Currykraut

Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny sheltered position. Intolerant of excessive moisture. Established plants are drought resistant. Plants have proved to be fairly wind tolerant in an exposed site in Cornwall[K]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -10°c. Plants can be pruned back to the old wood in spring in order to maintain the shape of the plant and promote lots of new growth. The whole plant smells of curry, especially after rain. The flowering stems are often dried and used as 'everlasting flowers'. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Edible Parts: Edible Uses: Condiment Tea Leaves - used as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. They have a slight flavour of curry, though they do not impart this very well to other foods[K]. An essential oil (from the leaves?) is used as a flavouring to enhance fruit flavours in sweets, ice cream, baked goods, soft drinks and chewing gum. A tea is made from the flower heads.

Hedge Hedge Plants can be grown as a low hedge, the subspecies H. italicum serotinum(Boiss.)P.Fourn. is normally used. It responds well to trimming.

Heimisch: Algeria, Andorra, Baleares, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Channel Is., Corse, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, East Aegean Is., France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, NO, NW. Balkan Pen., Portugal, San Marino, Sardegna, Sicilia, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye, Vatican City Eingeführt: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, Germany, Great Britain, SE, Turkey, Walloon Region