Hedeoma pulegioides
| Hedeoma pulegioides | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Hedeoma pulegioides (common name: american pennyroyal)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ in spring or autumn[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained acidic soil of low to moderate fertility[1]. Another report says that it prefers a rich sandy soil in sun or partial shade[2].
The plants neat habit and aromatic foliage make it a good candidate for growing in containers or planting near seats[2].
Range: N. America - S. Quebec to Minnesota and S. Dakota, then south to Tennessee and Arkansas.
Habitat: Dry soils[43 in open woods and fields[1].
Edibility: The leaves have a very strong mint-like aroma and taste[3], they can be brewed into a refreshing tea that promotes good digestion, or they can be used as a culinary flavouring[4][2].
An essential oil from the plant is used by the food industry as a flavouring in beverages, ice cream, baked goods etc[4].
Medicinal: American pennyroyal has a long history of medicinal use by various native North American Indian tribes and has become a traditional household remedy in North America[2]. It is used mainly in the treatment of digestive disorders, colds, whooping cough, painful menstruation and as an aid in childbirth[2]. A tea made from the leaves or flowering stems is carminative, rubefacient, stimulant[5][6][3]. It is used to treat colds because it promotes perspiration[7]. A tea with brewers yeast can induce an abortion[8]. The plants are harvested when flowering and can be used fresh or dried[8][2].
The essential oil is distilled from the plants when they are in flower and used medicinally in the same ways as the leaves. Caution is advised since the pure essential oil is very toxic and ingestion can be lethal whilst skin contact can cause dermatitis[9][2].
Usage: The essential oil is used as an ingredient in commercial insect repellents and cleaning products[2].
The plant is used as an insect repellent[1][3]. When rubbed on the body it is said to repel ticks[7].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: In large quantities this plant, especially in the form of the extracted essential oil, can be toxic if taken internally[9]. Skin contact with the pure essential oil can cause dermatitis[9]
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.