What is Porter weed good for?

We don’t recommend it, but blue porterweed is reported to have a wide range of medicinal uses, from treating fungal infections to high blood pressure, colds, constipation, diarrhea, boils, burns, earache, headache, allergies, worms, and “nervous pains.”

Is Porter weed invasive?

A prolific bloomer, nettle-leaf porterweed is popular in cultivation and is now naturalized in tropical regions throughout the world, including Africa, Melanesia and Australia. In Florida, it is listed by the Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council as a category II invasive species for the southern portion of the state.

Is Porter weed an annual or perennial?

Porterweed is an annual in North Florida, but may overwinter if protected from the cold. Small blue or pink flowers appear in numbers on long spikes at the end of the stems, and are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants vary in size and growth habit depending on the species. The Florida native S.

How do you grow porter weed?

Blue porterweed plants grow best in full sun to partial shade. When they are first planted, they need moist soil but, once established, they can handle drought quite well. They can tolerate salty conditions too. If you’re planting them as groundcover, space the plants out by 2.5 to 3 feet (1 m.).

Is Porter weed edible?

Usage: The leaves and flowers of porterweed are utilized for food and medicine. The small blue to purple flowers are edible, make a beautiful addition to your salads and they taste like mushrooms! The name “porterweed” comes from the dark, foamy infusion of the leaves that can then be made into a beer (porter).

Can I cut back porterweed?

Pruning: Not needed except to remove spent flower stems though it’s not required, pinch to improve branching. When to Plant: Plant outdoors mid-late spring-summer, repot / uppot spring to late summer.

Do you cut back porterweed?

How big do dwarf tibouchina get?

Dwarf tibouchina is related to the Tibouchina urvilleana, which grows much larger than the dwarf. It belongs within the family Melastomataceae. The plant averages up to 6 inches in height and spreads up to 18 inches. It forms into a dense mat, with a moderately fast growth rate.

Do you cut back Porterweed?

How do you prune a Stachytarpheta?

You may want to trim the shrub occasionally to keep it shaped. Cut it back hard in spring (late March or early April) to encourage new growth to keep it full and bushy. Fertilize in spring, summer, and fall with a good granular fertilizer.

Should Porterweed be trimmed?

Technically, Blue Porterweed is a perennial, although with proper pruning it can last for 3-4 years. It is a good practice to cut this plant back each year or anytime it gets too leggy so the new growth can fill in and create a fuller plant.

Is Blue Porterweed a weed?

This plant is a fast grower – in fact, it grows like a weed (hence the name). You can keep it trimmed to about 2-1/2 to 3 feet tall.