Herb: Gooseneck Loosestrife


Latin name: Lysimachia clethroides


Family: Primulaceae (Primrose Family)



Edible parts of Gooseneck Loosestrife:

Leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails. They can also be used as a condiment. Fruits and flowers are said to be edible but no further details are given. The fruit is very small.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Sunny grassy hills and at low altitudes in mountains all over Japan. Damp woodland margins, wet ravines and grassy mountain slopes at elevations of 300 - 2100 metres in China.

Propagation of Gooseneck Loosestrife:

Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn. 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:

Sunny grassy hills and at low altitudes in mountains all over Japan. Damp woodland margins, wet ravines and grassy mountain slopes at elevations of 300 - 2100 metres in China.

Medicinal use of Gooseneck Loosestrife:

None known

Known hazards of Lysimachia clethroides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.