Helenium puberulum
Rosilla
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- Genus
- Helenium
- Life cycle
- annual, perennial
- Height
- 1.5 m
- Fertility
- Bees, Lepidoptera
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Bees, Lepidoptera
Uses
Edible uses
Leaves and flowering heads - raw[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.
Antiscorbutic, tonic. The dried powdered plant has been applied to wounds and has also been rubbed onto the forehead and nose in the treatment of colds[6]. It has been used as a snuff[6]. The plant has also been used in the treatment of venereal disease[6].
- Product or use
- Antiscorbutic
- Product or use
- Poultice
- Product or use
- Sternutatory
- Product or use
- Tonic
Environment
- Range
- South-western N. America.
- Habitat
- Moist meadows, marshes, slough banks etc, below 600 metres in California[8].
- 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
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. If you have sufficient seed it would be worthwhile trying a sowing in situ outdoors in mid to late spring.
Cultivation
Grows well in ordinary garden soil[1][3], succeeding in most conditions other than boggy soils[5]. It prefers a fertile moisture retentive soil[4] in a sunny position[2][3]. Dislikes dry soil[4]. An annual or short-lived perennial, this species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[4]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[5]. A good bee and butterfly plant[7].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00
Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x
Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00