Heuchera cylindrica
| Heuchera cylindrica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Heuchera cylindrica (common name: alum root)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
The seed can also be sown in the middle of spring in an outdoor seedbed and planted out in early summer.
Alternatively, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in the middle of summer for planting out in the following spring.
Division in March or October[1][2]. It is best to divide the plants in August or early September, making sure that the woody roots are planted quite deeply with only the crown of foliage above the ground[3].
Cultivation: Succeeds in any good sweet garden soil that does not dry out in spring[1]. Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade[1][2]. Prefers a well-drained fairly rich and not too heavy soil[2].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4].
Closely related to H. chlorantha[5], it is apt to hybridize with other members of this genus[2].
A very ornamental plant[6], a number of named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[4].
The subspecies H. cylindrica glabella has been specifically mentioned for its use as a mordant[7][8].
Range: N. America - British Columbia to California and east to Nevada, Wyoming and Montana.
Habitat: Streambanks and wet rocky places[8]. Rocky soils, cliffs and talus slopes[6].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[8].
Medicinal: The whole plant, but especially the roots, is astringent[9]. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and stomach cramps[9]. Externally, a decoction is used as a wash on aching joints[9]. A poultice of the mashed peeled roots is used in treating rashes, sores and cuts[9]. When mixed with the spores of puffballs, it has been used as a salve for treating nappy rash[9].
Usage: The root can be used as an alum substitute, this is a mordant that is used in fixing dyes[7][9]. The root is rich in tannin and it has been suggested that this is the mordant[7][8]].
A good ground cover plant for the woodland garden[5]. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[10].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.