Hi Everyone, I had a trip to A-Li-Shan in Taiwan earlier this year, and saw vendors selling fresh wasabi. It was absolutely delicious and most sushi restaurants in Vancouver do not serve freshly prepared wasabi. Does anyone know where to buy seeds or baby wasabi plants to grow around Vancouver? (Yes, I tried searching online before I post this and could not find anything beside a few local wasabi greenhouses). Any information is greatly appreciated!
Re: Regarding W. japonica The industry in North America is a nascent one. Pacific Coast Wasabi bills itself as Given that two different kinds seem to be recognized, field-grown (lower quality) and water-grown (better quality), I think the best most home gardeners could hope for is to grow the field-grown material. But, it seems the few places producing the field-grown material in North America and the UK use it for herbal extracts instead of culinary purposes. We had a plant here at the Garden for one season, but it didn't survive.
Re: Regarding W. japonica Hi Daniel, Thank you very much for your reply and info! I have came across Pacific Coast as well, and their pricing are not cheap. I will keep researching on this this and hope to see more post regarding wasabi! Cheers! =D Regards, Michael
Re: Regarding W. japonica I've been growing it in a shaded spot on Camano Island for a few years; I got it from a friend but am sure it is in the nursery trade here - Hill, Narizny, The Plant Locator - Western Region (2004, Black-Eyed Susans/Timber) may even give a BC source (I can't check as I don't know where my copy is now).
Re: Regarding W. japonica I purchase a wasabi plant about 2 years ago from Triple Tree Nursery in Maple Ridge. And I know I saw some earlier this year but I can not remember where, possibly Art's Nursery or Cedar Rim in Langley. Give these ones a try, however you may have to wait until spring.
Re: Regarding W. japonica I got mine from Raintree Nursery. I don't know if they ship internationally, but they will probably have some again this spring at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. The show would definitely be worth the trip down from Vancouver for a great early spring weekend trip.
Another interesting case of a genus name which is actually a word from a language with an entirely distinct alphabet, set of phonetic sounds and grammatical rules that has had the suffix "a" added to make it sound Latin-y. Rendering the idea of a technically proper pronunciation impossible, leaving only convention to guide us. Similar I suppose to the Fargesias and assorted other genera named after dead botanists, but these are at least derived from languages related to Latin. Eutrema seemed to make much more sense as a genus name. Wonder how it ended up as "Wasabia"? Was it found to be botanically incorrect, leaving only "Wasabia"? Whatever and however you want to say it, as a plant it grew well for me for a few seasons and produced multiple pups at the base in a partially shaded woodland spot, but eventually got and succumbed to the same black fungus which wiped out a local grower around here a couple of years ago.
