Spiraea tomentosa
| Spiraea tomentosa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Spiraea tomentosa (common name: hardhack)
Propagation: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame if possible. It is likely to require stratification before it germinates, so stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as you receive it. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a light sandy soil a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15cm long, October/November in an outdoor frame[1]. Another report says that September is a good time to do this[2].
Division of suckers in early spring[1]. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Tolerates most soils[1], but prefers a good loamy soil, abundant moisture and full sunlight[2][1].
A vigorous plant, spreading by subterranean suckers and forming thickets[1].
Closely related to S. douglasii[2].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[2].
Range: N. and C. Europe. Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Kansas.
Habitat: Fields and pastures in N. America[3]. Swamps and low ground[4].
Medicinal: The flowers give feebly the medicinal action of salicylic acid (aspirin) and are used in decoction for their diuretic and tonic effect[5]. An infusion of the flowers is used as an astringent[6].
An infusion of the leaves can be used in the treatment of dysentery[7].
An infusion of the flowers and the leaves has been used to counteract the sickness of pregnancy and also to facilitate childbirth[7].
The roots are astringent and have been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[5][6]. An infusion of the leaves is also used[5][8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.