Sanguisorba officinalis - Great Burnet

Family:	Rosaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:	Poterium officinale.
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from celand south and east to Spain, temperate Asia to Iran, China, Japan

Sanguisorba officinalis (Great Burnet) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 4and is vunerable to frost.
Great Burnet will flower in December to March. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, lepidoptera, self

Soil Information

Great Burnet will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary 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
Great Burnet prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Great Burnet can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Meadows and wet grassy places by streams[187]. Moist shady sites in grassland, on siliceous soils[7, 13, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Suits a meadow
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade[187, 200]. Plants grow tolerably well in very poor soils and likes a dry chalky soil[4]. This species is hardy to about -25°c[187].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[13, 61, 105]. They should be harvested in the spring before the plant comes into flower[9]. A cucumber flavour[7, 46], they can be added to salads or used as a potherb[183]. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[183].

• Leaves -
• Tea - the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
Great burnet is employed mainly for its astringent action, being used to slow or arrest blood flow. It is taken both internally and externally internally and is a safe and effective treatment. Modern research in China has shown that the whole herb heals burns more effectively than the extracted tannins (the astringent component of the plant)[254]. Patients suffering from eczema showed marked improvement when treated with an ointment made from the root and petroleum jelly[254]. The leaves are astringent, refrigerant, styptic and tonic[7, 218, 222]. They are used in the treatment of fevers and bleeding[218, 222]. The plant is prevented from flowering and then the leaves are harvested in July and dried for later use[4, 238]. The root is anodyne, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, haemostatic, tonic and vulnerary[4, 7, 9, 21, 147, 165, 176, 178, 218]. It is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, haematuria, menorrhagia, bloody stool, dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and burns[176]. The root is harvested in the autumn as the leaves die down and dried for later use[4, 238]. All parts of the plant are astringent, but the root is most active[4]. Great burnet is an excellent internal treatment for all sorts of abnormal discharges including diarrhoea, dysentery and leucorrhoea[4]. It is used externally in the treatment of burns, scalds, sores and skin diseases[238]. This species was ranked 19th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential anti-fertility plants[218].

• Anodyne - Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Contraceptive - Prevents fertilization occurring in females.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Febrifuge - Reduces fevers.
• Haemostatic - Controls internal bleeding.
• Tonic - Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out as soon as they have reached a reasonable size. The seed can also be sown in situ in early spring[4]. Division in the spring or in autumn[4].

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

The roots contain tannin[7].

• Tannin - An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

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

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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