Practical
Plants

Coptis occidentalis

a perennial evergreen member of the Coptis genus in the family Ranunculaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Coptis
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.15 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

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.

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been found for this species, it belongs to a family that contains many species that are mildly toxic and so it is wise to treat this plant with some caution.

Material uses

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

A yellow dye is obtained from the root[5][7]. Can be grown as a ground cover plant in the peat garden[3].

Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Idaho, Montana and Washington.
Habitat
Moist coniferous woods at elevations of 500-2000 metres in the Rocky Mountains[6][3][4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in an ericaceous compost[2]. Seal the pot in a polythene bag until germination takes place, which is usually within 1 - 6 months at 10°c[2]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible. Four weeks cold stratification may be beneficial[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in mid-autumn or in spring. Division in spring[3].

Cultivation

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

Requires a light moist humus-rich slightly acidic soil with a northerly aspect or light shade[1][3]. This species is closely related to C. laciniata[3].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  4. Flora of N. America http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/

    ↩

  5. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  6. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

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