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Common Name: Wild Madder

General Information

Rubia peregrina is a Evergreen Perennial up to 0.10 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Western and southern Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa.

Habitat

Hedges, thickets, scrub and stony ground in the south and south-west of Britain[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade[]. Tolerates dry soils but quickly becomes scorched when growing in full sun[]. Plants grown in fertile well-limed soils produce more pigment in the root[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Abortifacient, aphrodisiac, diuretic, emmenagogue[, ].

Other Uses

A red dye is obtained from the roots[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate[]. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for the first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in spring or at any time in the growing season if the divisions are kept well watered until established[]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.