Nabalus serpentarius
Lion's Foot
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- 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.
The plant is said to be an antidote for snake bites[2].
- Product or use
- Antidote
Material uses
The juice of the plant repels snakes[2].
- Product or use
- Repellent
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to New York, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
- Habitat
- Fields and thickets[3].
- 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
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
Succeeds in shade or semi-shade in a moist but well-drained humus-rich neutral to acid soil[1].
References
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
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