Herb: Baltic Rush


Latin name: Juncus balticus


Family: Juncaceae (Rush Family)



Edible parts of Baltic Rush:

A sugar forms along the top of the plant. This can be gathered and eaten as candy. Seed. No more details are given but the seed is very small. The stems are used to make a fermented drink.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Damp to wet soils, usually in saline conditions.

Other uses of Baltic Rush:

The stems are used in making woven baskets, thatching, weaving mats etc. The basal portions of the stems have been used as a light yellow-brown decoration on baskets.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - surface sow in pots in a cold frame in early spring and keep the compost moist. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently, otherwise in late spring of the following year. Division in 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 Baltic Rush:

Damp to wet soils, usually in saline conditions.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Juncus balticus:

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, there is a report that one member of this genus is possibly toxic to mammals.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.