Herb: Adderstongue


Latin name: Erythronium multiscapoideum


Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)



Edible parts of Adderstongue:

Although no specific mention has been found for this species, most if not all members of the genus provide edible bulbs.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Bulb


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Grows on slopes in yellow pine forest and woodlands in the foothills from sea level to elevations of 550 metres.

Propagation of Adderstongue:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Water lightly in summer, it should germinate in autumn or winter. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification. Sow as early in spring as possible in a cold frame. Sow the seed thinly so that it will not be necessary to prick them out for their first year of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed to the seedlings to make sure that they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants are dormant, pot up the small bulbs putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on in a shady position in the greenhouse for another 2 3 years and then plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant in late summer. Division of the bulbs in the summer as the leaves die down. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on in a shady position in a greenhouse for a year before planting them out when dormant in late summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Grows on slopes in yellow pine forest and woodlands in the foothills from sea level to elevations of 550 metres.

Medicinal use of Adderstongue:

None known

Known hazards of Erythronium multiscapoideum:

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, the following notes have been seen for another member of this genus and so some caution is advised. Skin contact with the bulbs has been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.