Caltha natans
| Caltha natans | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Caltha natans
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in late summer[1]. Stand the pots in 2 - 3cm of water to keep the soil wet. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a tray of water in a cold frame until they are at least 15cm tall. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in early spring or autumn[1]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.
Cultivation: A plant of boggy soils and shallow pond margins[3], it requires a deep rich slightly acidic soil[1]. It grows well in heavy clay soils. It has slender floating or creeping stems that root at the nodes to form new plants[4].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[5].
Range: North-western N. America - Alaska to Canada. E. Asia - N. China, Mongolia, Siberia.
Habitat: Pools and streams in N. America[4]. Wet meadows, marshes and in water in China[6].
Edibility: Root - cooked. A survival food, used when all else fails[7]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Flower buds - cooked. Added to stews etc or pickled as capers[7]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Young leaves - cooked. Best before the plant flowers[7]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: Used in the treatment of sore throats[8].
Pollinators: Bees, beetles, flies
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: The whole plant, but especially the older portions, contains the toxic glycoside protoanemanin - this is destroyed by heat[7]. The sap can irritate sensitive skin[7].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.