Stinking Gladwin (Spurgewort)
Iris foetidissima
Family: Iridaceae
Perennial evergreen herb. Native to England, Central and Southern
Europe, Afghanistan and Algeria. The ancients used this plant in
medicine as an emmenagogue and a purgative, probably clued in by the malodorous
scent it emenates upon being crushed underfoot. This incidentally
gave vent to one of the oldest jokes on record, ie. “Did someone trample
a Stinking Gladwin, or have you been eating raw Onions again?” The
fall garden is particularly well decorated by the triangular seedpods which
split open to display the beautiful orange-red seeds. Cultivation:
Extra care. Scarify seedcoat with sandpaper or by rubbing seed on
sandstone before planting. Best results will be obtained by sowing
the seeds outdoors in the fall, midwinter or very early spring. Expect
germination as the ground warms. Prefers moist garden or woodland
soils and partial shade. Flowers purple-blue to 2 feet tall.
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