Practical
Plants

Salvia plebeia

a biennial member of the Salvia genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Salvia
Life cycle
biennial
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves[2]. No more details are given. Flowers[2]. No more details are given. The seed is used as a condiment like mustard[4][3].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Flowers
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.

The plant is astringent, diuretic and vermifuge[6]. A paste of the plant is applied to wounds between the toes caused by prolonged walking barefoot in muddy water[9]. The seeds are used in the treatment of diarrhoea, gonorrhoea, menorrhagia and haemorrhoids[8].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Vermifuge

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Wet places, especially by paddy fields, C. and S. Japan[10]. Open moist ground at elevations of 100 - 1000 metres in Nepal[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
high
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
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 late spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer.

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus, but this species is likely to tolerate much wetter conditions if its native habitat is anything to go by. Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[5]. Prefers a rich soil[1]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[5]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[7].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  6. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  7. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  8. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  9. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2

  10. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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