Dalea gattingeri
| Dalea gattingeri | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Dalea gattingeri
Propagation: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse. 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[1].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[1]. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould[2]. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species[1].
Plants are monocarpic, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering[1].
The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered[1].
There is some doubt in my mind as to the correct name for this species. The information was collected under the name Petalostemum purpureum, which is given in [1] as a synonym for this species. However, there is also a Dalea purpureum and I wonder if the entry in [1] is correct[K].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: N. America - Tennessee to N.W. Alabama.
Habitat: Dry desert and alluvial soils to 2000 metres[3][1].
Edibility: Root - chewed [4][5][6].
A tea-like beverage is made from the dried leaves[5][6][7].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Petalostemon purpureum. (Vent.)Rydb. P. gattingeri. (A.A.Heller.)A.A.Heller.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.