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Achillea ageratum - L.

Mace

Author	L.	Botanical references	200
Family	Compositae	Genus	Achillea
Synonyms	Achillea decolorans - Schrad. Achillea serrata - Hort.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Europe - Greece.
Habitat	The origin of this plant is uncertain, it is possibly a hybrid, A. ptarmica x A. macrocephala[187].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.6m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Edible Uses: Condiment; Tea.

Leaves - raw or cooked. The initial flavour is mild and pleasant, though it becomes stronger and aromatic when the leaves are chewed, and leaves a tingly sensation in the mouth[K]. They make an acceptable addition to mixed salads, the plant is very productive, though the leaves are rather small and fiddly to pick in quantity[K]. They are also used in soups, stews etc., and as a flavouring in potato salad etc[183]. The aromatic leaves are used as a tea substitute[183].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

None known

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The leaves have a pungent aroma, especially when grown in a hot sunny position.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils but prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. It also succeeds in partial shade[187]. Plants live longer in a poor soil[200]. Established plants are very drought tolerant, they can show distress in very severe droughts but usually recover[190]. Plants succeed in maritime gardens[233]. Hardy to about -20°c[187]. An excellent plant to grow in a large pot, the long stems will tend to arch down and continue to flower for a long time[244]. The leaves have a pungent aroma, especially when the plant is grown in a hot sunny position[245]. The plant is intermediate between A. millefolium and A. ptarmica in its characteristics[233]. There is at least one named variety, selected for its ornamental value[233]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or early autumn in a cold frame[133]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months[133]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If this species is a hybrid it might not breed true from seed. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, the divisions can be planted direct into their permanent positions. Basal cuttings of new shoots in spring. Very easy, collect the shoots when they are about 10cm tall, potting them up individually in pots and keeping them in a warm but lightly shaded position. They should root within 3 weeks and will be ready to plant out in the summer.

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

Permaculture.info Details of this plant in the Permaculture.info project, a community plant and permaculture database.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Achillea ageratum

Zepigi Pessina Marinella Sun Oct 29 2006

Il Forum dei Funghi e Fiori in Italia - Micologia e Botanica scheda

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