Abronia fragrans
| Abronia fragrans | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Abronia fragrans (common name: snowball sand verbena)
Propagation: Seed - sow autumn or early spring very shallowly in pots of sandy soil in a greenhouse[1]. Germination can be very slow unless you peel off the outer skin and pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water[2][3]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 15°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Seedlings are prone to damp off and so should be kept well-ventilated[2]. Plant out in late spring, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings in spring, rooted in sand[2].
Cultivation: Prefers a light well-drained sandy soil in full sun[2].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the southern part of the country, especially if given a warm sheltered site[2].
The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, they only open in the coolness of the evening, diffusing a vanilla-like perfume[3].
Seed is rarely ripened on plants growing in Britain[4].
Range: South-western N. America - South Dakota to Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Mexico
Habitat: Dry sandy soils[5][6].
Edibility: Root - cooked[7]. Dried then ground into a powder and mixed with corn[8][9][10]. Use of the root was said by some North American Indian tribes to give one a good appetite and make them fat[11].
Medicinal: The plant is cathartic, diaphoretic and emetic[11]. The roots and flowers were used by the North American Indians to treat stomach cramps and as a general panacea or 'life' medicine[11]. A cold infusion was used as a lotion for sores or sore mouths and also to bathe perspiring feet[11].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. speciosa.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.