Cao Yu Mei (Anemone rivularis)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −17.8 °C
Cultivation
Easily grown in a moist well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. A very ornamental plant. This species is closely related to A. narcissiflora. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.
Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first year in a lightly shaded place in a greenhouse. When large enough, plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring. Division in late summer after the plant dies down.
Edible uses
Seeds - roasted and pickled.
Medicinal uses
The plant is said to be antiemetic and vermifuge. The juice of the leaf, mixed with water, is inhaled through each nostril to treat sinusitis. The seeds are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have a bitter and acrid taste with a heating potency. A decoction of the root is applied externally to cuts and wounds.
Habitat
Meadows, forest clearings, bunds between paddy fields, streamsides and hedges.
Native range
E. Asia - Tibet, Himalayas, Sri Lanka.