Herb: White Lettuce


Latin name: Nabalus albus


Synonyms: Prenanthes alba


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of White Lettuce:

The powdered root is sprinkled on food to stimulate milk flow after childbirth. A tea made from the roots is used as a wash for weakness. A latex in the stems is diuretic, it is used in female diseases. It is also taken internally in the treatment of snakebite. A poultice of the leaves or roots is applied to snakebites, dog bites etc.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Rich woods and thickets.

Propagation of White Lettuce:

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rich woods and thickets.

Known hazards of Nabalus albus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.