Sedum acre 'Biting Stonecrop'

[Ex. Co. Durham, England]

Crassulaceae: distinctive mat-forming perennial of free-draining rocky ground and old walls, and often in the cracks of pavements. Star-shaped bright yellow flowers from May-July. Fleshy crowded stems. Widespread and locally common across the UK. Native to Eastern Europe.

USES:

The leaves can be eaten either raw or cooked, and are rich in vitamin C, but it has a bitter acrid taste. The main interest in the edible qualities of this plant is as a survival food, since it grows wild in the driest deserts as well as in arctic conditions. Large quantities can cause stomach upsets. It is best to dry the leaves (which can be difficult because they are very fleshy) and then powder them and use them to add a peppery taste to foods. The leaves are dried and ground into a powder to make a spicy seasoning.

The herb has astringent, hypotensive, laxative, rubefacient, vermifuge and vulnerary properties. One of its best uses is as an effective and harmless corn-remover, it can also be used to bring boils to a head. The bruised fresh plant is applied as a poultice to wounds and minor burns, though some care should be exercised because the plant can cause blisters or skin irritations. The herb is difficult to dry and so is best used when fresh, it can be gathered at any time during the spring and summer. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant. It is used in the treatment of piles and anal irritations.

GROWING INFORMATION:

A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but prefers a sunny position in a fertile well-drained soil. Established plants are drought tolerant and grows well on walls.

Sow seeds in spring in well-drained soil in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Do not allow the soil to dry out. It can also be sown in the autumn in a cold frame, some seed will germinate immediately whilst others germinate in the spring.

NOTE: Slugs and snails love this plant!

HARVESTED: 2022

 

APPROX. 300+ SEEDS