Practical
Plants

Dracocephalum parviflorum

American Dragonhead

an annual or biennial member of the Dracocephalum genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Life cycle
annual, biennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seed[1][2][3][6]. No more details. The leaves have been used as a flavouring[6].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Seed

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 plant has been used to treat diarrhoea in children[6]. The leaves are febrifuge and ophthalmic[6]. A cold compound infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers and headaches[6]. Externally, it has been used as an eyewash[6].

Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Ophthalmic

Environment

Range
N. America - Quebec and Ontario to Alaska, New York, Iowa, Missouri and Arizona.
Habitat
Dry, rocky or gravelly calcareous soils, often in recent clearings[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow early spring in situ. Pinch back the shoot tips in May in order to encourage bushy growth[4].

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in a sunny position in a fertile well-drained soil[4]. The plant is very fragrant[4]. It is useful for filling gaps in the summer border[4].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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