Salvia columbariae
| Salvia columbariae | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Salvia columbariae (common name: chia)
Propagation: Seed - sow April in situ. The plant dislikes root disturbance.
If seed supplies are limited then it can be sown in a pot in a greenhouse in March/April, potted up into individual pots as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle then planted out in May. Germination usually takes 10 - 14 days at 20°c.
Cultivation: Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a rich soil[2].
Plants are lodge resistant[3].
This plant was a staple food crop of the Aztecs[4]. It is often cultivated for its edible seeds, which are used to make a refreshing and nourishing drink.
A good bee plant[5].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[6].
Range: South-western N. America - California.
Habitat: Dry open places below 1200 metres[7].
Edibility: Seed - raw or cooked[7][8][9][10]. Usually ground into a powder and used as piñole or made into dark-coloured cakes and loaves[11], it has a nutty flavour[7]. It can also be mixed with corn meal when making mush or with ground wheat for gruel[11]. Rich in niacin, thiamine, zinc, calcium and manganese[3], it is also a good source of protein and easily digested fats[12]. It has a high food value and is easily digested[7].
The sprouted seeds can be added to salads and sandwiches[3][11].
A refreshing drink can be made by steeping the seed in cold water[7][8][9][11]. Alternatively, the seed can be roasted and ground into a powder then mixed with water when it soon becomes a copious gelatinous mass[13]. It is very palatable and nutritious[13].
The seed has been used to render water palatable by removing the alkalis[10].
The leaves are occasionally used as a sage-like seasoning[11].
Medicinal: The seed is digestive, disinfectant, febrifuge and ophthalmic[8][10]. An infusion can be used in the treatment of fevers[10]. A poultice of the seed mush can be applied to infections[10].
The seeds have been kept in the mouth, and chewed during long journeys on foot, in order to give strength[10].
The seeds have been used to cleanse the eyes or remove foreign matter from the eyes[10]. No more information is given here, but in other instances the seed has been placed in the eye, it then forms a gelatinous covering to which any foreign matter in the eye adheres. The seed is washed out of the eye by the eyes own tears[K].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Natural Food Institute. Wonder Crops 1987.
- ↑ Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Balls, Edward. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press, 1975.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.