Practical
Plants

Nabalus albus

White Lettuce

a perennial member of the Nabalus genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Nabalus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

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 powdered root is sprinkled on food to stimulate milk flow after childbirth[2]. A tea made from the roots is used as a wash for weakness[2]. A latex in the stems is diuretic, it is used in female diseases[2]. It is also taken internally in the treatment of snakebite[2]. A poultice of the leaves or roots is applied to snakebites, dog bites etc[2].

Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Galactogogue

Environment

Range
North-eastern N. America - Maine to Georgia, west to N. Dakota.
Habitat
Rich woods and thickets[2].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in spring. 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.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in shade or semi-shade in a moist but well-drained humus-rich neutral to acid soil[1].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  3. 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

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