Practical
Plants

Ageratum houstonianum

Ageratum

an annual member of the Ageratum genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Lepidoptera

Uses

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 juice of the plant is used externally to treat cuts and wounds[5].

Product or use
Anodyne

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - Mexico. An occasional garden escape in Britain[3].
Habitat
Pine woods and cultivated ground[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
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 - surface sow March in a light position in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 20°c[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

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

Grows well in ordinary garden soil[4]. Requires a sheltered position in full sun[4]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[4]. A very ornamental plant[1], the flowers are very attractive to butterflies[6]. The removal of dead flowers will extend the flowering season.

References

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

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  2. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

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  6. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

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  7. Small. Manual of the Southeastern Flora.

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