Adenophora stricta Seeds | Ladybell
LATIN NAME: Adenophora stricta
COMMON NAME: Ladybell
Plant Profile
Adenophora stricta is a herbaceous perennial of the bellflower family, with a slender stem, narrow leaves and a raceme of nodding, bell-shaped flowers in pale blue or white. It grows to about a metre, and it dies back to a thick, pale root each winter. The root is the part that is harvested, and it is one of the herbs sold as sha shen in Chinese pharmacy.
The species grows in meadows and on grassy slopes in eastern China, Korea and Japan, and it is cultivated in northern China for the root. It is easily confused with Codonopsis, another bellflower relative whose root is sold as dang shen, and the two are often mixed in the trade, which matters because they are used differently.
Science & Biotechnology
The root contains triterpene saponins, polysaccharides and a small amount of alkaloids, and it is used in Chinese medicine as a yin tonic for the lung and for the stomach. The pharmacology is mostly in vitro and in animal models, and the human evidence is limited. The root is also eaten as a vegetable in some districts, usually in soup.
The genus is separated from Campanula by the style, which protrudes beyond the corolla and carries a ring of hairs that collect pollen before the stigma opens, a mechanism that promotes cross-pollination. The flower is pollinated by bees, and the plant is one of the last meadow perennials to flower in late summer. The root is also used as a source of starch in some districts, boiled and eaten like a potato.
Uses & Benefits
The root is used in Chinese medicine for dry cough, for thirst and for stomach pain, usually in a decoction with other herbs such as ophiopogon and mulberry leaf. It is also used as a food, sliced and cooked in soup with pork or with chicken.
The plant is grown as an ornamental in herbaceous borders for the late flowers, and it is used in meadow plantings. It is not a commercial crop outside China, and the root sold in the West is often Codonopsis rather than Adenophora. The root is also used as a vegetable in Japan, peeled and simmered.
Growing from Seed
Seed is small and should be surface-sown in autumn or stratified for a month. Sow at 18 to 20 degrees on a moist mix, and germination is in three to five weeks. Division in early spring is quicker than seed and keeps the root type true.
The plant wants full sun or light shade, a deep, moist soil and a cool root run. It is hardy to about minus twenty-five. It resents summer drought and hot, dry air, so mulch it and water it in dry spells. Lift the root in autumn after three or four years, and replant the offsets.
Our Take
A quiet bellflower with a useful root, and one that is often sold under the wrong name in the herb trade.
Related Reading
If Ladybell appeals to you, these related plants are worth a look: