Seasonal Wild Flowers

Elecampane

Latin name

Inula helenium

Family

Asteraceae

Flowering season

July to August

English distribution

It is found throughout the country but is less common in

parts of the North, the Midlands, East Anglia and the far

Southwest.

See the BSBI distribution map for Elecampane

Habitat

It is an archaeophyte, which has been grown as an

ornamental and medicinal plant since the 990s'.

It is widely naturalised by paths, lanes and woodland.

Description

Elecampane is a dramatic, robust, persistent, tuberous,

perennial herb, growing up to 2.5m.

Flowerheads are large, up to 120cm, and either solitary

or in groups of 3.

The bright yellow outer florets are narrow, linear and

curve downwards.

The outer bracts are soft, downy and oval.

The upper leaves clasp the stem and the lower leaves

are large (up to 60cm), irregularly-toothed and stalked.

It was grown for its medicinal properties.

The rootstock was used as a tonic, diaphoretic, diuretic

and expectorant.

Leaves was used as a pot-herb and the stem as a

candied sweet.

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Elecampane, Bailrigg Lake, Lancaster

Yellow ray florets

Dark yellow disc floretsr

Downy, soft outer bracts

Upper leaves clasping the stem

Large lower leaves

Stalked, elipitical, toothed lower leaf