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Geum urbanum - L.
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| Common Name
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Wood Avens
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| Family
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Rosaceae
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| Synonyms
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| Known Hazards
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None known
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| Habitats
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Woods, scrub, hedge banks, walls etc, usually on good damp soils[9, 13, 17].
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| Range
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Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, Siberia, Himalayas and W. Asia.
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Edibility Rating 
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| Medicinal Rating
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| | Care
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| Physical Characteristics
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PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, self.The plant is self-fertile.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geum_urbanum_Sturm44.jpg |
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Llez |
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| Habitats
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Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedgerow; North Wall. In. East Wall. In. West Wall. In.
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| Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Leaves; Root.
Young leaves - cooked.
Root - cooked. Used as a spice in soups, stews etc, and also as a flavouring in ale[4, 5, 8, 13, 183]. It is a substitute for cloves with a hint of cinnamon in the flavour[12, 74, 183]. It is best used in spring[12]. The root is also boiled to make a beverage[161]. The root is up to 5cm long[4].
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| Medicinal Uses
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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.
Antiinflammatory; Antiseptic; Aromatic; Astringent; Diaphoretic; Febrifuge; Skin; Stomachic; Styptic; Tonic.
Wood avens is an astringent herb, used principally to treat problems affecting the mouth, throat and gastro-intestinal tract. It tightens up soft gums, heals mouth ulcers, makes a good gargle for infections of the pharynx and larynx, and reduces irritation of the stomach and gut[254].
All parts of the plant, but especially the root, are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, diaphoretic, febrifuge, stomachic, styptic and tonic[4, 9, 21, 165, 238]. An infusion is taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, intestinal disorders, stomach upsets, irritable bowel syndrome and liver disorders, it is also applied externally as a wash to haemorrhoids, vaginal discharges etc[238, 254] and to treat various skin afflictions - it is said to remove spots, freckles and eruptions from the face[4, 9].
The root is best harvested in the spring, since at this time it is most fragrant[4]. Much of the fragrance can be lost on drying, so the root should be dried with great care then stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container, being sliced and powdered only when required for use[4].
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| Other Uses
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Repellent; Tannin.
The freshly dug root has a clove-like fragrance[4], when dried it is used in the linen cupboard to repel moths[4, 53].
The root contains about 9% tannin[4].
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| Cultivation details
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Easily grown in any moderately good garden soil that is well-drained[1]. Prefers shade[12, 21] and a soil rich in organic matter[200].
This species was widely cultivated as a pot-herb in the 16th century[5]. The bruised or dried root is pleasantly aromatic with a clove-like fragrance[245].
Plants self-sow freely when well-sited[238].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
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| Propagation
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Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer'
Division in spring or autumn. This should be done every 3 - 4 years in order to maintain the vigour of the plant[200]. Very easy, 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.
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| Botanical References
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| 17200
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| Links / References
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| [1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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| Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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| [4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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| Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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| [5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.
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| Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
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| [8]Ceres. Free for All.
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| Edible wild plants in Britain. Small booklet, nothing special.
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| [9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
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| [12]Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder.
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| A handy pocket guide.
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| [13]Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
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| Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
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| [17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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| A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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| [21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
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| Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
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| [53]De. Bray. L. The Wild Garden.
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| Interesting reading.
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| [74]Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR.
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| An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
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| [161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
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| A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
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| [165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
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| An excellent small herbal.
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| [183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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| Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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| [200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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| Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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| [238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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| A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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| [245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.
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| An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
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| [254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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| An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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