Practical
Plants

Tephroseris palustris

Marsh Fleawort

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, biennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus that contains a number of plants with a cumulative poisonous effect on the liver[5]. Some caution is advised.

Edible uses

Young leaves and flowering stems - raw or cooked[2][4]. They have been eaten raw in salads, cooked as greens or have been fermented into a sauerkraut[4]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Circumboreal. Formerly native to Britain, now apparently extinct[1].
Habitat
Fen ditches[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or late summer in situ. Only just cover the seed and make sure the soil remains moist to enable germination to take place.

Cultivation

Requires a gritty, moisture-retentive but well-drained circumneutral soil and a sunny position[3]. Plants can be short-lived in cultivation[3].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩

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