| Habitats
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Pond; Bog Garden;
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| Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Root.
Root - cooked[2, 55]. It must be treated to get rid of an acrid taste[115, 172]. This can be done by drying the root, grinding it into a powder and then washing it in running water[2]. Unfortunately, this treatment will also get rid of many of the vitamins and minerals contained in the root[K]. The powder can be used for making 'missen bread' (famine bread)[183]. The root is an emergency food that is used when all else fails[177].
The intensely bitter leaves are used as a substitute for hops in making beer[2, 7, 13, 145, 183].
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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; Astringent; Carminative; Cathartic; Deobstruent; Digestive; Diuretic; Emetic; Emmenagogue; Febrifuge; Hypnotic;
Stomachic; Tonic.
Bogbean is closely related to the gentians, which are famous bitter herbs used as a digestive and general body tonic[238]. This plant can be used similarly, but it can irritate the digestive system of patients with gastric inflammation or infection[238].
The plant is anti-inflammatory, astringent, carminative, cathartic, deobstruent, digestive, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypnotic, stomachic, tonic[4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 165, 172, 174, 207, 222, 238]. All parts of the plant are medically active, but the leaves are the part most commonly used[4, 213]. The leaves are best harvested in late spring or early summer and dried before use[9, 222], the fresh plant causes vomiting[222].
An infusion is given in the treatment of muscular weakness in M.E., chronic infections with debility and exhaustion, indigestion, anorexia and rheumatism[238]. Given in small doses of about 10 grains it imparts vigour to the stomach and aids digestion[207, 222]. Using the plant helps a person to gain weight[254]. It s also believed to be an effective remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, especially when this condition is associated with weakness, weight loss and lack of vitality[254]. Bogbean is usually prescribed in combination with other herbs such as celery seed (Apium graveolens) and white willow (Salix alba)[254]. This plant should not be prescribed for patients with diarrhoea, dysentery or colitis[238]. Excess doses cause vomiting[238].
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| Cultivation details
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Grow in a bog garden in wet peaty soil or in shallow water at the edge of a pond[187]. Prefers acid conditions[238]. Succeeds in water up to 30cm deep[24]. Dislikes shade.
Plants can be very invasive, spreading by means of long-creeping thick surface rhizomes[187].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[187].
Cats are very fond of this plant[174].
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| Propagation
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Do not allow the seed to dry out. Sow late winter to early spring in a pot in a cold frame and keep the pot just submerged in water. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of water 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 spring. Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required. However, particularly with smaller divisions, we find it better to pot them up and grow them on in a cold frame for a few weeks until they are established.
Cuttings taken in summer can be inserted into the mud at the side of the pond and will normally root well.
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| Botanical References
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| 17200
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| Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
| [2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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| Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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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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| [7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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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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| [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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| [24]Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.
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| Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.
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| [55]Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds.
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| Interesting reading.
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| [115]Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
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| Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
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| [145]Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar.
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| A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.
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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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| [172]Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
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| A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
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| [174]Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
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| A good Japanese herbal.
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| [177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
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| An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
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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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| [187]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2.
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| Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
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| [207]Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
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| A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
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| [213]Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food.
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| A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
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| [222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
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| A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
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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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| [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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| Subject : Menyanthes trifoliata |
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