Practical
Plants

Armoracia rusticana

Horseradish

a perennial member of the Armoracia genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.7 m
Spread
0.75 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self

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.

Large quantities of this plant can be poisonous due to its content of volatile oils[27].

Edible uses

The plant is fully hardy and can be left in the ground all winter to be harvested as required[29]. Alternatively, the roots can be harvested in early winter and stored for later use, they will retain their juicy state for some time if stored in dry sand[29].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Salad, Vegetable
Plant part
Root
Product or use
Condiment, Vegetable
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Sprouted

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.

Horseradish is a very pungent stimulant herb that controls bacterial infections and can be used both internally and externally[15]. The plant is a powerful stimulant, whether used internally as a spur for the digestive system or externally as a rubefacient[24]. It should not be used internally by people with stomach ulcers or thyroid problems[15]. The roots are antiseptic, aperient, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, rubefacient and stimulant[24][2][3][5][7][14]. They should be used in their fresh state[24]. An infusion is used in the treatment of colds, fevers and flu and is of value in the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections[18]. A sandwich of the freshly grated root is a traditional remedy for hay fever[18]. A tea made from the root is weakly diuretic, antiseptic and expectorant[14]. The plant is antibiotic against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and also pathogenic fungi[14][16]. It is experimentally antitumor[14]. Externally, a poultice made from the roots is used to treat pleurisy, arthritis and infected wounds[15]. It will also relieve the pain of chilblains[17]. Some caution should be employed, however, because it can cause blistering[18].

Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Aperient
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Rubefacient
Product or use
Stimulant

Material uses

Horseradish tea is effective against brown rot of apples and other fungicidal diseases[9][13]. The growing plant deters potato eelworm[3].

Product or use
Fungicide
Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
Europe. Naturalized in Britain[6].
Habitat
Arable land, waste ground and by streams[28], favouring slightly damp positions[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - this is seldom produced on plants in cultivation[12]. If seed is obtained then it is best sown in situ during the spring[15]. Division is very easy and can be carried out at almost any time of the year, though it is probably best in spring[22]. It s best to use sections of root about 20cm long, which can be planted out into their permanent positions in February or March, though even very small bits of root will grow away[24][19]. Division should be carried out at least once every three years or the crop will deteriorate[24].

Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, horseradish prefers a good deep moist well-drained soil and a sunny position[4][21][22][12]. Plants require a good soil if they are to produce good roots[24], though once established they are very tolerant of neglect and will continue to produce a crop for many years[264, K]. Plants do not thrive if they are in the shade of trees[19]. Excess nitrogen causes heavy top growth and forking of the roots[12]. Prefers a wet clay soil according to one report[3], whilst another says that it will not grow in wet clay[4]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.8 to 8.3. Horseradish has long been cultivated for its root which is used as a food flavouring and medicinally, there are some named varieties[24][6][26][10]. If the roots are given some protection they will produce fresh young leaves for the salad bowl all through the winter. Digging up some roots and putting them into a greenhouse for the winter is the easiest method. If the young shoots are blanched they will produce white, tender, sweet leaves[10]. A very invasive plant[22], it is considered to be a pernicious weed in some areas[12]. Even quite small sections of root will regrow if they are left in the soil[24]. The plant has yet to prove invasive on our Cornwall trial grounds, though it has survived and even prospered in a very overgrown site[K]. The forms of this plant grown in gardens are almost sterile and seldom produce good seed[19]. This is a good companion plant for potatoes since it is said to deter potato eelworm[3][9][13] and the Colorado beetle[15]. One plant at each corner of the potato patch is quite sufficient[13]. When grown under apple trees it is said to prevent brown rot, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases[13].

References

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

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

    ↩

  3. Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-262-7

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩1↩2

  5. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  7. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  8. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

  9. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  11. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  14. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  15. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  16. 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

    ↩

  17. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩

  18. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  19. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  20. Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-85613-067-2

  21. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

    ↩

  22. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  23. Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975-00-00

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  25. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

  26. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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

    ↩

  28. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩

  29. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

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