Elecampane seed Inula helenium
LATIN NAME: Inula helenium
COMMON NAME: Elecampane
The elecampane is the tall, yellow daisy of the old herb garden, and the golden, rayed heads open above the big, velvety leaves. The tall, upright, robust, perennial plant carries the large, broadly oval, velvety leaves and the golden-yellow, daisy-like heads with the many narrow rays through the late summer, one of the fine, bold sights of the old herb garden. The roots have a very long record in the old practice of the West as the warming herb of the chest, and the plant is a fine, historic presence of the herb border. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The elecampane is a historic subject of the plant science, and the golden heads keep showing up in the work on the old daisy herbs. The chemistry of the roots, which have a very long record in the old practice of the West, has been studied at length, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the traditional herbs, the bitter roots and the members of the daisy family. The large, velvety leaves and the tall, robust habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the elecampane is a regular subject of the work on the tall golden herbs of the cool world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The elecampane is a fine, historic plant of the old herb garden. The golden-yellow, daisy-like heads open above the big, velvety leaves through the late summer, one of the fine, bold sights of the herb border, drawing the bees, and the roots have a very long record in the old practice of the West as the warming herb of the chest and the bitters of the old cordials. The tall, robust plant gives the fine, architectural height of the back of the border, and it is one of the fine choices for the herb garden, the old-fashioned border and the traditional medicinal collection. It has been written up in the herbal and the botanical papers for the golden heads and the very long history, and it is a fine, historic plant of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden.
Give the plants the room for the big leaves and the tall stems, and they will hold the back of the border well.
To grow the elecampane from seed, sow the small, brown seeds across the surface of a tray of sterile seed compost, with a light press, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings are up within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, moist ground, the golden heads will rise through the late summer.
Uses: Culinary/Medicinal/Industrial
Soaring like a skyscraper to heights of 2-3m (7-10ft), this hardy perennial makes an impressive statement in the garden. Topped with dark yellow flowers throughout summer, the whole plant seems to follow the sun like a modern-day sun worshiper. It is a tough garden plant and easily withstands adverse conditions, though it prefers sunny, moist spots out of the wind. Since before Roman times elecampane has been used for medicine, mainly for its expectorant and carminative qualities. In the Middle Ages, apothecaries sold the candied root as a soothing lozenge for asthma and indigestion. Today dried root preparations are used to quiet coughing, stimulate digestion, and soothe the stomach. Research indicates that elecampane is effective against methicillin-resistant stapylococcus aureus (MRSA). Flowers yield yellow and orange dyes.