Serratula tinctoria - Saw-Wort

Family:	Compositae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1
Synonyms:	Hemistepta lyrata
Range:	Europe, including Britain, south and east from Scandanavia to N. Spain, Balkans and Siberia.

Serratula tinctoria (Saw-Wort) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 6.
Saw-Wort will flower in January to March. the seeds ripen from February to March
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 Flies, bees

Soil Information

Saw-Wort 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
Saw-Wort prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Saw-Wort can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Wood margins, clearings, rides and open grasslands on moist basic soils over limestone or chalk[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position[200]. Suitable for the wild flower garden where it may naturalize[200].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Young leaves and flower buds? - cooked[105]. This report was for Hemistepta lyrata, which is said in the same report to be a synonym for this species.

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Astringent, vulnerary[61].

• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Make sure the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out the following year after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

A fine yellow dye is obtained from the juice of the plant, it is very durable[1, 61, 100, 115].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.

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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