medicinal herbs
Small Houseleek
Sedum album

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Small Houseleek

Latin name: Sedum album

Synonyms: Sedum athoum, Sedum balticum, Sedum turgidum

Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)

Medicinal use of Small Houseleek:

The leaves and stems are applied externally as a poultice to inflammations and are especially recommended for treating painful haemorrhoids.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Rocks, walls, cobbled paths etc, in dry sunny situations on acid or calcareous soils.

Edible parts of Small Houseleek:

Leaves - raw or cooked. Usually eaten as a pickle, though it can also be added to salads or cooked with other leafy vegetables.

Other uses of the herb:

The plant spreads aggressively and can be used for ground cover in a sunny position amongst plants tall enough not to be overrun by it. It is best planted about 45cm apart each way. Strong growing bulbs such as some lilies will grow happily through this ground cover.

Propagation of Small Houseleek:

Seed - surface sow in spring in well-drained soil in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If sufficient growth is made, it is possible to plant them out during the summer, otherwise keep them in a cold-frame or greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year. Division is very easy and can be carried out at almost any time in the growing season, though is probably best done in spring or early summer. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rocks, walls, cobbled paths etc, in dry sunny situations on acid or calcareous soils.

Known hazards of Sedum album:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.