Symphytum tuberosum
| Symphytum tuberosum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Symphytum tuberosum
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 grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
If you have sufficient seed you can try an outdoor sowing in situ in the spring.
Division succeeds at almost any time of the year. Simply use a spade to chop off the top 7cm of root just below the soil level. The original root will regrow and you will have a number of root tops, each of which will make a new plant. These can either be potted up or planted out straight into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Tolerates most soils and situations but prefers a moist soil and some shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Hardy to about -20°c[1].
Plants form extensive patches, spreading by means of a creeping tuberous rhizome[1].
Plants are dormant in summer[1].
Range: Europe, including Britain, south and east from Germany to Spain, S.w.Russia and Turkey.
Habitat: Woods, scrub and by rivers[1].
Edibility: When roasted until brown and brittle, and then finely ground, the root is used as a coffee substitute. It has a smoothness that is not found in real coffee[2].
Usage: A good, and sometimes rampant, ground cover plant for a shady border or woodland.
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Summer-Mid Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: No reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, but the following reports have been seen for S. officinale._x005F
This plant contains small quantities of a toxic alkaloid which can have a cumulative effect upon the liver. Largest concentrations are fou
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.