Crop Matrix Tool
Use this tool to find out about characteristics; such as soil pH, cultivation methods, pests and post harvest treatment; for a specific crop. To load a crop's characteristics choose a crop from the drop-down menu. To see a list of all possible crops grouped by category click on the “Show List of All Available Crops” link next to the drop-down menu.
Goldenseal |
| General |
| Common Name | Goldenseal |
| Latin Name | Hydrastis canadensis |
| Category | Medicinals |
| Family | |
| Variety | none named |
| Visual Traits |
| Flower | white, daisy like, small in clusters, very early, as soon as plant emerges in spring |
| Foliage/Fall leaf color | leaves with 3 to 5 lobes, doubly serrate, yellow fall color |
| Fruit | a berry, several in a cluster red, resembles a red raspberry somewhat |
| Height | 12 inches |
| Other valued traits | medicinal, contains at least two recognized medicinal alkaloids, ie. Hydrastine and beribedcinbe |
| Spread | 12 inches but forms colonies up to 3 or 4 foot wide or even wider |
| Cultivation |
| Cultivation and Mulching | mulch with leaf litter |
| Field preparation and planting | prepare raised beds, provide shade |
| Field spacing / planting depth | root cuttings spaced at least one foot apart in beds or rows 3 feet apart |
| Grafting | NA |
| Hardwood Cuttings | NA |
| Harvest | after 4 years or so |
| Pollination | self but also small bees |
| Propagation method | mostly root cuttings but also seed (seed is tricky) |
| Pruning | NA |
| Retail Source | many |
| Seed harvest | in fall from ripe red berries |
| Seed treatment and storage | require cold stratification and needs to stay moist |
| Seedling treatment | protect from slugs |
| Softwood cuttings | NA |
| Sowing seed | in fall, tiny black seed |
| Training / Trellising | NA |
| Transplant | in fall |
| Watering guidelines | NA |
| Critters |
| Insect and invertebrate pests | slugs, flea beetles, |
| Pathogens | Botrytis |
| Toxicity | can be toxic if ingested in large quantities due to alkaloid Hydrastine |
| Wildlife Pests | deer |
| Soils |
| Compaction (tolerance) | little |
| Fertility / quality | moderately fertile |
| Minerals | ? |
| Moisture and drainage | moist, fertile, well drained |
| pH | optimal 6.5 |
| Salt tolerance | little |
| Soils and topography | NA |
| Texture | sandy loam to clay loam |
| Growth Pattern |
| Fruit bearing age / full crop load | flowers at four years or more from seed, flowers every year when grown from root division |
| Good seed crop interval (fruit load) | annual bearing |
| Growth rate | moderate on good sites |
| Longevity | clumps spread for four years and then die out in center, similar to Iris in this regard |
| Root habit | rhizome, thick, fleshy bright yellow in color |
| Habitat and Climate |
| Exposure | N/A |
| Hardiness Zone | 4,5,6,7, |
| Native Range | From Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas north to Vermont and Minnesota |
| Rainfall / humidity | 35-55 inches |
| Wind / ice / frost susceptibility | somewhat frost tolerant in spring, less so in fall |
| Light |
| Light recommendation | mottled sun or partial shade ( 65% to 75% shade) |
| Shade tolerance | high |
| Vegetation Associations |
| Competitive ability | good with native species |
| Indicator species | black cohosh, paw paw, ginseng, rattlesnake fern, bloodroot, spice bush |
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