Practical
Plants

Silphium terebinthinaceum

Prairie Dock

a perennial member of the Silphium genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

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.

A tea made from the roots is vermifuge and a tonic for general debility[7][8][5]. A tea made from the leaves is emetic, it has been used in the treatment of coughs, lung ailments and asthma[7][8][5]. A resin in the plant is diuretic[7][8][5].

Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Vermifuge

Material uses

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

A gum or resin that is obtained from the stem can be chewed to cleanse the mouth and teeth[4].

Product or use
Gum

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Ontario to Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana.
Habitat
Prairies, dry woods and glades[5][6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring[2]. This is very difficult due to the deep and extensive root system.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a deep moisture retentive moderately fertile soil that is not too nitrogen rich, in sun or dappled shade[3]. Succeeds in the wild or woodland garden[3]. Plants have a deep and extensive root system which makes transplanting difficult[3].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩

  5. 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↩4

  6. 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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

Edit this page