Herb: Alpine Heuchera


Latin name: Heuchera glabra


Family: Saxifragaceae (Saxifrage Family)



Medicinal use of Alpine Heuchera:

The root is antiseptic, salve, styptic and tonic. It has been used to treat inflammation of the testicles caused by syphilis.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Perennial

Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Stream banks and crevices of moist rocks from the coast to above the timber line.

Edible parts of Alpine Heuchera:

Leaves - raw or cooked. Not choice.

Other uses of the herb:

The root can be used as an alum substitute, this is a mordant used in fixing dyes. The root is rich in tannin(it contains about 9 - 20%), is this the active ingredient that acts as a mordant?. A good ground cover plant for the woodland garden.

Propagation of Alpine Heuchera:

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. The seed can also be sown in the middle of spring in an outdoor seedbed and planted out in early summer. Alternatively, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in the middle of summer for planting out in the following spring. Division in March or October. It is best to divide the plants in August or early September, making sure that the woody roots are planted quite deeply with only the crown of foliage above the ground.

Cultivation of the herb:

Stream banks and crevices of moist rocks from the coast to above the timber line.

Known hazards of Heuchera glabra:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.