Osha (Ligusticum porteri) seeds
$3.95 – $17.10
Please note: Osha (Ligusticum porteri) seeds are famously short-lived. We offer only seeds from the recent harvest.
Family: Carrot (Apiaceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 8
(Bear Medicine) Perennial herb native to the Rocky Mountains. Traditional usage (American Indian, TWM): upper respiratory infection, cough, altitude sickness. Plant prefers full sun to part shade and is often found in association with aspen groves. Sow in outdoor conditions in flats or in nursery bed. Sow seed about 1/4 inch deep and cover with soil, tamp well, then cover the planting with a thin layer of organic mulch such as rotted sawdust, peat or coir. Sow in cool soils in outdoor conditions. Best to sow in the fall for germination in the spring. For an in-depth discussion of seed germination and cultivation of Osha, see the Osha chapter in the book “Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs.” Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart and keep well-weeded and deeply mulched.
Packet contains 30 seeds
5 g contains ~1,500 seeds
10 g contains ~3,000 seeds
Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s
Question
Marguerite Cook –
Can osha be grown in zone 5, Southeastern Indiana?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Yes, Hardy to Zones 4 to 8, widely adaptable.
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Taji –
Hi! Could you send me seeds to Canary Islands, Spain, pls?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Yes, we ship seeds internationally.
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Chris Bailey –
Any suggestions on growing osha in zone 8b?
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Admin Richo Cech –
I think 8b is probably too hot for osha, unless you are at elevation or can find a really cool and shady spot with deep forest mulch on the ground.
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Question
Tori –
I live in Tennessee and I’m wondering if I could grow osha under an led plant light
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Admin Richo Cech –
Thanks for contacting. You can try, but what I’ve noticed is that plants, especially wild mountain plants, prefer outdoor growing conditions to indoor conditions. And, the sun is free energy.
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Marina –
SE SC zone 8 b, will it survive summer heat and occasional winter frost? I want to grow in container. How deep, what height of container should 8 select? Will it truly take 6 years for the 1st harvest? Many thanks
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Admin Richo Cech –
Osha (Ligusticum porteri) is far more adaptable than has been previously reported. If you want a really good rundown on it, check the OSHA chapter in my book “Growing At-Risk.” I haven’t seen it work particularly well as a potted specimen, though. It wants a deep, slightly acidic soil with a deep layer of carbon-rich mulch above. This is not a real easy plant to grow, it will survive in a Z 8 and it does take a long time to develop a usable root–that’s why its rare.
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Mick –
Hi, do you know if the above ground parts have decent medicinal value, or is it only the roots?
Thanks ?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Good question. The seeds have definitely been used as a condiment and stomachic. I am not so sure about the leaves, but think they would be OK, perhaps a mild version of our smoky and oily root. r
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Ian Maas (verified owner) –
Hello, How is your osha seed this year? Is there still some fresh seed available ? I want to try germinating some again during upcoming vernalization.
I was wondering about another species of linguisticum that I came across called ‘scotium’ or Scot’s lovage. Maybe a European species?
It is referenced as a medicinal, but is supposedly an easy germinator.
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hello Ian,
Its a good year on osha (Ligusticum porteri), and the harvest was made only 30 days ago, it is as fresh as it gets. Right, L. scotium is from the place that its species name implies–Scotland and thereabouts.
Richo
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John –
Hello, I live In Vermont zone 4b. I live at the base of a mountain with sandy soils. I would like to try to grow osha. Do you think this environment will work for it? I’d like to try and get a patch established so it can be perennial. We have snow already so I thought if I bought seeds now I would keep them in soil in my fridge until spring. does that sounds like a good idea?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Sometimes plants that do well at elevation also do well in colder zones like where you live. My approach is always to try to grow everything and keep what survives and thrives. This would be my advice to you as well. Osha needs plenty of cold, moist stratification and takes a long time to germinate. Yes, the seeds we have in stock are from the 2019 harvest and should be planted now. I recommend reading the osha chapter in “Growing At-Risk” Richo
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Karin K Fellows (verified owner) –
I am hoping to grow osha in Omaha Nebraska. We are not at a mountain elevation. Do you have any guidance for success? Thank you very much. I am so excited to start my healing herb gardens. Blessings
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Richo Cech –
Hi Karin,
Sometimes these questions come right at the time I’m working with the plant–its uncanny. Just checked Osha flat planted on 12/17 and found hundreds of seedling had just popped up. I used a coir-rich mix which I think helps. The plant likes raw carbon in the growth medium, so we always deeply mulch the plants in the field with sawdust or coir. Black gold “coir only” is a great product. I think if you do these things it doesn’t matter if you have elevation or not. People are growing osha at low elevation. Read the “Osha” chapter in “Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs” for more info.
Richo
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