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Mertensia paniculata

Common name:		Family:	Boraginaceae
Author:	(Aiton.)G.Don.	Botanical references:	60, 200, 235
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - Hudson Bay to Alaska, south to Michigan, Nebraska, Idaho and Washington.
Habitat:	Woods, moist meadows, damp thickets, wet cliffs, riverbanks, dry slopes and burn areas from the foothills to high elevations in the mountains[60, 172].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Tall Bluebells [B,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	paniculata = with panicles
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Borage family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.75m by 0.6m . It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

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 or wet soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves.

Flowers - raw[172].
Leaves - raw or cooked[172]. The leaves are rather hairy and are not so nice when eaten raw[172].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil with some shade[1, 111]. Prefers a deep moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in sun or semi-shade[200].
If the plant is cut down after flowering, it will normally produce another flush of flowers[233].
A very ornamental plant[233], it grows well in open woodland[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1, 200]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. Protect from direct sunlight[200]. 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.
Division, with care, in early spring or autumn[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Boraginaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[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]).

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[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.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Mertensia+paniculata
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