Practical
Plants

Actaea spicata

Herb Christopher

a perennial member of the Actaea genus in the family Ranunculaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Actaea
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
Beetles, Flies
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Beetles, Flies

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of plant are poisonous but rarely fatal[11][2][4][6][13][15].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root is antispasmodic, cytostatic, emetic, nervine and purgative[11][5][13][10]. In Canada the root is used in the treatment of snakebite[8]. It is also considered useful in the treatment of nervous disorders and rheumatic fever[8]. In India it is used in the treatment of rheumatism, goitre and asthma[10]. This remedy should be used with some caution, see the notes above on toxicity.

Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Cytostatic
Product or use
Nervine

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The smell of the plant is reputed to drive away vermin[11]. A black dye is obtained from the berries when alum is used as a mordant[11][4][14][3]. The seeds contain tannin[10].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, through temperate and arctic Asia to China.
Habitat
Ash woods on limestone and in damp stony woods to 1500 metres[4][5].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame or outdoors in a moist shaded seedbed[7]. The seed has a limited viability[7], it can also be sown in spring in a cold frame but germination rates may be poor. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Division in March or October.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most conditions[9], but prefers a humus-rich moist soil in light shade doing well amongst shrubs and in light woods[1][7]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[12].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8

    ↩

  3. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩

  4. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-600-35666-3

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Coventry. B. O. Wild Flowers of Kashmir Raithby, Lawrence and Co. 1923-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  9. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  10. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  12. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

    ↩

  13. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩1↩2

  14. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

  15. Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291

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