Scootberry, Rosybells
Streptopus roseus
Family: Convallariaceae
What it is like
Streptopus roseus Michx. is a synonym of Streptopus lanceolatus (Aiton) Reveal
Streptopus roseus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Moist woods, river banks, alder thickets. Damp montane woods, 9000 - 1800 metres.
Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Michigan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Young leaves and shoots are added to salads to impart a cucumber flavour. They can also be cooked and used as greens. Fruit - raw or cooked. A sweetish flavour, though it is said to be cathartic if eaten in quantity, especially if you have not eaten this fruit before. A watermelon flavour. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The fruit is cathartic. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of a fallen womb. A cough syrup can be made from the root. A poultice of the steeped root has been applied to the eyes in the treatment of sties. The flowers are diaphoretic. They can be used to induce sweating in the treatment of colds and fevers. The plant is tonic. An infusion of the plant has been used in the treatment of coughs.
Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.
Other
Rating: 0
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Requires a cool leafy soil in shade or partial shade. Thrives in a moist light soil containing organic matter. Hardy to at least -20°c. A very ornamental plant. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as soon as it is received. The seed, especially if it has been stored, can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a shady part of the greenhouse or cold frame. It will normally take 2 or more growing seasons before the roots are large enough to plant out - this is best done when the plant is dormant in the autumn. Division as the plant comes into growth in early spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first year, planting them out in the following spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Rose twisted stalk, rosybells, rose mandarin, scootberry, liverberry, rose-bellwort
Synonyms
S. curvipes. S. lanceolatus (Aiton) Reveal