Senna marilandica
| Senna marilandica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Senna marilandica (common name: wild senna)
Propagation: Seed - scarify and then pre-soak the seed for 2 - 3 hours in warm water before sowing it from early spring to early summer in a warm greenhouse[1]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 12 weeks at 23°c[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse. Do not plant them out until the following spring[1].
Division as growth commences in spring[2].
Cuttings of moderately ripe wood, July in a frame[3].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most well-drained soils but prefers an open sandy loam in a sunny sheltered position[3][2][4]. Established plants are drought tolerant[4]. Succeeds in light shade, but the plant is much less vigorous when grown in dry shade[4].
Although fairly cold-tolerant, plants can be killed in very severe weather, so it is best to mulch the roots of mature plants in bad winters[2]. Younger plants should be mulched each winter until they are well established[4].
Slugs are very attracted to this plant[K].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[4].
Range: South-eastern N. America - Pennsylvania to Florida, Kansas and Iowa.
Habitat: Thickets and dry roadsides[5]. Disturbed areas, sandy fields and open woods in Texas[6].
Medicinal: The leaves and seedpods are cathartic, diuretic and vermifuge[3][2][7][8]. The leaves are harvested before and during flowering, the pods are harvested when fully ripe in the autumn. Both are dried for later use[9].
The leaves are a safe and effective cathartic[10][11]. They are best used with Foeniculum vulgare seeds in order to counteract a tendency to cause gripe[10][11]. The seedpods can also be used and are milder but slower in their action[12].
The seeds have been soaked in water until they are mucilaginous and then swallowed as a treatment for sore throats[11][13].
The root is cardiac and febrifuge[13]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers and heart problems[13]. A poultice of the root has been used in treating sores[13].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Cassia marylandica. L. C. medsgeri.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.