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Common Name: Pasque Flower

General Information

Pulsatilla pratensis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.45 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

The plant is slightly toxic, the toxins are dissipated by heat or by drying the plant[].

Botanical References

Range

C. and E. Europe.

Habitat

Open fields[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained humus rich gritty soil in a sunny position[]. Tolerates alkaline soils[]. Prefers lime[]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[].
Large plants transplant badly[].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Considered by herbalists to be of highly valuable modern curative use as a herbal simple[], the whole plant is alterative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and nervine[]. The plant is harvested soon after flowering and should be carefully preserved by drying[]. It should not be stored for longer than 12 months before being used[]. Use with caution, see notes above on toxicity.
The whole plant is used externally to treat ulcers and inflammations of the eyes[].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole fresh plant, gathered when in flower[]. It has a wide range of applications and is especially useful in the treatment of babies and children[].

Other Uses

Plants can be grown to form a ground cover, they are best spaced about 30cm apart each way[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in early summer in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. Germination takes about 1 - 6 months at 15°c. 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 the spring.
Root cuttings, 4cm long taken in early winter, potted up in a mixture of peat and sand[]. They can also be taken in mid summer, planted vertically in pots in a greenhouse or frame. Some care is needed since the plant resents root disturbance[].