Gratiola officinalis
| Gratiola officinalis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Gratiola officinalis (common name: hedge hyssop)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring[1]. 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: Prefers a rich moist alkaline soil in full sun[1][2][3]. Succeeds in pond margins[1].
Range: Central and southern Europe.
Habitat: Wet grassland, fens, river banks, ditches etc[4][5].
Medicinal: Hedge hyssop was once widely used as a medicinal herb but it is now considered to be obsolete because of its toxicity[3]. The root and the flowering herb are cardiac, diuretic, violently purgative and vermifuge[6][4][7]. The plant has been used in the treatment of liver problems, enlargement of the spleen, dropsy, jaundice, intestinal worms etc[6][3]. The plant is harvested whilst in flower in the summer and dried for later use[4][3]. Use with caution, in excess the plant causes abortion, kidney damage and bowel haemorrhage[3]. See also the notes above on toxicity.
A homeopathic remedy is made from the flowering plant[4]. It is used in the treatment of cystitis, colic and certain stomach disorders[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are poisonous[4][8][2].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.