Dipsacus sativus
| Dipsacus sativus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 6' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Shelter | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Dipsacus sativus (common name: fuller's 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].
Fuller's teasel is occasionally cultivated for its seed head, which is used for carding cloth[2][6][7]. The flowering heads are also much prized by flower arrangers because they keep their colour almost indefinitely when dried[8].
Range: Of uncertain origin. An occasional escape from cultivation in Britain[3].
Habitat: Not known in a truly wild condition.
Medicinal: The root is diaphoretic, diuretic and stomachic[8]. An infusion is said to strengthen the stomach, create an appetite, remove obstructions of the liver and treat jaundice[9]. The root is harvested in early autumn and dried for later use[8].
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[9][10].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the flowering plant[8]. It is used in the treatment of skin diseases[8].
Usage: The dried flower heads are used for carding wool and as a clothes brush for raising the nap on woollen cloth[8][7][11][4]. They are harvested with about 20cm of stem as soon as the flowers wither and are dried for later use[9].
A blue dye is obtained from the dried plant, an indigo substitute[11]. It is water soluble[11]. The colour is yellow when 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 sativus.
Links
References
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.