Clinopodium vulgare
| Clinopodium vulgare | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Clinopodium vulgare (common name: wild basil)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks at 21°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse. Plant them out in the summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Division in spring. 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.
Cuttings of soft wood in May or June.
Cultivation: Succeeds in almost any well-drained soil[1].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, south and west to N. Africa, Siberia, central and western Asia.
Habitat: Heaths and dry grassy places, usually on calcareous soils[2][3].
Edibility: Edible leaves - used fresh or dried as a flavouring in cooked foods[2][4][5][6] or fresh as a flavouring in salads[7].
A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the fresh leaves[6].
Medicinal: The plant is aromatic, astringent, cardiotonic, carminative, diaphoretic and expectorant[8][9]. An infusion of the plant helps to overcome weak digestion[10].
Usage: A yellow and a brown dye are obtained from the leaves[11][12].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera, insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Calamintha clinopodium. Calamintha vulgaris.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers, 1977.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.