Andropogon gerardii
| Andropogon gerardii | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 7' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Andropogon gerardii (common name: big bluestem)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in early spring in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for the first winter in a cold greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Requires a light porous sandy soil in full sun[1].
A very ornamental plant, it forms large clumps, spreading by short stolons[1].
Range: Eastern and Central N. America - Maine to Saskatchewan, south to Florida, Arizona and Mexico.
Habitat: Dry soils, prairies, open ground and open woods[2][3].
Medicinal: The plant is analgesic, carminative and diuretic[2].
A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of stomach-aches and flatulence[2][4].
A tea made from the leaves is used as a wash to relieve fevers and general debility[2][4].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Albert. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. Dover Publications, 1971.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.