Tanacetum coccineum
| Tanacetum coccineum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Tanacetum coccineum (common name: pyrethrum)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the pot to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils so long as they are not very heavy or wet[1]. Thrives in full sun but also succeeds in light dappled shade though it flowers less well in such a situation[1]. Another report says that it requires a sunny position in a well-drained alkaline or neutral soil[2]. Prefers a slightly acid sandy soil[3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.2 to 7.
A very ornamental plant[4], there are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[3][1].
Very suitable for naturalizing in a summer meadow.
Range: W. Asia to the Caucasus.
Habitat: Sunny dry mountainous habitats[2]. Sub-alpine meadows in the Caucasus[3].
Usage: The dried flower heads are used as an insecticide[5][6][7][2][8], they are a source of the commercially available insecticide 'pyrethrum', which is non-toxic to mammals[9]. This species is less effective than T. cinerariifolium[9]. Only the yellow disk rays contain pyrethrins[2]. Once dried, the flowers or the powder retain their insecticidal properties almost indefinitely[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Chrysanthemum coccineum. Willd. C. roseum. Pyrethrum roseum.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Chakravarty, Hiralal. The Plant Wealth of Iraq. 1976.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.