Do you crave Ukrainian plants? You are in the right place!

If you were to predict what would follow a world pandemic, I doubt a war in Europe would be on your mind. Coupled with a shocking rise in cost of living and inflation rising to 8%, we are in for a rough ride this year. All the more you need a cheap hobby to escape to and relax your mind, body and spirit. Let us, at WackyHousePlants, take you there.

Carpathian mountains of Ukraine

But, before we do, we cannot ignore the plight of the Ukranian people who have found themselves in a war not of their own making but in order to satisfy the greed of a megalomaniac Soviet president. I would not pretend to have any links to Ukraine here in this humble site nor are we going to ask for donations of any kind - there are lots of avenues for you to do so if you so wish to. But I thought one way to help is to know more about Ukraine through its flora, some of which have made it to become plants we love in our gardens today.

So here are the fruits of my research on Ukrainian plants we may unknowingly have.

The big picture is that Ukraine is located in south-eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia. It occupies an area of 603,700 square kilometers, and is one of the largest European countries. The weather is not unlike UK, leading to a flora that is rich with nearly 30 thousand types of vegetation.

Forests take up 14% of the whole territory of Ukraine, with pine and deciduous trees, like oak, dominating. The national flower of Ukraine is the sunflower. Like myself, you may wish to plant these seeds now to bloom in our garden this year as a symbol of support for Ukraine.

Here are 4 of the native flowers of Ukraine we can find in our gardens and homes:

1. Alcea rugosa (Russian hollyhock)

Unknown to most of us, this native flower of Ukraine has found its way to most cottage gardens in UK and we have had several varieties of this biennial herbaceous perennial growing to height of 8 feet last summer. Used to be a grandma's favourite, it is good to see they are becoming fashionable again. Really easy to grow but will need support.

2. Crocus angustifolius (cloth-of-gold crocus)

As spring starts in Ukraine now with the snow thaws, crocuses (from which we get saffron) sprout on the expanses of Zakarpatska Oblast in western Ukraine (across the Carpathian mountains). The purple blooms last only for three weeks between mid-March and April and create extensive carpets in the woodlands that attract many visitors each year.

https://rove.me/to/ukraine/crocuses

The Crocus angustifolius, native to southern Ukraine, is popular in our gardens, grown easily from corms. Be reminded of the country they come from each time you see these small herbaceous perennial bloom in lawns this spring.

3. Iris sibirica (Iridaceae)

This iris is native to a botanical reserve in Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine. This is a tourist destination called the Valley of the Irises, south-west of Kviv, the capital of Ukraine.

We love irises and will show you pictures of ours when they bloom this summer.

4. Vincetoxicum rossicum (swallowwort)

I am in two minds to include this plant - yes, it is native to Ukraine but no, it is not one plant I would encourage you to grow in your garden as it is invasive, a bit like Vladimir Putin! Or maybe we should grow it to remind us such mad tyrants exist!

This invasive vine can seed and spread readily in your garden. The flowers are unusual - dark purple or brown, with a 5-lobed corona which can be pink, red-brown or maroon. I have had my share of mistakes growing such plants and had to take down a massive Mexican potato plant (solanium crispum 'Galsnevin') last year that rapidly took over a corner of our garden within 2 years!

Yes, I know this has deviated from a houseplant blog but I am sure you will indulge me this time for a good reason.

Till next time, WackyHousePlanters, may you find peace, health and security in these difficult times. 👦🏻💚🌴