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Galax urceolata

(Poir.) Brummitt

Beetlewood

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(c) DT, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by DT

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(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman

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no rights reserved, uploaded by elizard

An evergreen perennial groundcover reaching 0.2 m tall and 0.3 m wide with moderate growth rate. Hardy to UK zone 5. Year-round foliage; flowers June to July. Hermaphrodite. Grows in light sandy to heavy clay soils in mildly acid to very acid conditions. Tolerates full to semi-shade and adapts to dry or moist soil. Leaves develop bronze-red winter coloring. Space plants 25 cm apart.

Description

An evergreen perennial groundcover reaching 0.2 m tall and 0.3 m wide with moderate growth rate. Hardy to UK zone 5. Year-round foliage; flowers June to July. Hermaphrodite. Grows in light sandy to heavy clay soils in mildly acid to very acid conditions. Tolerates full to semi-shade and adapts to dry or moist soil. Leaves develop bronze-red winter coloring. Space plants 25 cm apart.

Edible Uses

No edible uses are known.

Traditional Uses

Possibly not edible.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used to heal wounds and cuts of all kinds. An infusion of the root is used to treat kidney problems.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-8.

Where It Grows

USA,

Propagation

Sow seed in early spring or autumn in a shaded cold frame. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on in a shady greenhouse position for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Division with care can be done in early spring.

Other Uses

The plant makes an attractive ground cover, with leaves turning bronze-red in winter. Space plants approximately 25cm apart in each direction.

Notes

Possibly not edible.

Synonyms

Galax cordifolia (Vent.) W. T. AitonGalax erythrorhiza Raf. [Illegitimate]Galax rotundifolia (Michx.) PurshPyrola urceolata Poir.

References (1)

  • Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens