Practical
Plants

Lycopus maackianus

a perennial member of the Lycopus genus in the family Labiatae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Lycopus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves - cooked[1].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
Wet places all over Japan[5]. Boggy shores, marsh margins, bogged down and inundated meadows, sometimes on sea shores, open scrub and occasionally on wasteland[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
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 spring or autumn in a cold frame[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring or autumn[3]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Tolerates most soil types so long as they are wet. Succeeds in damp meadows or in wet places by ponds or streams[2].

References

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

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

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  3. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  4. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

  5. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

  6. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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