Andromeda polifolia
| Andromeda polifolia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Andromeda polifolia (common name: marsh andromeda)
Propagation: Seed - sow February/March in an acid compost in the greenhouse. Surface sow or only just cover the seed and place in a lightly shaded position[1][2]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 12°c[2]. Prick out the young seedlings into individual pots as soon as possible, they are prone to damp-off and so should be kept well ventilated[1]. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out in early summer once they are 15cm or more tall.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel, July/August in a frame in a shady position. Takes 15 months[1].
Layering in August in a semi-shady position. Takes 18 months[1].
Division in early spring. The plants should be 'dropped' beforehand[1]. This entails digging up the plant 6 to 12 months earlier and replanting it somewhat more deeply. The buried branches will then root and form new plants when divided.
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained, moisture-retentive, lime-free, humus- rich soil and a shady position[2][3][4].
Plants spread slowly by means of suckers when they are grown in a suitable position[3].
A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties[3].
Range: Northern temperate regions, in Europe, including Britain, Asia and America.
Habitat: Bogs, rarely on wet heaths, at altitudes up to 500 metres[5]. Rare and decreasing in the south of Britain[5].
Edibility: The tender leaves and shoot-tips are boiled as an aromatic tea[6][7]. A delicious drink[8]. Some caution is advised since boiling the plant or infusing it in hot water is said to release a toxic chemical[8]. It is safer to soak the leaves in a jar of water in direct sunlight to make 'sun tea'[8].
Medicinal: The plant is used as a respiratory aid in the treatment of catarrh[9].
Usage: Tannin is obtained from the leaves and twigs[10].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: A toxin, called 'andromedotoxin' can be released from the plant if it is infused in boiling water[8]. See notes below regarding use of the plant for tea.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.