Dipsacus fullonum
| Dipsacus fullonum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 6' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Dipsacus fullonum (common name: teasel)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in early spring in situ[1]. The seed can also be sown from February to May or from August to October. All but the earlier sowings can be made outdoors.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[2] but prefers clay[3]. Prefers a deep rich soil[4]. Requires a sunny position[4].
A good butterfly plant[5].
This is the true wild species of teasel, its bracts are too flexible to be used for combing cloth[3]. The flowering heads are much prized by flower arrangers because they keep their colour almost indefinitely when dried[6].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat: Copses, stream banks, roadsides, rough pasture etc, especially on clay soils[3].
Medicinal: Teasel is little used in modern herbalism, and its therapeutic effects are disputed[7]. Traditionally it has been used to treat conditions such as warts, fistulae (abnormal passages opening through the skin) and cancerous sores[7].
The root is diaphoretic, diuretic and stomachic[6]. An infusion is said to strengthen the stomach, create an appetite, remove obstructions of the liver and treat jaundice[8][7]. The root is harvested in early autumn and dried for later use[6].
An infusion of the leaves has been used as a wash to treat acne[9].
The plant has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer, an ointment made from the roots is used to treat warts, wens and whitlows[8][10].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the flowering plant[6]. It is used in the treatment of skin diseases[6].
Usage: A blue dye obtained from the dried plant is an indigo substitute[11]. It is water soluble[11]. A yellow is obtained when the plant is mixed with alum[12].
Pollinators: Bees, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: D. fullonum.
Links
References
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.