Herb: Honey Flower


Latin name: Melianthus major


Family: Melianthaceae



Medicinal use of Honey Flower:

Vulnerary. The root is poisonous and emetic, but is used as a remedy against snake bites.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Damp sandy areas.

Edible parts of Honey Flower:

The honey-like nectar from the flowers is eaten. Deliciously sweet, a tiny bit seems to go a long way - which is very useful since the plant does not produce that much in the British climate.

Other uses of the herb:

A violet dye is obtained from the flowers.

Propagation of Honey Flower:

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on the seedlings for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of greenwood stem tips in a frame in summer. Suckers in spring. They can be planted out immediately or potted up and kept in a frame for their first winter.

Cultivation of the herb:

Damp sandy areas.

Known hazards of Melianthus major:

The root is poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.