Lavatera plebeia
| Lavatera plebeia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Lavatera plebeia (common name: lavatera)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. In Australian gardens it succeeds in most soils in a warm sunny position. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Easily grown in any ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a light well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[2]. A soil that is too rich encourages foliar growth at the expense of flowering[2].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Victoria.
Habitat: Clayey soils and areas subject to flooding[3].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked.
Root - raw or cooked[4]. A parsnip-like consistency[5][6][3].
Medicinal: The leaves are used as a poultice[7].
Usage: A strong fibre obtained from the stems is used for making string, bags, paper etc[3][8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: L. plebeja. Sims.
Links
References
- ↑ 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 Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins, 1981.