Attich

Tolerates most soils, including chalk, but prefers a moist loamy soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates some shade but is best in a sunny position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and coastal situations. A very invasive plant, sending up new shoots a metre or more away[K]. It can be used for naturalising in the rougher parts of the garden, growing well on rough banks etc. The whole plant, when bruised, emits a most unpleasant fur-like smell. The bark, in particular, smells like stale perspiration.

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Tea Fruit - cooked. It is used as a flavouring in soups etc. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter and is borne in large clusters. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Leaves are used as a tea substitute. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Dye Hair Ink Repellent A blue dye and an ink are obtained from the fruit. The root juice is used to dye hair black. The leaves are said to repel mice and moles. Plants make a dense ground cover when spaced about 1 metre apart each way. They are best used in large areas, roadsides etc. Our experience to date (1995) is that the plants spread vigorously but do not form a dense cover and so do not exclude other plants[K].

Heimisch: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Belarus, Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, DK, England [I] (England [I], Wales [I], Scotland [I]); Ireland [I] (Ireland [I], Northern Ireland [I]); Denmark [I]; Sweden [I]; Netherlands; Belgium; Luxembourg; Germany (Brandenburg [I], Berlin [I], Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Hessen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [I], Niedersachsen [I], Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Schleswig-Holstein [I], Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt [I], Thüringen); Switzerland; Liechtenstein; Austria; Poland; Czech Republic; Slovakia; Hungary; Portugal; Spain; Andorra; Baleares; France; Channel Isl.; Corsica; Sardinia; Italy; Sicily; San Marino; Slovenia; Croatia; Bosnia & Hercegovina; Montenegro; Serbia; Kosovo; North Macedonia; Albania; Romania; Bulgaria; European Turkey; Greece (widespread mainland, Evvoia, Andros, Thasos, Samothraki, Limnos, Kerkyra, Ionian Isl.); Crete; Estonia [I]; Lithuania [I]; Belarus [I]; C-European Russia; Ukraine; Crimea; Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia; Madeira [I] (Madeira Isl. [I]); Turkmenistan; Northern Caucasus; Georgia [Caucasus]; Armenia; Azerbaijan; East Aegaean Isl. (Lesvos, Samos); Turkey (E-Anatolia, Inner Anatolia, N-Anatolia, NE-Anatolia, S-Anatolia, SSW-Anatolia, WN-Anatolia); Iraq (NE-Iraq); Iran (EC-Iran, N-Iran, Iranian Aserbaijan); Cyprus (N-Cyprus); Lebanon (C-Lebanon, coastal W-Lebanon); Syria (coastal W-Syria, W-Syrian Mountains); Israel (N-Israel); Canada [I] (Québec [I]); USA [I] (New Jersey [I], New York [I]), FI, Flanders, Flemish Region, France, Germany, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Morocco, NO, NW. Balkan Pen., Netherlands, North America, North Caucasus, Poland, Portugal, Portugal Continental, Romania, SE, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine, Walloon Region, conterminous 48 United States Eingeführt: BG, Baltic States, Belgium, Bulgaria, CA, CZ, Channel Is., Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, EE, England, Estonia, Finland, France, GB, Great Britain, IE, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Madeira, Madeira Island, NO, New Jersey, New York, Northern Ireland, PT, Palestine, Quebec, Québec, SE, Scotland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Wales