Practical
Plants

Heracleum sphondylium sibiricum

a biennial member of the Heracleum genus in the family Umbelliferae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
Self fertile, 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.

Many members of this genus contain furanocoumarins. These have carcinogenic, mutagenic and phototoxic properties. This sub-species is said to be non-toxic[9].

Edible uses

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

Stem and young shoots - raw or cooked[8][10][11][4]. Used as a green vegetable, when harvested just as they are sprouting from the ground they are somewhat like asparagus in flavour[5]. The rind is somewhat acrid[3]. A sweet substance resembling sugar forms on the dried stems[3]. A great delicacy[6][5]. The peduncles, before flowering, can be eaten as a vegetable or added to soups[5]. Root[10]. No further details are given.

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem
Product or use
Sweetener

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, harvested shortly before or at flowering time, is aphrodisiac, digestive, mildly expectorant and sedative[10][11]. It is used in the treatment of laryngitis and bronchitis, though it can cause allergic dermatitis in some people[11].

Product or use
Aphrodisiac
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Sedative

Environment

Range
N.E. to C. Europe.
Habitat
Grassy places and rough ground.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow mid to late spring or early autumn in situ.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil, doing best in moist soils or deep woodland[1]. This species contains a large number of sub-species. This sub-species is said to be free of toxic substances[9]. A good bee plant[2].

References

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

    ↩

  2. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩

  3. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

  8. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩

  9. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩1↩2

  10. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

Edit this page