Angelica genuflexa
| Angelica genuflexa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Angelica genuflexa (common name: kneeling angelica)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability[1]. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring.
The seed can also be sow in situ as soon as it is ripe.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know how hardy it will be in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Requires a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun[1].
Plants are reliably perennial if they are prevented from setting seed[1].
Range: E. Asia - Siberia. North-western N. America - northern California northwards to Alaska.
Habitat: Moist places[2].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[3]. Used as a flavouring[4].
Young stems - peeled and eaten raw[4][3].
Seed - used as a flavouring[4].
Medicinal: The raw root, or a decoction made from it, has been used as a purgative[3]. A compound decoction of the root has been used to treat headaches and weak eyes[3].
Usage: The hollow stems have been used to make drinking straws, whistles and as breathing stems to allow people to remain underwater[3]. The have also been used as containers to collect pitch from Picea sitchensis[3].
The leaves were used as a deodorant by native North Americans. The leaves were chewed and the juice rubbed onto the body to mask the human smell[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: All members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis[5].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.