Calamintha sylvatica
| Calamintha sylvatica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Calamintha sylvatica (common name: calamint)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 2 weeks at 21°c[1]. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and, if they grow sufficiently, plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer otherwise wait until the following spring.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be planted direct into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are well rooted before planting them out in the summer.
Basal cuttings in May or June. They should be rooted in a sandy compost[2]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in a well-drained dry to moist neutral to alkaline soil and a sunny position[3]. Likes semi-shade[4].
Succeeds in a woodland garden[4].
Bees love the flowers of this plant[K].
Range: Western Europe, including Britain, from France and W. Germany south to Spain, Algeria and N. Syria.
Habitat: Dry grassy banks, usually on calcareous soils, from southern Britain north to Durham and Yorkshire[5][6].
Edibility: A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the leaves[4]. Very refreshing[7][4].
Leaves - used as a flavouring in cooked dishes[8]. Pleasantly pungent and strongly aromatic, the flavour is said to resemble a cross between mint and marjoram[9].
Medicinal: Calamint was commonly used as a medicinal herb in medieval times, though is little used by modern herbalists[10]. It has very similar properties to lesser calamint (C. nepeta) though is milder in its actions[10]. It is sometimes cultivated as a medicinal herb for household use.
The whole plant is aromatic, diaphoretic and expectorant[7]. The leaves are harvested in July as the plant comes into flower and are dried for storage[7]. An infusion is beneficial in cases of fevers, flatulent colic and weaknesses of the stomach[7], it is also used to treat depression, insomnia and painful menstruation[10]. Its expectorant action makes it a good cough and cold remedy and it is of value for treating mild respiratory infections[11]. It is best mixed with other herbs, especially yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)[11].
Calamint should not be prescribed for pregnant women since in excess it can cause a miscarriage[10].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. ascendens. C. baetica. C. officinalis. C. sylvatica ascendens. Satureia ascendens.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.