Practical
Plants

Phlomis tuberosa

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Phlomis
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - cooked[5][1][2][3]. Rich in starch[10] but with a somewhat bitter flavour[K].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
E. Europe to Siberia.
Habitat
Dry rocky ground amongst herbaceous vegetation[8][9]. Wet grasslands and valleys at elevations of 1200 - 2100 metres in northern China[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. The seed germinates quickly, prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for their first year in a greenhouse. Plant them out in early summer. Division of the tubers in spring or autumn[6]. Be careful not to damage the tubers[6]. If dividing in the autumn, it is best to store the tubers in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out in the spring. Spring divisions can be planted out straight away into their permanent positions.

Cultivation

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

Requires a well-drained soil in full sun with shelter from cold winds[6]. Hardy to at least -15°c[6], if the top growth is killed back by the cold the plants will usually regrow. Another report says that it is hardy to about -25°c but is totally deciduous in the winter[4].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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

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  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

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  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

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  8. Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-19-217626-9

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  9. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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

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