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Common Name: Deer Grass

General Information

Rhexia virginica is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - Maine to Ontario, south to Florida, Missouri and Louisiana.

Habitat

Peat, wet sands and gravels to 700 metres[]. Usually found in moist acid sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a moist but freely draining neutral or acid peaty soil[]. Incorporate sand or grit into the soil if necessary at planting time[]. Grows well in a bog garden[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. A sweetish slightly acid taste[, , ]. It makes a pleasant salad[].
Roots - raw. They can be chopped and added to salads or used as a pleasant nut-like nibble[].
A sour drink is made from the leaves and stems[].

Medicinal

A tea made from the leaves and stems is used as a throat cleaner[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 10 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold greenhouse or frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring[].
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.