Echinops latifolius
| Echinops latifolius | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Echinops latifolius
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame[1]. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 9 weeks at 25°c[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in mid spring and is then planted out into its permanent position in late summer or the autumn[1].
Division in autumn[1].
Root cuttings in the winter[3].
Cultivation: Succeeds in a sunny position in any well drained soil of low or medium fertility[3]. Established plants are drought tolerant[4].
The flowers are often used for dried flower displays[3]. If all the flowers are removed early in the season, the plant will often produce a second flush of bloom later in the summer[3].
Range: E. Asia - China, Siberia, Mongolia.
Habitat: Grassland and open forests at elevations of 100 - 2200 metres[5].
Medicinal: The root is anti-inflammatory and galactogogue[6]. It is used in the treatment of breast abscesses with inflammation, mastitis, lack of milk in nursing mothers and distension of the breast[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.