Pycnanthemum flexuosum
| Pycnanthemum flexuosum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Pycnanthemum flexuosum (common name: mountain mint)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
If there are sufficient seeds they can be sown in an outdoor seedbed in April.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[1] but prefers a rich loamy soil in full sun or partial shade with plenty of moisture in the growing season[2].
Hardy to at least -15°c[2].
The correct name for this species should be P. tenuifolium. Schrad[3]..
The bruised leaves are very aromatic[2].
Range: Eastern N. America - Maine to Florida, New York, Minnesota, Kansas and Texas.
Habitat: Upland prairies, pastures, meadows, open woodland and roadsides[3].
Edibility: One report says that the plant is used for food, but gives no details[4].
Medicinal: The leaves and flowering stems are popularly used in the treatment of bowel complaints[5]. A hot infusion of the plant is diaphoretic[5]. The plant is also used internally in the treatment of stomach upsets, fevers, colds and sinus headaches[6][4]. A poultice of the leaves is used in the treatment of headaches[4]. A warm infusion of the plant has been used to bathe an inflamed penis[4]. The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and can be used fresh or dried.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Koellia flexuosa.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McGregor, Ronald. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, 1986.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.