| Description | A tall yellow flowering plant that has been used from the 1600's or sooner for many different medicinal purposes. Name and lore of this plant has ties back to Helen of Troy. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | All Plants, Perennials Hardy |
| Sunlight | shady |
| Moisture | average, moist |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Flowers | yellow |
| Leaves | basal leaves up to 18 inches long, coarsely toothed, green on top, downy gray on underside, |
| Roots | root contains a sweet starchy substance called inulin |
| Dimensions | I have seen these over 5-6 feet tall |
| Propagation | seeds, division |
| Native Site | Native to continental Europe and has naturalized in the US. |
| Misc Facts | In France and Switzerland it is used in the manufacture of absinthe. Roots were candied and consumed. The genus name "Inula" referring to the legend that this plant sprang from Helen of Troys tears, or Helen was the first to use this plant for medicinal purposes. Species name "helenium" derived from Greek helenion after Helen of Troy. |
| Notes & Reference | #44-The Complete Book of Herbs (Lesley Bremness), #145-Plant Lives (Sue Eland) web site |
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