Cistanche phelypaea Seeds | Cistanche
LATIN NAME: Cistanche phelypaea
COMMON NAME: Cistanche, Yellow Broomrape
Plant Profile
Cistanche (Cistanche phelypaea) is a fleshy, yellow, non-photosynthetic parasite of the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae), native to the Mediterranean region, North Africa and western Asia. Lacking chlorophyll entirely, it sends up thick, waxy, club-shaped spikes 20-50 cm tall from the roots of its host plants, bearing dense ranks of tubular yellow flowers. Like its Chinese relatives, it has a long record of use in traditional medicine.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the broomrape family, Cistanche phelypaea contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Cistanche has a real and distinguished place in research. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Cistanche for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Yellow cistanche is a tall, fleshy, parasitic herb of dry regions, bearing tall, thick, yellow flowering spikes with large, tubular flowers in the spring. To raise cistanche, sow seeds near roots of a suitable host in pots of sandy, open soil in a sunny, warm place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on with the host. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Cistanche, Rou Cong Rong, is a desert parasitic herb treasured in Chinese medicine as a gentle yang tonic for energy and regularity; its phenylethanoid glycosides, especially echinacoside and acteoside, are extensively studied for neuroprotective activity.
Growing from Seed
Starting Cistanche from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray bright light. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
The traditional uses covered above are what first made this species worth cultivating. Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. Give the seed freshness and steady moisture, and nature handles the rest.
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