Arnica montana
Arnica
Common names: Mountain Arnica, Wolf's Flower, Mountain Root
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 25 cm, rows 30 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
- Harvest
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhlers Medizinal-Pflanzen · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Arnica montana is a wild shrub native to the mountain meadows of Central and Northern Europe, producing bright yellow, sun‑shaped flower heads from June to August. The plant is well known in German‑speaking regions. Fresh plant material can irritate skin and mucous membranes, so children and pets should be kept away. In Germany the species is protected; seed or pot material cultivated in a private garden is not affected. Arnica is considered demanding in cultivation and benefits from lean, calcareous‑free soil and patience.
Care instructions
Plant Arnica in a sunny to partially shaded location with acidic, well‑drained, nutrient‑poor soil; a sand‑peat mix or moor peat is suitable. Keep the soil consistently slightly moist; the plant does not tolerate wet, stony, or calcareous soil. Avoid fertilisation, as rich soil weakens the plant and promotes root rot. Cut back spent flower heads to encourage a second, smaller flowering phase in late summer. In winter, Arnica benefits from a light, airy mulch; dense leaf cover promotes rot.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr, Aug–Sep
HarvestJun–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 12 °C
- Days to sprout
- 21 to 60 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, sandy, lime-avoiding
Arnica likes lean, well-drained soils without many nutrients and does not tolerate lime. In the wild it grows on acidic mountain meadows, so in the garden choose a sandy to loamy-sandy spot without waterlogging. A nutrient-rich bed with compost is rather unsuitable; it then withers or disappears altogether.
Feeding
Light feeder
Arnica needs no additional feeding; a nutrient-poor site matches its natural habitat. If the soil seems too lean, a thin layer of mature compost in spring is enough. Better to avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilisers altogether; they only encourage leaf growth instead of flowers.
Overwintering
Arnica is hardy and survives German winters outdoors without problems. A loose mulch layer of leaves additionally protects the rootstock from severe frost, especially in the first year in place. Avoid waterlogging in winter, because it dislikes wet feet all year round.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
Sowing works best in late summer or early spring; arnica is a cold-stratification seed and needs a period of frost to germinate. Only press the fine seeds in lightly; they are light germinators and must not be covered with soil. Established clumps can be divided in spring, which gives plants capable of flowering sooner than sowing. Bring patience: it often takes two years to the first flowering.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Arnica yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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