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Samolus valerandi - L.

Brookweed

Author	L.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Primulaceae	Genus	Samolus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Most regions of the world, including Britain, usually near the sea.
Habitat	Wet places, especially near the sea[17], also in shallow water, avoiding acid soils and shade[56].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Pond; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[46, 61]. A rather bitter flavour[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antiscorbutic.

The leaves are antiscorbutic[46, 61].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil in a wet position or in shallow water[1, 200]. Dislikes shade or acid soils.

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring, standing the pot in about 3cm of water. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and gradually increase the depth of water as the plants grow until it is level with the tops of the pots. Plant out in the summer if there has been sufficient growth, otherwise plant out in late spring of the following year. Division in spring.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: The Edible Pond and Bog Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[56] Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7
Deals with a wide range of plants for temperate areas (and indoor aquaria) with quite a lot of information on cultivation techniques.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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