Soldanella alpina
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Primulaceae
- Genus
- Soldanella
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 0.3 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.
A decoction of the root is laxative[2]. It is harvested in the summer and dried for later use[2].
- Product or use
- Laxative
Environment
- Range
- Europe - Pyrenees and the Alps.
- Habitat
- Mountain pasturelands, close to the snow and glacier line[2].
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold greenhouse[1]. The seed has a limited viability[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring[1].
Cultivation
Requires a well-drained humus-rich neutral to slightly acid soil[1]. Requires an open position with a cool aspect and shade from strong midday sun[1]. Plants may require some protection from winter wet[1]. In gardens, slugs will often destroy the flowering shoots at ground level early in the year[1]. The plant has become very rare in the wild due to over collection[2].
References
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5