Cowania mexicana
| Cowania mexicana | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cowania mexicana (common name: cliffrose)
Propagation: Seed - we have no information for this species, but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Requires a very sunny position[1] and a calcareous soil[2]. This species is also likely to require a very well-drained light or medium soil[K].
The cliffrose is not very hardy in Britain, it is unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest areas of the country and will probably require the protection of a sunny wall even there[1][2][K].
The flowers are resinous and strongly fragrant[3].
Range: South-western N. America - Utah to California and Colorado, south to central Mexico.
Habitat: Dry rocky slopes and mesas, usually between 1050 - 2400 metres[4][3].
Medicinal: A decoction of the green branches, together with sagebrush (Artemisia spp) and juniper (Juniperus spp) has been used as an expectorant and laxative treatment for colds[5].
A decoction of the leaves and flowering stems has been used to treat venereal disease and pains over the kidneys[5].
The leaves have been chewed in the treatment of arthritis[5].
The leaves have been made into a tea for bathing and cleansing the skin[5]. It is an antiseptic wash, used for treating smallpox or measles[5].
Usage: The fibres in the bark have been used for making sandals, rope, sleeping mats and clothing[3][5].
The bark has been crushed, rubbed until soft and then used as a lining in shoes to keep the feet warm[5]. It has also been used as an absorbent nappy for babies and as a soft surface for babies to lay on in cradles[5].
The fine, soft bark has been used as a tinder when starting fires with a fire drill[5].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. stansburiana. (Torr.)Jeps.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.