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Common Name: Heliotrope

General Information

Heliotropium arborescens is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

The seeds are poisonous[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Peru.

Habitat

Coastal: forests, lomas from sea level to 3500 metres.

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a rich well-drained soil in full sun[]. Plants grow best in a sandy loam[].
Severely damaged by low temperatures[], this plant is not hardy in Britain but it can be grown as a half-hardy annual, flowering in its first year from seed[, ]. If grown as a shrub, it requires a minimum winter temperature of 5 - 7°c[]. Plants stop growing when night-time temperatures fall below 5°c and are likely to be killed once the temperature falls below -2°c[].
The plant turns its leaves and flowers so that it is always facing the sun during the day[].
The flowers have a most unusual perfume, somewhat like cherries baked in a pie[]. It is a good butterfly plant[, ].
A parent of the cultivated ornamental garden heliotropes[], there are many named varieties[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is used to make a febrifugal tea[].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole fresh plant[]. It is used in the treatment of clergyman's sore throat and uterine displacement[].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery[, ].
The plant is sometimes used as a low hedge, though it is not hardy enough in Britain for this purpose[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 25 days at 20°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[]. High percentage. Because the plant is not hardy the cuttings would have to be grown in a greenhouse for the winter before planting them out in the spring.
Cuttings of young shoots in the spring[]. Because the plant is not hardy the cuttings would have to be grown in a greenhouse for the winter before planting them out in the spring.