Pycnanthemum incanum
| Pycnanthemum incanum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Pycnanthemum incanum (common name: hoary 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: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
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].
Range: Eastern N. America - New Hampshire to New York, south to New Carolina and Tennessee.
Habitat: Dry woods and thickets[3].
Edibility: The fresh or dried leaves are brewed into an aromatic mint-like tea[4].
Medicinal: A tea made from the leaves is diaphoretic and carminative[5]. A poultice of the leaves is used in the treatment of headaches[5][6]. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of stomach upsets, fevers, colds and sinus headaches[7]. A warm infusion of the plant has been used to bathe an inflamed penis[6]. 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 incana.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.