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Bog bean - - Western Isles - Wild Flowers - Wildflowers & Flora of The Isle of Harris and The Isle of Lewis - Hebrides Flowers
Bog bean - Western Isles Plants and Wildflowers. It is an aquatic or bog plant. Bog bean thrives in moist, light places on most soil types and can be found in blanket bogs, lochs and ponds. As there are lots of inland lochs on The Western Isles this lovely plant is plentiful here |
Western Isles Wildflowers - Wild flowers of The Hebrides
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Bog - Bean - Menyanthes trifoliata
Seen in a Loch in South Harris
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Aquatic - Bog Plant
Bogbean is an aquatic or bog plant. Bog bean thrives in moist, light places on most soil types and can be found in blanket bogs,
lochs and ponds. As there are lots of inland lochs on The Western Isles this lovely plant is plentiful here. The ‘bean’ part of the name refers to the smooth-edged shiny leaves, which are roughly similar in appearance to those of young broad beans.
Each leaf is divided into three leaflets, which is why the last part of the latin name trifoliata, meaning ‘three leaves’ was so named. The leaves and flowers are raised above the surface of the water, rising from creeping root-like storage organs or ‘rhizomes.
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Flowers
Bogbean flowers between May and July, with feathery, star-like flowers – pink on the outside, white on the inside. Multiple flowers occur in groups at the end of the flower stalks.The flower stalk can grow to 30 cm and bears lots of white delicate, feathery, and star-like flowers which have a pinkish flush on the outside of the petal and are amazingly pretty.
Pollination
The bogbean flowers are pollinated by bees and butterflies. The flowers’ rank smell also attracts beetles and flies. As with the Primrose, some flowers have long styles and some
short, to assist cross-pollination. |
Fruits
The bog beans' fruit is a capsule containing many shiny, yellow-brown buoyant seeds.
Common Name - Bog Hop
An alternative common name, “bog hop” came into existence because of the use of the leaves as a flavouring in beer-making!
Medicinal Use
The bogbean has always been used for medicinal remedies - in fact it is still used today by modern herbalists. The leaves were used for tea to strengthen weak stomachs, and the plant was also used against tuberculosis, heart problems and asthma. Bogbean was also used to treat arthritis. It is still used today in herbal medicine to treat various rheumatoid conditions.
Native Americans also used the bogbean as an emergency food supply, but both the leaves and the root of the plant have a bitter taste. |
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Western Isles Wildflowers - Flora & Flowers of The Outer Hebrides - Hebridean Wild Flowers |
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