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Common Name: Balmony

General Information

Chelone glabra is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Georgia and Missouri.

Habitat

Margins of swamps, wet woods and rivers[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in any ordinary soil, but it grows best in a light loam[]. Tolerates heavy clays and light shade[, ]. Prefers growing in light shade[]. Survives but does not thrive in dry conditions[]. Prefers growing in a bog garden or in a soil that is unlikely to dry out[].
Plants are very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c[].
A polymorphic species, there are several named forms[].
The plant spreads freely at the roots and so is best grown in a large pot[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Balmony is a very bitter herb with a tea-like flavour that acts mainly as a tonic for the liver and digestive system[]. It has long been held in esteem in N. American folk medicine, though it has never been investigated scientifically[]. The herb also has anti-depressant and laxative effects[].
A decoction of the whole herb is antibilious, aperient, appetizer, cathartic, cholagogue, detergent, tonic, vermifuge[, , , , , , ]. It is used internally in the treatment of consumption, debility, diseases of the liver, gallbladder problems, gallstones etc[, ]. It is also used to relieve nausea and vomiting, intestinal colic and to expel worms[]. Its tonic effect upon the digestive system has made it of benefit in the treatment of anorexia nervosa[]. Externally, it is applied as a soothing ointment to piles, inflamed tumours, irritable ulcers, inflamed breasts etc[, ]. The plant is harvested when in flower and is dried for later use[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and keep moist. The seed germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 20°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring or early summer.
Division in autumn[].
Cuttings of soft tips in summer in a sandy soil in a frame[].