Oldenlandia herbacea Seeds | Oldenlandia
LATIN NAME: Oldenlandia herbacea
COMMON NAME: Oldenlandia
Plant Profile
Oldenlandia herbacea, better known as Oldenlandia, is a slender, annual in the madder family. The Oldenlandia stipples damp ground with tiny, white, star-like flowers, fine, narrow leaves below them, and the whole plant carries the fine, fresh look of the moist clearing. It is a plant of open, sunny, moist, well-drained ground. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. The ratio of effort to reward here is about as good as gardening gets.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Oldenlandia herbacea ranges from the botany of the madder family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. For researchers, plants like this one offer practical material for propagation studies and selection work.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Oldenlandia has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. The Oldenlandia is a fine, useful plant of moist clearing and study collection. It is a fine, useful plant of open, sunny, moist, well-drained garden. The Oldenlandia seeds grow quickly in a gritty, sandy mix kept moist. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Like the best garden herbs, it rewards growers twice: once in the garden with scent and pollinators, and again in the home as a traditional household herb.
Growing from Seed
Starting Oldenlandia from seed is simple and satisfying. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Among the Oldenlandia group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. What it needs is basic: sun, drainage, and a little patience while it establishes.
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