medicinal herbs
Brown Knapweed
Centaurea jacea

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Brown Knapweed

Latin name: Centaurea jacea

Family: Compositae

Medicinal use of Brown Knapweed:

The root is bitter tonic, diuretic and stomachic. An excellent bitter for treating difficult digestive systems, it is still used in rural areas as a digestive and also to reduce the temperature of feverish children. A distilled water made from the leaves is used as an eye lotion in the treatment of conjunctivitis.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Hedgerows, uncultivated land and waste ground.

Propagation of Brown Knapweed:

Seed - sow April in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring. This should be done at least once every three years in order to maintain the vigour of the plant. Basal cuttings in spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Hedgerows, uncultivated land and waste ground.

Known hazards of Centaurea jacea:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.