Panax trifolius
| Panax trifolius | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Panax trifolius (common name: ground nut)
Propagation: Seed - sow in a shady position in a cold frame preferably as soon as it is ripe, otherwise as soon as the seed is obtained. It can be very slow and erratic to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a shady position in the greenhouse or frame for at least their first winter. Make sure the pots are deep enough to accommodate the roots. Plant out into their permanent positions in late summer.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Requires a moist humus-rich soil in a shady position in a woodland[1][2].
The plant has leaves above the ground for only two months each year[3].
Although plants are hermaphrodite, individual flowers are often male[2].
Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Pennsylvania, west to Georgia, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota.
Habitat: Rich woods and damp clearings[4].
Edibility: Root - cooked[5][6]. A very palatable taste after being boiled[7]. When cold it has a taste somewhat like nuts[7].
Medicinal: Although closely related to the well-known herbal medicine ginseng, this species has been little researched for its medicinal virtues[3].
A tea made from the whole plant has been used in the treatment of colic, indigestion, gout, hepatitis etc[3].
The root is analgesic[8]. It has been chewed as a treatment for headache, short breath, fainting and nervous debility[3][8].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Mid Spring-Early Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Aralia trifolia.
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 3.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Howes, Frank. Nuts. Faber, 1948.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.