Elecampane – 10 Seeds

Elecampane Seeds. Elecampane, (Inula helenium), also called Horseheal, Elfdock, Elfwort or Yellow Starwort, is a perennial plant in the sunflower family Asteraceae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, meaning it spreads by underground roots and forms clumps. This clumping habit gives it a naturally bushy form at the base.

The plant will often form only vegetative growth the first year, but will flower prolifically the next year. Plants in some climates will spread each year and require division approximately every third year. In perfect conditions they can also self seed.

The most common parts used for medicinal purposes are the roots and rhizomes harvested in the autumn of the second or third growing season.

Elecampane Medicinal Benefits

Elecampane is known to strengthen and support the respiratory system. It is one of the best herbal expectorants.

• It is used in the treatment of lung diseases including asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough.
• It is also used to prevent coughing, especially coughing caused by tuberculosis; and as an expectorant to help loosen phlegm, so it can be coughed up more easily.
• Other uses include improving stomach function, treating nausea and diarrhea.
• Used as a dewormer. These worms include hookworm, roundworm, threadworm, and whipworm.
• Some people use elecampane to promote sweating.

Growing Elecampane

Indoor Sowing: Early Spring – Cold Stratification and then plant seeds.

Direct Sowing: Early Autumn and Late Winter.

• Seeds can be planted either at the beginning of autumn or before the last frost of spring.
• For indoor sowing, the seeds need to be cold stratified in the refrigerator for 4 weeks before sowing.
• After the stratification period is over, fill seed trays or small pots with a high-quality, well-draining seed starting mix.
• The seeds need light to germinate, so sow them on the surface of the soil or barely cover with a very thin layer of soil.
• Optimum germination temperature is 13 to 18 Celsius.
• Germination can take 6 weeks or longer.
• Once ready, the young plants should be transplanted into the garden following the last frost of spring at a spacing of 20 cm to 60 cm.
• It likes to grow in sunny areas of the garden that have good drainage, the soil type is not to important.
• It is necessary to divide the plants every three years or so to maintain vigor.
• The pungent root is the part used in herbal medicine and it is harvested in the autumn or winter, when the plant is two or three years old.