Herb: Candle Anemone


Latin name: Anemone cylindrica


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Candle Anemone:

The root of this plant was one of the most highly esteemed medicines of the Omaha and Ponca Indians. A wash of the pounded boiled root was applied externally to wounds. The root contains anemonin, which is said to be a potent antiseptic. A poultice made from the leaves is used to treat burns. A tea of the roots was used in the treatment of headaches and dizziness. A decoction of the stem and fruit is used as a wash for sore eyes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Prairies, dry, open woods, pastures and roadsides at elevations from 300 - 3000 metres.

Propagation of Candle Anemone:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer. Surface sow or only just cover the seed and keep the soil moist. Sow stored seed as soon as possible in late winter or early spring. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first year. When the plants are large enough, plant them out in the spring. Division in late summer after the plant dies down.

Cultivation of the herb:

Prairies, dry, open woods, pastures and roadsides at elevations from 300 - 3000 metres.

Known hazards of Anemone cylindrica:

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, a number of members of this genus are slightly poisonous, the toxic principle is destroyed by heat or by drying.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.