Parietaria judaica - Pellitory Of The Wall

Family:	Urticaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:	P. officinalis. Auct non L. P. ramiflora.
Range:	Western and southern Europe, including Britain.

Parietaria judaica (Pellitory Of The Wall) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 0and is vunerable to frost.
Pellitory Of The Wall will flower in December to April. The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Pellitory Of The Wall will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Pellitory Of The Wall prefers either dry or moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Pellitory Of The Wall can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Hedgebanks and dry walls[7, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Will grow in a hedge row
• In an East Wall

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained to dry alkaline soil in full sun or semi-shade[238]. The plant grows well on drystone walls[17]. This plant is sometimes erroneously called P. officinalis. The true P. officinalis. L. is an European plant that is not found in Britain, P. judaica is its British representative[50]. The pollen of this plant is one of the earliest and most active of the hay fever allergens[7]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Young plant - raw or cooked[2, 105]. The young shoots can be added to mixed salads[7].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
Pellitory of the wall has been valued for over 2,000 years for its diuretic action, as a soother of chronic coughs and as a balm for wounds and burns[254]. In European herbal medicine it is regarded as having a restorative action on the kidneys, supporting and strengthening their function[254]. The whole herb, gathered when in flower, is cholagogue, slightly demulcent, diuretic, laxative, refrigerant and vulnerary[4, 7, 61, 165, 238]. It is an efficacious remedy for kidney and bladder stones and other complaints of the urinary system such as cystitis and nephritis[4, 238, 254]. It should not be prescribed to people with hay fever or other allergic conditions[238]. The leaves can be usefully employed externally as a poultice on wounds etc[4]. They have a soothing effect on simple burns and scalds[7]. The plant is harvested when flowering and can be used fresh or dried[238].

• Cholagogue - Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
• Demulcent - Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Laxative - Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
• Refrigerant - Cools the body.
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. Prick out the seedling when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown in situ in autumn or spring. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

The whole plant is used for cleaning windows and copper containers[7].

• Cleanser - For various materials. Perhaps best included under separate headings.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

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