Epimedium macranthum Seeds | Horny Goat Weed Medicine
LATIN NAME: Epimedium macranthum
COMMON NAME: Horny Goat Weed
Plant Profile
Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium macranthum) is a fine, easy, generous ground cover, native to Asia and the Mediterranean region. Horny goat weed is a low, leafy woodland plant with a very long history. Creeping, hardy perennial carries fine, wiry stems and heart-shaped, toothed leaves, often flushed with red when they are young, and small, pale-yellow, spurred flowers open in loose clusters through the spring. Plant spreads slowly into fine, leafy mats on cool, shaded woodland floor, and it is a fine, easy, generous ground cover of shaded garden. Bees and other pollinators visit the flowers freely through the season. The ratio of effort to reward here is about as good as gardening gets.
Science & Biotechnology
Epimedium species are chemically defined by prenylated flavonoid glycosides, above all icariin, which the Chinese Pharmacopoeia designates as the quality marker for the drug. A 24-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in late-postmenopausal women found that an epimedium-derived flavonoid fraction slowed bone loss at the lumbar spine and femoral neck without stimulating the endometrium, and a 480-patient controlled trial of total flavonoid capsules reported improved bone-mineral density versus a comparator. Icariin’s aglycone icaritin has separately entered clinical investigation in liver cancer. Human evidence for the herb’s celebrated use as an aphrodisiac remains weak by comparison.
Research touching on Epimedium macranthum ranges from the botany of the Epimedium group to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Horny goat weed has carved a solid place in plant science, and plant has been studied for a very long time for leaves and their long record in traditional practice of the region. Contemporary seed practice means a grower can raise it confidently with standard techniques.
Uses & Benefits
Horny Goat Weed brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Fine, leafy mats spread slowly into a dependable, easy ground cover under trees and on shaded banks, and small, pale-yellow, spurred flowers are a fine, fresh sight through the spring. It is a fine, easy, generous plant of cool, shaded, well-drained garden. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Horny goat weed, Yin Yang Huo, is a famous Chinese yang tonic, and its flavonoid icariin is one of the most studied natural compounds for bone density and circulatory effects; the dainty spring flowers make it a shade-garden jewel as well.
Growing from Seed
Starting Horny Goat Weed from seed is simple and satisfying. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in bright light. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Horny Goat Weed repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
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