Mulesears Wyethia, Mule-ears
Wyethia amplexicaulis

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae

What it is like

Wyethia amplexicaulis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.8

Where it is found

Open, not too dry hillsides and dry meadows in the foothills.

Central and Western N. America.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Root - cooked. The native North American Indians dug pits in the ground which they lined with large stones. They then burnt a fire on top of the stones until the stones were hot. The roots were placed on these hot stones, sealed in with fern leaves and earth and then fermented for one or two days. Seed. No more details are given. Young shoots. No more details are given.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The roots furnish a remedy applied externally as a poultice to bruised and swollen limbs.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a free-draining, gritty but moisture-retentive soil in a sunny position. Plants are intolerant of drought. Plants are considered to be a pest of grazing ground in N. America and large-scale eradication programmes are carried out.

Propagating it: Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse or cold frame in early spring. Use a very freely-draining compost, prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions when they are large enough. Careful division of the crown as the plants come into growth in spring.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Espeletia amplexicaulis.