Herniaria hirsuta
| Herniaria hirsuta | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Herniaria hirsuta (common name: hairy rupture wort)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Grows well in hot dry soils[1]. Dislikes excessive moisture[1]. Succeeds in very poor soils[1].
Useful for covering rocks or as a carpet bedding[1], it makes a good ground cover for spring bulbs since they can grow through it easily[2].
Range: Central and Southern Europe to Africa and Asia. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat: Sandy ground[3].
Medicinal: The plant is diuretic[4]. It is used in the treatment of sore throats[4]. The plant contains coumarins and saponins, which are toxic, and so it should be used with some caution.
Usage: A good ground cover plant, allowing spring bulbs to grow through it[2].
An aqueous extract of the plant is a hand cleanser, making the skin soft and supple[4].
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.