Description
Menyanthes is an aquatic, rhizomatous perennial of shallow water, with leaves composed of 3 broadly elliptic or ovate leaflets, and star-shaped flowers with fringed petals
Menyanthes is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species Menyanthes trifoliata.
Plant Specifications
| Common Name | Menyanthes trifoliata |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 0.75 to 1.00 feet |
| Flower Colour | whitish-pink |
| Bloom Time | May to June |
| Difficulty Level | easy to grow |
Planting and care
Full Sunlight. Grows in very moist soil, bogs, and shallow water. Peaty soil. Cool area. Regular watering to maintain heavy moisture, best grown in a container at the edge of a pond. Deadhead. Once established do not disturb unless they become overcrowded.
Bogbean care
Members of the Menyanthes genus are hardy Perennials.They naturally grow in boggy and watery areas and have green leaves and white star shaped flowe They flower from spring through to summer.Common names for Menyanthes include Bog bean and Buck bean.
Grow in baskets in a large pond in water up to 25cm deep, or grow in muddy pool margins. Grow in full sun to encourage flowering
| Sunlight | Full sun to part shade |
| Watering | wet |
| Soil | well-drained soil |
| Temperature | minus 25c |
| Fertilizer | Apply any organic fertilizer |
Bogbean special feature
Transitional plant for water gardens and ponds. Bog gardens.
Bogbean uses
Medicinal Use:
- Bogbean is a plant
- The bogbean fruit resembles a small bean and is commonly found in swamps or bogs, which is the reason for its name
- People use the bogbean leaf to make medicine
- Bogbean is used for achy joints (rheumatism), rheumatoid arthritis, loss of appetite, and upset stomach
Culinary Use:
- Bogbean contains the bitter glucosides, menyanthin (found in the leaves) and loganin (found in the roots)
- It also contains a small amount of volatile oil and the flavonglycosides, hyperoside and rutin
- This strongly bitter herb has been utilised for a long time as a folk medicine