Senna marilandica
Wild Senna

Uses

Edible uses

There are no edible uses listed for Senna marilandica.

Material uses

There are no material uses listed for Senna marilandica.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The leaves and seedpods are cathartic, diuretic and vermifuge^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]. The leaves are harvested before and during flowering, the pods are harvested when fully ripe in the autumn. Both are dried for later use^[5].

The leaves are a safe and effective cathartic^[6]^[7]. They are best used with Foeniculum vulgare seeds in order to counteract a tendency to cause gripe^[6]^[7]. The seedpods can also be used and are milder but slower in their action^[8]. The seeds have been soaked in water until they are mucilaginous and then swallowed as a treatment for sore throats^[7]^[9].

The root is cardiac and febrifuge^[9]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers and heart problems^[9]. A poultice of the root has been used in treating sores^[9].

Unknown part

Cardiac

Cathartic

Diuretic

Febrifuge

Poultice

Vermifuge

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - scarify and then pre-soak the seed for 2 - 3 hours in warm water before sowing it from early spring to early summer in a warm greenhouse^[10]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 12 weeks at 23°c^[10]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse. Do not plant them out until the following spring^[10].

Division as growth commences in spring^[2].

Cuttings of moderately ripe wood, July in a frame^[1].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Senna marilandica. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Succeeds in most well-drained soils but prefers an open sandy loam in a sunny sheltered position^[1]^[2]^[11]. Established plants are drought tolerant^[11]. Succeeds in light shade, but the plant is much less vigorous when grown in dry shade^[11].

Although fairly cold-tolerant, plants can be killed in very severe weather, so it is best to mulch the roots of mature plants in bad winters^[2]. Younger plants should be mulched each winter until they are well established^[11]. Slugs are very attracted to this plant[K].

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby^[11].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Senna marilandica. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Senna marilandica.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1^1.2^1.3 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1^2.2^2.3^2.4^2.5 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1 Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books ISBN 0-553-23827-2 (1983-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1 Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (1995-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2 Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. ISBN 0-8160-2624-6 (1993-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books ISBN 0-449-90589-6 (1980-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1 Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0395467225 (1990-00-00)
? ^9.0^9.1^9.2^9.3^9.4 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)
? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. (1989-00-00)
? ^11.0^11.1^11.2^11.3^11.4^11.5 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. (1950-00-00)

Cite error: <ref> tag with name "PFAFimport-274" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.

[PFAFimport-1-1] ? ^1.0^1.1^1.2^1.3 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-2] ? ^2.0^2.1^2.2^2.3^2.4^2.5 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-21-3] ? ^3.0^3.1 Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books ISBN 0-553-23827-2 (1983-00-00)

[PFAFimport-46-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)

[PFAFimport-238-5] ? ^5.0^5.1 Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (1995-00-00)

[PFAFimport-207-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2 Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. ISBN 0-8160-2624-6 (1993-00-00)

[PFAFimport-213-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books ISBN 0-449-90589-6 (1980-00-00)

[PFAFimport-222-8] ? ^8.0^8.1 Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0395467225 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-257-9] ? ^9.0^9.1^9.2^9.3^9.4 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)

[PFAFimport-138-10] ? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-11] ? ^11.0^11.1^11.2^11.3^11.4^11.5 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-43-12] ? Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. (1950-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Leguminosae +
Belongs to genus	Senna +
Functions as	Nitrogen fixer +
Has binomial name	Senna marilandica +
Has common name	Wild Senna +
Has drought tolerance	Tolerant +
Has environmental tolerance	Drought +
Has fertility type	Insects +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone	4 +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	1.5 +
Has mature width	0.8 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Cardiac +, Cathartic +, Diuretic +, Febrifuge +, Poultice + and Vermifuge +
Has search name	senna marilandica + and wild senna +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preference	Sandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomic rank	Species +
Has taxonomy name	Senna marilandica +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
PFAF cultivation notes migrated	No +
PFAF edible use notes migrated	Yes +
PFAF material use notes migrated	Yes +
PFAF medicinal use notes migrated	No +
PFAF propagation notes migrated	No +
PFAF toxicity notes migrated	Yes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.	Senna marilandica +, Senna marilandica +, Senna marilandica +, Senna marilandica +, Senna marilandica + and Senna marilandica +