I was wondering if anyone had tried elecamapane as a container plant. I have not grown it before, but would like to try. Any tips would be appreciated.
Has anyone had much luck with this plant in zones 5 or 6? I had it briefly in my garden in less than optimum conditions...it is an enormous plant, larger than comfrey apparently, and prefers full sun, which I do not have.
Has anyone with part sun managed to get it to winter over?
Also, have you used it medicinally, and with what results?
I was wondering if anyone had tried elecamapane as a container plant.
Never! My elecampane grows to a minimum of 6' and the roots go very deep - neither is conducive to container gardening in my opinion.
I tried to move a young elecampane plant once that was maybe about a year old (they self-seed like crazy for me). Surprisingly enough when I popped the spade back, not expecting a very long root, a 2' root slipped out of the soil in one piece. It was a surprise to see that long a root on a young plant. Being I had already spent an entire day in the garden and had no energy to dig the tiger-trap I was going to have to dig to plant it, I cut and dried the root. I decided after that never to do that again unless asked for it. The root smelled (at least to me) so incredibly floral that I grew sick of the smell before I finished cutting the root - I hate perfume counters too. I suspect others would have liked the smell.
I have elecampane on the east side of my house and it gets sun in the morning. And another clump under the edge of the hawthorn trees where it is shaded all day except morning. I've had them in those spots for at least 6 Western NY State winters.
I'm in zone 5 and elecampane does incredibly well here. It does thrive in the wild around here as well. One spot where elecampane grows in the garden gets sun until about 2, then it is shaded by a spruce. Another spot doesn't get sun until afternoon. Elecampane does well in both areas. Too well. As FataMorgana points out, the roots go to China! It is a gorgeous, stately plant. I have to laugh as visitors ask what that incredible plant is and I tell them it is a "weed". I've also had people driving by, back up, get out and come knock on my door to ask about another "stately plant" - mullein. My mullein grows 7' high and is quite impressive in bloom. See, it's all perception of whether something is a weed or valuable garden plant. I use a tincture of elecampane root to bring up stuck phlegm in the lungs. Be warned...use just a few drops and be prepared to really hack up stuff. In fact, you need to devote a solid half-hour to doing nothing but coughing. It's not an herb to play with lightly. And, if you have high blood pressure, I dont' recommend using it at all. The severe coughing up of "gunk" can raise blood pressure for a short time.
Heathen1
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