Menzies' burnet
Sanguisorba menziesii
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Sanguisorba menziesii is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 1.2
Where it is found
Coastal bogs and marshlands.
North-western N. America - Alaska to Washington.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaves - cooked. They are not choice.
Medicine
Rating: 1
Both the roots and the leaves are astringent.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
An easily grown plant that does well in cultivation. It succeeds in ordinary garden soil, though it prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade. This species is closely related to S. officinalis.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on 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 the spring.
Best place to grow: Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet