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Common Name:

General Information

Mertensia paniculata is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.75 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - Hudson Bay to Alaska, south to Michigan, Nebraska, Idaho and Washington.

Habitat

Woods, moist meadows, damp thickets, wet cliffs, riverbanks, dry slopes and burn areas from the foothills to high elevations in the mountains[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil with some shade[, ]. Prefers a deep moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in sun or semi-shade[].
If the plant is cut down after flowering, it will normally produce another flush of flowers[].
A very ornamental plant[], it grows well in open woodland[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw[].
Leaves - raw or cooked[]. The leaves are rather hairy and are not so nice when eaten raw[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[, ]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. Protect from direct sunlight[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division, with care, in early spring or autumn[].