Those
of you who are fans of our Archery Lawn will notice a magnificent
line of purple and pink flowers stretching from the Green House to
the Summer House (or vice versa depending on which direction you are
going).
If you have noticed it, congratulations - you have just had the pleasure of viewing
October's Plant of the Month, Salvia
Horminum.
History
Also known as Clary,
this annual plant is native to an area extending from the
Mediterranean to the Crimea and into Iran. The Latin name Salvia
Horminum is synonymous with Salvia Viridis. The plant quickly grows
up to 28 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. The brilliant
purple-blue flowers last well as cut flowers or dried flowers.
The Clary, like Garden Sage, is not a native of
Great Britain, having first been introduced into English cultivation
in the year 1562. It is a native of Syria, Italy, southern France and
Switzerland, but will thrive well upon almost any soil that is not
too wet, though it will frequently rot upon moist ground in the
winter.
Gerard describes and figures several varieties of
Clary, under the names of Horminum and Gallitricum. He
describes it as growing 'in divers barren places almost in every
country, especially in the fields of Holborne neare unto Grayes Inne
. . . and at the end of Chelsea.'
Salmon, in 1710, in The English Herbal,
gives a number of varieties of the Garden Clary, which he calls
Horminum hortense, in distinction to H. Sylvestre, the
Wild Clary, subdividing it into the Common Clary (H. commune),
the True Garden Clary of Dioscorides (H. sativum verum
Dioscorides), the Yellow Clary (Calus Jovis), and the
Small or German Clary (H. humile Germanicum or Gallitricum
alterum Gerardi). This last variety being termed Gerardi,
indicates that Gerard classified this species when it was first
brought over from the Continent, evidently taking great pains to
trace its history, giving in his Herbal its Greek name and its
various Latin ones. That the Clary was known in ancient times is
shown by the second variety, the True Garden Clary, being termed
Dioscoridis.
Another variety of Horminum is given in The
Treasury of Botany, called H. pyrenaicum, and described as
'a tufted perennial herb, with numerous root-leaves, simple almost
leafless stems and purplish-blue flowers which grow in whorls of six,
all turned the same way. It is a native of the temperate parts of
Europe, on the mountains.'
Planting / Propagation
The plant is propagated by seed, which should be
sown in spring. When fit to move, the seedlings should be
transplanted to an open spot of ground, a foot apart each way, if
required in large quantities. After the plants have taken root, they
will require no further care but to keep them free of weeds. The
winter and spring following, the leaves will be in perfection. As the
plant is a biennial only, dying off the second summer, after it has
ripened seeds, there should be young plants annually raised for use.
For earlier blooms, sow Salvia flower seeds
indoors 10 weeks before last frost. Sow Salvia flower seed in starter
trays and press the seed into the soil. Salvia flower seed needs
light to germinate. When the frost season has passed, transplant the
Salvia seedlings into the garden 12 - 18 inches apart in a sunny
location. Or, sow Salvia flower seeds outdoors in spring after frost
danger has passed and prepare soil by weeding it and loosening it.
Lightly rake Salvia flower seeds into the soil and keep the seeds and
young seedlings moist until well-established. Provide plenty of water
in dry weather. Salvia plants grow best when provided moist, but
well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
Medicinal Action and Uses
Salvia Horminum is not
edible, but has a rich medicinal history, again we must emphasise
that these uses are provided for historical entertainment only, and
may actually be harmful. Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust accepts
no responsibility for the consequences of any self medication.
Antispasmodic,
balsamic, carminative, tonic, aromatic, aperitive, astringent, and
pectoral.
The plant has been used, both fresh and dry,
either alone or with other herbs, as an infusion or a tincture.
It has mostly been employed in disordered states
of the digestion, as a stomachic, and has also proved useful in
kidney diseases.
For violent cases of hysteria or wind colic, a
spirituous tincture has been found of use, made by macerating in warm
water for 14 days, 2 OZ. of dried Clary leaves and flowers, 1 OZ. of
Chamomile flowers, 1/2 ox. bruised Avens root, 2 drachms of bruised
Caraway and Coriander seeds, and 3 drachms of bruised Burdock seeds,
adding 2 pints of proof spirit, then filtering and diluting with
double quantity of water - a wineglassful being the dose.
- Culpepper says:
-
'For tumours, swellings, etc., make a mucilage of the seeds and
apply to the spot. This will also draw splinters and thorns out of
the flesh.... For hot inflammation and boils before they rupture,
use a salve made of the leaves boiled with hot vinegar, honey being
added later till the required consistency is obtained.' He
recommends a powder of the dry roots taken as snuff to relieve
headache, and 'the fresh leaves, fried in butter, first dipped in a
batter of flour, egges, and a little milke, serve as a dish to the
table that is not unpleasant to any and exceedingly profitable.'
The juice of the herb drunk in ale and beer, as well as the ordinary
infusion, has been recommended as very helpful in all women's
diseases and ailments.
In Jamaica, where the plant is found, it was much
in use. It was considered it cooling and cleansing for ulcers, and
also used it for inflammations of the eyes. A decoction of the leaves
boiled in coco-nut oil was used by them to cure the stings of
scorpions. Clary and a Jamaican species of Vervain form two of the
ingredients of an aromatic warm bath sometimes prescribed there with
benefit.
Folklore
Things are a bit thin on the folklore front with
this plant, in face the only thing I could find was an anonymous
source that states that the plant flourishes best in household
gardens where women are the dominant force. So there.
Come and check out this wonderful plant at the Gardens today!
Thank you:
Wikipedia
Gordon Sammons
Botanical.com
The photographs by Graham High are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
