Coptis occidentalis
| Coptis occidentalis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 0.5' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Coptis occidentalis
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in an ericaceous compost[1]. Seal the pot in a polythene bag until germination takes place, which is usually within 1 - 6 months at 10°c[1]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible. Four weeks cold stratification may be beneficial[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in mid-autumn or in spring.
Division in spring[2].
Cultivation: Requires a light moist humus-rich slightly acidic soil with a northerly aspect or light shade[3][2].
This species is closely related to C. laciniata[2].
Range: Western N. America - Idaho, Montana and Washington.
Habitat: Moist coniferous woods at elevations of 500-2000 metres in the Rocky Mountains[4][2][5].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the root[6][7].
Can be grown as a ground cover plant in the peat garden[2].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention of toxicity has been found for this species, it belongs to a family that contains many species that are mildly toxic and so it is wise to treat this plant with some caution.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ Flora of North America.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.