Practical
Plants

Linnaea borealis

Twinflower

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Linnaea
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.2 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

A food plant[4][10]. No more details are given.

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.

The plant has been used as a tonic in pregnancy and also in the treatment of painful or difficult menstruation[8]. The mashed plant is used as a poultice on inflamed limbs and is also applied to the head to ease the pain of headaches[10].

Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Women's complaints

Material uses

The plant forms an extensive twiggy mat and is useful as a ground cover on peat beds and in rock gardens[5]. Plants form a dense carpet when growing in god conditions, rooting as they spread, but otherwise the cover is sparse[7]. Plants should be spaced about 60cm apart each way[7].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range
Northern Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Germany, the Alps and N. Asia.
Habitat
Woods, especially pine, and in the shade of rocks to elevations of 725 metres in N. Britain[3].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[5]. Sow stored seed as soon as possible, it is likely to require a period of cold stratification. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of rooted runners in the spring[5]. Layering. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in the summer[5]. They are rather slow to root[1].

Cultivation

Prefers a rather shaded position in a rock garden in a moist peaty soil[2][6]. It grows well in pine woods[9]. Requires an acid soil[6]. Plants can be rather difficult to establish[6]. The sub-species L. borealis americana grows more freely than the European form. The plant is polymorphic[1]. The flowers have an evening fragrance like that of the honeysuckle[9].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩1↩2

  8. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page