Lithospermum erythrorhizon Seeds | Red-root Gromwell
LATIN NAME: Lithospermum erythrorhizon
COMMON NAME: Red-Root Gromwell
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Red-Root Gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) is a herb in the borage family. Red-root gromwell bushes upright, hairy stems with narrow, bristly leaves and small, white flowers in curled clusters, and the whole plant carries the fine, quiet look of the herb garden. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, light, well-drained ground. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the borage family, Lithospermum erythrorhizon contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. In the laboratory and trial ground alike, it serves as workable material for propagation research and line selection.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Red-Root Gromwell has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Red-root gromwell is a fine, quiet herb of herb garden and study collection. It is a fine, quiet herb of open, sunny, deep, light, well-drained garden. Gromwell seeds start easily in a fine, gritty compost on an open shelf. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Gromwell roots, Zi Cao, yield shikonin, a red naphthoquinone pigment used in Chinese medicine for skin conditions and burns, and now studied for antimicrobial and wound effects; it also dyes the famous Zi Cao ointments.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Red-Root Gromwell under ordinary good conditions. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. Given the right start, Red-Root Gromwell is a long-term garden companion. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
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