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Andromeda polifolia - L.

Common Name Marsh Andromeda, Bog rosemary
Family Ericaceae
USDA hardiness 2-6
Known Hazards A toxin, called 'andromedotoxin' can be released from the plant if it is infused in boiling water[183]. See notes below regarding use of the plant for tea.
Habitats Bogs, rarely on wet heaths, at altitudes up to 500 metres[17]. Rare and decreasing in the south of Britain[17].
Range Northern temperate regions, in Europe, including Britain, Asia and America.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Wet Soil Semi-shade
Andromeda polifolia Marsh Andromeda, Bog rosemary


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andromeda_polifolia_001.JPG
Andromeda polifolia Marsh Andromeda, Bog rosemary
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleaned-Illustration_Andromeda_polifolia.jpg

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: Pink. Main Bloom Time: Mid spring. Form: Rounded.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Andromeda polifolia is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist or wet soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Shoots
Edible Uses: Tea

The tender leaves and shoot-tips are boiled as an aromatic tea[161, 177]. A delicious drink[183]. Some caution is advised since boiling the plant or infusing it in hot water is said to release a toxic chemical[183]. It is safer to soak the leaves in a jar of water in direct sunlight to make 'sun tea'[183].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Pectoral

The plant is used as a respiratory aid in the treatment of catarrh[257].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Tannin

Tannin is obtained from the leaves and twigs[61].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Rock garden, Specimen. Requires a well-drained, moisture-retentive, lime-free, humus- rich soil and a shady position[133, 182, 200]. Plants spread slowly by means of suckers when they are grown in a suitable position[182]. A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties[182]. Special Features:North American native, Attractive flowers or blooms.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow February/March in an acid compost in the greenhouse. Surface sow or only just cover the seed and place in a lightly shaded position[78, 133]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 12°c[133]. Prick out the young seedlings into individual pots as soon as possible, they are prone to damp-off and so should be kept well ventilated[78]. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out in early summer once they are 15cm or more tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel, July/August in a frame in a shady position. Takes 15 months[78]. Layering in August in a semi-shady position. Takes 18 months[78]. Division in early spring. The plants should be 'dropped' beforehand[78]. This entails digging up the plant 6 to 12 months earlier and replanting it somewhat more deeply. The buried branches will then root and form new plants when divided.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Russian Federation (Buryatia, Tyva, Respublika, Yakutia-Sakha, Altay, Krasnoyarsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Kemerovskaja oblast, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen), Mongolia, Russian Federation (Kurile Islands, Habarovskij kraj, Primorye, Amur, Kamcatskij kraj, Cukotskij avtonomnyj okrug), Japan (Hokkaidô, Honshu) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation (Karelia, Arkhangelsk), Ukraine, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, France

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Andromeda glaucophyllaBog RosemaryShrub0.6 -  LMSMWe20 
Pieris japonicaLily Of The Valley Bush, Japanese pieris, Japanese Andromeda, Lily of the Valley Shrub, Japanese PieShrub4.0 4-7 SLMHFSNM002

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1117200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Bonny Paetznick   Sun Jul 8 2007

We have planted several andromeda polifolia under a maple tree in our back yard. One has failed and we are concerned about the remaining. We amended the soil with peat moss, and compost with some sulfur when we planted. We are watering regularly with an overhead sprinkler. Do you have any recommendations on how to support these plants. While under the tree, these plants still get about an hour of sunlight/day. Any recommendations will be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help. This is a lovely plant and we would like to include in into our yard.

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