Chaenactis douglasii
| Chaenactis douglasii | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Chaenactis douglasii (common name: morning brides)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in spring in a greenhouse[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cultivation: Requires a deep well-drained gritty or gravelly soil, preferably of low fertility and a sunny position[1].
Grows well in the rock garden[1].
The plant is a biennial or short-lived perennial[1].
Range: Western N. America - Montana to British Columbia, south to Arizona, California and New Mexico.
Habitat: Dry to medium-moist soils along roadsides, waste places and hillsides, especially where the soil has been disturbed[2].
Medicinal: Morning brides was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, but especially to treat skin problems[3]. It is not generally used in modern herbalism.
An infusion of the whole plant has been given to children in order to slow their heart rates[3]. It is also used in the treatment of stomach complaints, coughs and colds[3].
The fresh plant, or sometimes just the leaves, are crushed and applied as a poultice to swellings, sores and aches[1][3]. An infusion is used as a wash for a variety of skin problems including pimples, chapped hands, boils and insect bites[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.