medicinal herbs
Kenilworth Ivy
Cymbalaria muralis

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

Herb: Kenilworth Ivy

Latin name: Cymbalaria muralis

Synonyms: Linaria cymbalaria

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Medicinal use of Kenilworth Ivy:

The herb is antiscorbutic and vulnerary. It is used externally as a poultice on fresh wounds to stop the bleeding. There are reports that it has been used with success in India for the treatment of diabetes.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Walls and other well-drained sites, shady rocks and woods, usually on calcareous soils.

Edible parts of Kenilworth Ivy:

Leaves - raw. The leaves have been used in salads, being acrid and pungent like cress. We find them rather bitter and not very pleasant, though they are available all year round and so might be useful in the winter. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Other uses of the herb:

A clear yellow dye is obtained from the flowers, though it is not very permanent.

Propagation of Kenilworth Ivy:

Seed - surface sow March to June in a cold frame and do not exclude light. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°C. 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 late spring. 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 spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Walls and other well-drained sites, shady rocks and woods, usually on calcareous soils.

Known hazards of Cymbalaria muralis:

The plant might be slightly toxic

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.