Practical
Plants

Stachys palustris

Marsh Woundwort

a perennial member of the Stachys genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Stachys
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.4 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Tubers - raw or cooked[K]. A wholesome and nutritious food[11], they have a pleasant mild nutty flavour[K]. The tubers can be dried and ground into a powder that is used in making bread etc[5][11][2][1][4]. The tubers are formed in the autumn[3]. Although quite small, they are fairly smooth and produced in a reasonable quantity so are not too fiddly to utilize[K]. Young shoots - cooked. Used as an asparagus substitute[4]. A pleasant taste but the smell is disagreeable[11]. Seed[10]. No further details are given[10].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

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 antiseptic, antispasmodic, emetic, emmenagogue, expectorant, haemostatic, nervine, sedative, tonic, vulnerary[11][12][7]. The plant has been highly valued for its wound-healing activity, being effective against both internal and external bleeding, and is also used in the treatment of gout, cramps and pains in the joints[11]. The herb is harvested in the summer when just coming into flower and can be dried for later use[11].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Haemostatic
Product or use
Nervine
Product or use
Sedative
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Vulnerary

Material uses

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

A yellow dye is obtained from the plant[6].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, south and east from Norway to Portugal and temperate Asia to Japan.
Habitat
By streams and ditches, also in swamps and fens. Occasionally found on arable land[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
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 spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. 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.

Cultivation

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

Requires a moist soil for good root production[5][8]. A good bee plant[8]. All parts of the plant emit an unpleasant smell when bruised[9].

References

  1. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  2. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

    ↩

  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  8. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

    ↩1↩2

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  10. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

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

    ↩

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