Hydrophyllum capitatum
| Hydrophyllum capitatum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Hydrophyllum capitatum (common name: cat's breeches)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in early spring. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. 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.
Division in spring or autumn[1]. Very easy, 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: Requires a moist humus-rich soil in semi-shade[1]. Grows well in an open woodland garden[1].
The leaves are shaped in such a way that they collect rainwater in a cavity[2].
Slugs are particularly fond of this plant and will soon destroy it if given a chance[K].
Range: Western N. America - Alberta to British Columbia, south to Oregon and Colorado.
Habitat: Rich moist soils, most often in the shade, from valleys to around 2,700 metres[2].
Edibility: Tender young shoots - cooked as a potherb[3][2].
Root - cooked[3]. Large and fleshy[2].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.