Erysimum capitatum
| Erysimum capitatum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Erysimum capitatum (common name: coastal wallflower)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in an outdoor seedbed. Germination usually takes place within 3 weeks. Plant the seedlings into their permanent positions when they are large enough to handle.
If seed is in short supply, it can be sown in spring in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained soil and a sunny position[1]. Dislikes acid soils[1]. Tolerates poor soils[1]. Grows well on a sunny wall and is indeed longer lived in such a position[2].
A polymorphic species[3], it is possibly a form of E. asperum[4].
Range: Western N. America - British Columbia to Indiana, south to Texas and California.
Habitat: Found in many habitats from southern British Columbia to California at 750 - 3600 metres[3]. Open dry flats and hillsides, from the lowest valleys to about 3,000 metres in the mountains[5].
Medicinal: A preventative against sun burn, the plant was ground up then mixed with water and applied to the skin[6]. It relieves the pain caused by overexposure to heat[3].
A poultice of the whole pounded plant has been applied to open fresh wounds and rheumatic joints[7]. An infusion of the whole plant has been used as a wash on aching muscles[7].
The crushed leaves have been sniffed as a treatment for headaches[7].
A poultice of the warmed root has been applied to treat the pain of toothache[7].
An infusion of the crushed seed has been drunk and used externally in the treatment of stomach or bowel cramps[7].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: E. asperum. (Nutt.)DC. Cheiranthus capitatus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arnberger, Leslie. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments, 1968.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.