Practical
Plants

Rubia peregrina

Wild Madder

a perennial member of the Rubia genus in the family Rubiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rubiaceae
Genus
Rubia
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 (unit unspecified)
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.

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

Abortifacient, aphrodisiac, diuretic, emmenagogue[5][6].

Product or use
Abortifacient
Product or use
Aphrodisiac
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue

Material uses

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

A red dye is obtained from the roots[4].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Western and southern Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa.
Habitat
Hedges, thickets, scrub and stony ground in the south and south-west of Britain[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Pollution
No
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate[3]. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for the first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring or at any time in the growing season if the divisions are kept well watered until established[3]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Seed Requires Scarification
No
Seed Requires Smokification
No
Seed Requires Stratification
No

Cultivation

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

Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade[3]. Tolerates dry soils but quickly becomes scorched when growing in full sun[3]. Plants grown in fertile well-limed soils produce more pigment in the root[1].

References

  1. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩

  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 32202/01/01

    ↩

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

  5. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 32202/01/01

    ↩

  6. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 32202/01/01 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

Edit this page