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More Information About Herniaria
Herniaria is a genus of 45 species of low-growing perennials native to Europe and Africa. Herniaria is in the Caryophyllaceae family making it a botanical cousin of dianthus.
Herniaria flowers are very small and not ornamental like dianthus (but butterflies still love them)...we grow this plant for the leaves. In the distant past, the tiny knot-like flowers of Herniaria reminded some medieval herbalist of skin ruptures (hernias). Consequently, they applied the then popular philosophy, called the Doctrine of Signatures, and deciding that, herniaria must be good for healing skin ruptures. Herniaria does apparently have some astringent effect plus a handful of other dubious medical uses. The genus name and the common name both come from this medical history.
An exceedingly tough perennial in the garden, herniaria makes a great carpet-like mat. Herniaria prefers full sun and somewhat poor soils. It is very drought-tolerant, and the leaves, when bruised, have a musky odor. Try combining herniaria with spring or summer bulbs that will push their way up through the carpet of leaves. When you are ready to buy herniaria for your perennial garden, we hope you'll check out our online offering of herniaria for sale.