Herb: Sailor-Caps


Latin name: Dodecatheon hendersonii


Family: Primulaceae (Primrose Family)



Edible parts of Sailor-Caps:

Root - cooked. Roasted in ashes. It is a bulbil. Leaves - cooked. Roasted in ashes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
April
to June

Habitat of the herb:

Woods and prairies.

Propagation of Sailor-Caps:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A short period of cold stratification may improve the germination of stored seed which should be sown in spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 12 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 their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in March or September. Autumn is best. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Woods and prairies.

Medicinal use of Sailor-Caps:

None known

Known hazards of Dodecatheon hendersonii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.