Eupatorium purpureum
| Eupatorium purpureum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Meadows Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Eupatorium purpureum (common name: gravel root)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn[1]. Very easy, the clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Succeeds in ordinary garden soil that is well-drained but moisture retentive in sun or part shade[2]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[3].
A very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[4].
The bruised leaves have a vanilla-like odour[5].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].
Butterflies are attracted to this plant[4].
Range: Eastern N. America - New Hampshire to Minnesota, south to Florida and Oklahoma[4]..
Habitat: Swampy and rich low ground and in woods, especially on calcareous soils[6][7][8].
Edibility: The roots have been burnt and their ashes used as salt to flavour foods[9].
Medicinal: Gravel root was used by the native N. American Indians as a diaphoretic to induce perspiration and break a fever. The plant was quickly adopted by the white settlers and still finds a use in modern herbalism[10].
The whole plant, but especially the root, is astringent, diuretic, nervine and tonic[6][7][11]. It works particularly on the genito-urinary system and the uterus[12]. Especially valuable as a diuretic and stimulant, as well as an astringent tonic[6], a tea made from the roots and leaves has been used to eliminate stones from the urinary tract, to treat urinary incontinence in children, cystitis, urethritis, impotence etc[13][14][10]. It is also said to be helpful in treating rheumatism and gout by increasing the removal of waste from the kidneys[14][9]. The leaves and flowering stems are harvested in the summer before the buds open and are dried for later use. The roots are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[12].
Usage: The stems have been used as straws[9].
The fruits yield a pink or red textile dye[10].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.