Herb latin name: Muehlenbeckia axillaris


Synonyms: Muehlenbeckia hypogaea, Muehlenbeckia nana, Polygonum axillare


Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)



Edible parts of Muehlenbeckia axillaris:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy. The fruit is very small, only 3mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Climber

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Gravelly and rocky places and open grassland southwards from 38° south in North and South Islands of New Zealand. Scrub and river flats to the sub-alpine zone.

Other uses of Muehlenbeckia axillaris:

A fast growing ground cover plant for a sunny position but it requires weeding for the first year or so. Once established, it can swamp out small plants.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. 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 late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in autumn and overwinter in a cold frame. High percentage. Plant out in late spring. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, October/November in a cold frame. High percentage. Division in spring.

Cultivation of Muehlenbeckia axillaris:

Gravelly and rocky places and open grassland southwards from 38° south in North and South Islands of New Zealand. Scrub and river flats to the sub-alpine zone.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Muehlenbeckia axillaris:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.