Practical
Plants

Plumbago europaea

Plumbago

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

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 whole plant, but especially the root, is acrid, emetic, odontalgic, sialagogue and vesicant[4][6][1][2]. Chewing the root produces copious salivation and is said to be of benefit in treating toothache[4].

Product or use
Acrid
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Sialagogue
Product or use
Vesicant

Environment

Range
S. Europe.
Habitat
Dry rocks, hills, maritime sands, roadsides etc[5][1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of basal shoots as new growth emerges in the spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

Requires a well-drained sandy or gritty soil in full sun[3]. One report says that the plant is not very hardy in Britain and is usually grown in a greenhouse[4].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

  2. Haywood. V. H. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-217674-9

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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