medicinal herbs
Bridewort
Spiraea salicifolia
Herb: Bridewort
Latin name: Spiraea salicifolia
Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Medicinal use of Bridewort:
The roots have been used in the treatment of coughs and chest colds. Immature seeds have been used in the treatment of diarrhoea with blood.Description of the plant:
Plant:
DeciduousShrub
Height:
180 cm(6 feet)
Flowering:
June toSeptember
Habitat of the herb:
Wet boggy places in the mountains of N. Japan. More or less naturalized in woods in Wales and N. England.Edible parts of Bridewort:
Young leaves - cooked. Rich in vitamin C.Other uses of the herb:
A soil stabilizer for river and lakeside banks. Plants are frequently planted in hedges.Propagation of Bridewort:
Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame if possible. It is likely to require stratification before it germinates, so stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as you receive it. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a light sandy soil a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15cm long, October/November in an outdoor frame. Another report says that September is a good time to do this. Division of suckers in early spring. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.Cultivation of the herb:
Wet boggy places in the mountains of N. Japan. More or less naturalized in woods in Wales and N. England.Known hazards of Spiraea salicifolia:
None knownPlant information taken from the Plants For A Future.