Herb: Pasque Flower


Latin name: Pulsatilla pratensis


Synonyms: Pulsatilla nigricans


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Pasque Flower:

Considered by herbalists to be of highly valuable modern curative use as a herbal simple, the whole plant is alterative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and nervine. The plant is harvested soon after flowering and should be carefully preserved by drying. It should not be stored for longer than 12 months before being used. Use with caution, see notes above on toxicity. The whole plant is used externally to treat ulcers and inflammations of the eyes. A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole fresh plant, gathered when in flower. It has a wide range of applications and is especially useful in the treatment of babies and children.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Open fields.

Other uses of Pasque Flower:

Plants can be grown to form a ground cover, they are best spaced about 30cm apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in early summer in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. Germination takes about 1 - 6 months at 15°C. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring. Root cuttings, 4cm long taken in early winter, potted up in a mixture of peat and sand. They can also be taken in July/August, planted vertically in pots in a greenhouse or frame. Some care is needed since the plant resents root disturbance.

Cultivation of Pasque Flower:

Open fields.

Known hazards of Pulsatilla pratensis:

The plant is slightly toxic, the toxins are dissipated by heat or by drying the plant.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.