Friday Foraging #70 - 31st Jan 2025

Ashwagandha

This plant can be grown in the UK, it is a tender herb and because of this if you are growing it yourself, it will need to be moved for winter protection. So growing it in a large tub is better than placing in the ground.

If you are growing yourself this plant needs full sun and dry conditions. Well drained nutrient rich soil, the seedlings need warmth to start growing and they need adequate, but not excessive watering. They do not like frost so should be brought inside or in a greenhouse during winter.  

When growing your own from seed, it is best to do this indoors in Feb or March and keep on a warm windowsill, then place outside after the last frost. Transplant into a bigger pot and place in a warm sunny space in late Spring. It is a shrub and can grow to about 3m tall.

When we grow our own plants like this, the medicinal benefits are often depleted unfortunately.

If would be very unusual to find it growing in the wild in the UK as its usual habitat is India, Asia, Middle East and Nepal, unfortunately we really don’t have the climate for it in the wild.

It is also part of the deadly nightshade family, so if you have young children or rebellious pets, I would stick to buying the plant in capsule form.

If you missed the Herb Weavers Journal post this week, check back to see all the amazing things this plant can help us with.