About
Acmella oleracea is a tender evergreen perennial typically cultivated as an annual. It serves both culinary and medicinal purposes. The foliage is a deep, bronzy green, while the flowers, which appear from mid-summer to early autumn, are yellow and lack petals, featuring a red center.
About the genus
Acmella comprises both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, originating from the Americas. These species can have stems that branch out either horizontally or grow upright. The flowers typically appear solitary and are primarily yellow or orange, though they can also be found in white or purple varieties.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam
- Soil pH
- Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial, Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Sow seed in pots in frost-free conditions - do not cover as the seeds need light to germinate. Plant young plants out when all risk of frost has passed, and remove plants at the end of the season. Does best in a sunny position, in moist, fertile, well-drained, neutral soil
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, or by softwood cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free