Heimia myrtifolia
Cham. & Schltdl.
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(c) Igmar Grewar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Igmar Grewar
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(c) tjeerd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) tjeerd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaDeciduous shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) tall. Hermaphrodite flowers bloom August to September. Hardy to UK zone 8. Tolerates light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils across mildly acid to basic pH. Needs full sun and moist soil.
Description
Deciduous shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) tall. Hermaphrodite flowers bloom August to September. Hardy to UK zone 8. Tolerates light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils across mildly acid to basic pH. Needs full sun and moist soil.
Edible Uses
An intoxicating, euphoric drink is made by crushing wilted leaves in water and leaving the liquid in a sunny spot for three days to ferment. In larger quantities it can induce hallucinations, typically producing a vision with a yellow cast.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, and sedative. An infusion made from them can help stabilise blood pressure and relieve anxiety.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hardiness zones 7-10.
Where It Grows
Brazil, Uruguay,
Cultivation
Easily grown in any well-drained soil in full sun. Especially in the colder areas of the country this plant is best grown against a sunny south or south-west facing wall and given a good mulch of bracken in the winter. The rootstock is fairly hardy in most of Britain, whilst the top growth tolerates temperatures down to about -10 to -15°c. If cut back by severe weather the plant usually grows again from the base. Flowers are produced on the current seasons growth. Plants growing outdoors at Kew Botanical Gardens are cut back by the cold each winter but regrow and flower each year. This species is closely related to H. salicifolia, differing mainly in having smaller flowers. Any pruning is best carried out in early spring by removing excess growth at the base of the plant.
Propagation
Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle. Grow on under glass through at least the first winter, then plant out in late spring or early summer. Mulch the roots well in autumn to protect them from cold. Alternatively, take cuttings of half-ripe wood in July or August and root in a frame.
Other Uses
None known.
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
