Herb: Broadleaf Stonecrop


Latin name: Sedum spathulifolium


Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)



Medicinal use of Broadleaf Stonecrop:

The leaves are antihaemorrhoidal, galactogogue and haemostatic. The leaves can be eaten, or a poultice of the warmed leaves applied to the breasts, in order to stimulate the milk flow of a nursing mother. The juice of the leaves and stems has been rubbed over bleeding wounds to stop the bleeding. A decoction of the stems has been drunk by a woman in the ninth month of her pregnancy in order to ease childbirth. A decoction of the whole plant has been given to children as a treatment for constipation and has been used as a wash to soothe nervous and irritable babies. The plant is used as a treatment for sore gums.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Perennial

Height:
5 cm
(2 inches)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Coastal cliffs and ledges, or in the gravelly soil of the foothills.

Edible parts of Broadleaf Stonecrop:

Leaves - raw or cooked. They are best used before the plant flowers.

Other uses of the herb:

Can be used as a ground cover plant in a sunny position. It requires weeding for the first year or so. Plants are best spaced about 30cm apart each way.

Propagation of Broadleaf Stonecrop:

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:

Coastal cliffs and ledges, or in the gravelly soil of the foothills.

Known hazards of Sedum spathulifolium:

Although not poisonous, if large quantities of this plant are eaten it can cause a stomach upset.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.