciting for me. I really love Hawaiian baby Woodrose, both the lovely vine and the effects. I've never seen a living R. corymbosa, nor really had any effects from the seeds I once ate (like 100 seeds, much more than what some reports read are effective doses for this plant).

Auxin: Cool, I'm definately going to plant some harmala soon... I'll try in flats under the light, see if I get any sprouts. If I grow any Acacia, I'd probably have to do the same pruninoutside. Do you collect any roots from your trees? What size pots are they in?

nameless: Cool that is exciting for me. I really love Hawaiian baby Woodrose, both the lovely vine and the effects. I've never seen a living R. corymbosa, nor really had any effects from the seeds I once ate (like 100 seeds, much more than what some reports read are effective doses for this plant).

Auxin: Cool, I'm definately going to plant some harmala soon... I'll try in flats under the light, see if I get any sprouts. If I grow any Acacia, I'd probably have to do the same pruning routine as with Mimosa, so they'd fit indoors or in the greenhouse... And apparently D. illinoensis grows native here in my county, so that's awesome.. I'll check out that other species too and see if I can't get a little of that going outside.


Got the trellis for the Ipomoea up. Have several species, tricolor (heavenly blue) as well as a black morning glory and some Moonflower seeds, not psychoactive but cool as hell. Should be planted soon.g routine as with Mimosa, so they'd fit indoors or in the greenhouse... And apparently D. illinoensis grows native here in my county, so that's awesome.. I'll check out that other species too and see if I can't get a little of that going outside.


Got the trellis for the Ipomoea up. Have several species, tricolor (heavenly blue) as well as a black morning glory and some Moonflower seeds, not psychoactive but cool as hell. Should be planted soon.

The black morning glory is awesome to just sit and look at. I have mine on a large trellis mixed with a couple moon flower vines. Black flowers during the day, white flowers at night. I have been trying for a couple years to get the garden at my house to be a day / night garden where something is always flowering.