Meum athamanticum
| Meum athamanticum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.5' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Meum athamanticum (common name: spignel)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer or the following spring[K].
Division in autumn[2]. Large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Grows well in almost any fertile well-drained moderately retentive soil in a sunny position[1].
This species was formerly cultivated for its edible root[3].
All parts of the plant, especially the roots, are aromatic with a scent like melilot (Melilotus officinalis)[4].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Spain, Germany and the Balkans.
Habitat: Grassy places in mountainous districts[5], usually on limestone soils[1].
Edibility: Root - cooked[6][7][3][8]. Used like parsnips[9].
Leaves - used as a condiment in soups, stews and vegetable dishes[10]. They add a subtle sweetish flavour[9].
Medicinal: The herb is diuretic, emmenagogue and stomachic[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.