Epilobium hirsutum
| Epilobium hirsutum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Epilobium hirsutum (common name: codlins and cream)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in situ or as soon as the seed is ripe.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[1]. Prefers a well-drained but moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[2] or in partial shade[3].
A vigorous and invasive plant, only really suitable for larger areas in the wild garden where this habit is not a nuisance[2].
The stems and leaves are covered with a soft down that emits the smell of the Moss Rose and Eglantine. The plants have the refreshing scent of ripe apples[4].
A good late source of nectar for bees[2].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to N. E. and S. Africa, temperate Asia.
Habitat: Stream banks, marshes, drier parts of fens etc, to 360 metres[5].
Edibility: The leaves are used to make a tea[6]. This is often drunk in Russia, where it is called 'kaporie tea'[7]. The leaves are also sometimes sucked for their salty taste[6].
Edible leaves[8]. No more details are given in the report but caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The leaves have been used as astringents, but there are some reports of violent poisoning with epileptic-like convulsions as a result of its use[7].
Pollinators: Bees, hoverflies, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: One report says that the plant might be poisonous[9]. Another says that it causes epileptiform convulsions[10].
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.