Cardiospermum halicacabum
Heart Seed
a deciduous member of the Cardiospermum genus in the family Sapindaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Genus
- Cardiospermum
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Height
- 3 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves and young shoots - cooked[1][2][4][11]. Used as a spinach[6].
- Plant part
- Leaves
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 whole plant is diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, laxative, refrigerant, rubefacient, stomachic and sudorific[8]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, nervous diseases, stiffness of the limbs and snakebite[9][10]. The leaves are rubefacient, they are applied as a poultice in the treatment of rheumatism[9][10]. A tea made from them is used in the treatment of itchy skin[8]. Salted leaves are used as a poultice on swellings[8].The leaf juice has been used as a treatment for earache[9][10]. The root is diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, laxative and rubefacient[9]. It is occasionally used in the treatment of rheumatism, lumbago and nervous diseases[9].
- Product or use
- Diaphoretic
- Product or use
- Diuretic
- Product or use
- Emetic
- Product or use
- Emmenagogue
- Product or use
- Laxative
- Product or use
- Refrigerant
- Product or use
- Rubefacient
- Product or use
- Stomachic
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Climber
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - India. N. America. Africa. Locally naturalized in S. Europe[13].
- Habitat
- Moist thickets and waste ground in Eastern N. America[12].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a moist soil and a sunny sheltered position[3], but succeeds in most soils[1]. A frost-tender deciduous climber, it is grown as an annual in Britain[5].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
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
Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993-00-00
Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00