Sanguisorba canadensis

Sanguisorba canadensis, the white burnet or Canadian burnet, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to North America. This herbaceous perennial commonly grows in bogs, swamps, and roadsides from Labrador to Georgia. It grows four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) tall, with creamy white flowers in cylindrical spikes, appearing from summer into autumn. Unlike its close relatives, Sanguisorba officinalis (great burnet) and Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet), the leaves must be cooked to be eaten, in order to remove the bitterness.

Description

A perennial plant. It grows 1.2-1.8 m high and 60-90 cm wide. The leaves are pale green. They are divided into leaflets along the stalk. The flowers are bottle brushes and are slender and white or pink. They are carried on erect stems. The flower heads are 5-15 cm long.

Edible Uses

The leaves are edible when boiled, then washed in water to remove bitterness, and eaten with salt and miso.

Traditional Uses

Asia, Australia, Canada, Japan, North America, Slovenia, USA,

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. It grows in wet places and marshes. It can be on the banks of rivers and ponds. It suits hardiness zones 4-8.

Where It Grows

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States, Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Illinois, Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Delaware, Georgia (northwest), Maryland, North Carolina (west), Tennessee, Virginia, Canada, Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba,

Cultivation

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade. Succeeds in the flower border or in moist grass, plants can become invasive when they are grown by water.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring or autumn in a cold frame. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse through their first winter. Plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division can be done in spring.

Other Uses

None known

Production

There are about 10-18 Sanguisorba species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Kanadska strašnica

References (11)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1442
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1309
• Esperanca, M. J., 1988. Surviving in the wild. A glance at the wild plants and their uses. Vol. 1. p 398
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 210
• http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants

More from Rosaceae

Rubus muelleri

Rubus myrianthus

Rubus nelsonii

Rubus nemorosus

Rubus neoebudicus

Chi Chi

Rubus nepalensis

Nepalese raspberry, Nhyalang