Vaccaria hispanica Seeds | Cowherb
LATIN NAME: Vaccaria hispanica
COMMON NAME: Cowherb
Plant Profile
Vaccaria hispanica, commonly known as Cowherb, is an annual in the pink family. Cowherb raises its small, five-petalled, rose-pink flowers above slender stems, and the whole plant stands in the airy, branching clumps. It is a plant of open, sunny, sharp-draining ground. Bees and other pollinators visit the flowers freely through the season. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the pink family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.
Uses & Benefits
Cowherb works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Cowherb is a fine, airy plant of dry border and study collection. It is a fine, airy plant of open, sunny, sharp-draining garden. Give young plants sharp-draining soil and open, sunny spot, and heads will rise in the first summer. Once it has its roots down, it more or less looks after itself.
Vaccaria seed, Wang Bu Liu Xing, is a classical Chinese herb for promoting lactation and moving blood, and its flat seeds are the standard for ear-acupressure pellets used by practitioners worldwide.
Growing from Seed
Starting Cowherb from seed is simple and satisfying. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
As an annual, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. Careful watering early on is rewarded by toughness at maturity.
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