Gillenia trifoliata (syn. Porteranthus trifoliatus), Bowman’s root, Indian physic
The Bowman’s root is yet another North American native species (S. Ontario and various US states) which deserves more attention. Offered by local garden centers on occasion, it is possible to pass unnoticed if not caught in its full splendor.
Some people are already taking advantage of the available seeds, so it is a good time to talk again about it.
The Bowman’s root is a cold hardy perennial which remains in a tight clump and will grow to 1.20+ m depending on the location; in rainy summers it may need staking. Any partly shaded spot in the garden would lighten up in June when Bowman’s root is flowering in profusion! The white/pinkish flowers with red calyces are distinct and barely disclose the plant affiliation with the Rose family (Rosaceae).
Gillenia trifoliata, syn. Porteranthus trifoliatus
Unfortunately, not all flowers are pollinated and usually the seeds are in limited quantity; the dry capsules mature and split open somewhere in September. Good news is that it is not a difficult species to germinate and grow from seeds.
The germination advice given in the shop: sown in late fall/early winter (cold/moist stratification).
Gillenia trifoliata garden grown with fall color
The deep green, healthy foliage will turn an exceptional bronze-reddish/or yellow color in the fall. What more can we ask from the Bowman’s root?
Its common names derive from the former medicinal uses of the dry root (laxative, emetic), although they were more often referring to another species, Gillenia stipulata (also called American ipecac).
Other traditional medicinal uses of Gillenia root include: indigestion, colds, asthma and hepatitis. In principle, it was common in ‘cure-all’ elixirs sold by the traveling medicine salesmen in 19th-century America.
