Serratula tinctoria

'Saw-Wort'

Asteraceae: a slender, hairless, spineless perennial to 75cm, with grooved, rather stiff stems. Grows in damp meadows and along woodland rides. The flowers are in heads 15-20mm long, comprising of pinkish-purple florets and close-pressed purplish bracts, blooming from July-October. The leaves vary from undivided to deeply lobed, but edges are always saw-toothed. Locally common only in the SW of England, but scare or absent elsewhere. Native to Europe, including Britain, south and east from Scandinavia to Northern Spain, Balkans and Siberia.

USES:

The whole plant has astringent, and vulnerary properties.

A fine yellow dye is obtained from the juice of the plant; it is very durable.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Surface sow seeds in spring, 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. Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position.

HARVESTED: 2021*

APPROX. 30 SEEDS