Practical
Plants

Penthorum sedoides

Virginian Stonecrop

a perennial member of the Penthorum genus in the family Saxifragaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves - cooked[4]. Used as a potherb[4].

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.

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

A tincture of the plant is somewhat astringent, demulcent, laxative and tonic[5][7][2]. The plant is noted for its effectiveness in treating catarrhal problems of many kinds and has also been used successfully in treating diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and infantile cholera[5]. The seeds have been used in making cough syrups[2][4].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Tonic

Environment

Range
N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
Habitat
Low wet ground[6]. Ditches and swamps[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
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 - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in pots that are standing in about 3cm of water as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on shallow water in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

Cultivation

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

Suitable for the waterside or shallow water[1]. This species is included in the family Crassulaceae by some botanists and placed in its own family by others[1].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  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. 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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  6. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  7. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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