Mandragora OFFICINARUM

Mandragora OFFICINARUM - Common Mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, Mandragora TURCOMANICA.

Very rare plant!

Mandrake (Mandragora) is a small genus of perennial herbs in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), close relatives of belladonna, henbane, and datura. Species of the genus grow in the Mediterranean, the Near East, and Central Asia, on dry rocky slopes and fallow fields.

The plant virtually lacks a stem: large wrinkled leaves up to 30 cm (11.8 in) long are gathered in a dense basal rosette lying on the ground. Beneath the rosette sits a massive taproot extending to a depth of up to 60 cm (23.6 in).

The flowers are bell-shaped, five-petaled, sitting on short pedicels right in the center of the rosette. The fruit is a spherical or egg-shaped succulent berry, yellow or orange when ripe, with a strong sweetish scent.

Mandragora officinarum is a plant of arid climates: it rides out summer drought in dormancy, shedding its foliage, and the rosette regrows anew with the autumn rains.

The root is dark brown outside and white inside, frequently bifurcating and developing lateral branches, which is why it genuinely resembles a human figure. The flowers of Mandragora officinarum are purple and appear in autumn; in spring-flowering forms, they are pale, greenish-white. The fruits resemble small yellow apples.

Mandrake seeds are moderately small, kidney-shaped, with low and uneven germination rates. Before sowing, they are soaked for 24-48 hours in warm water or in a solution of growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon with water changes. Cold stratification is mandatory: swollen seeds are held in damp sand at 3-5 °C (37-41 °F) for 4-8 weeks.

Sowing is carried out in autumn or early spring following stratification, into deep pots with loose permeable substrate, to a depth of about 1 cm (0.4 in). The sowing is moistened with a spray mister, covered with a transparent cover or placed in a propagator, and germinated at 15-20 °C (59-68 °F).

Germination is slow and prolonged: first seedlings appear in 4-8 weeks, while individual seeds may delay for several months, so the sowing should not be discarded prematurely. Sowings are ventilated daily and condensation is wiped away. Seedlings are grown in a deep container from the start and pricked out as early as possible, with minimal damage to the taproot.

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The plant requires an open sunny location; it tolerates partial shade, but the rosette grows looser.

Mandrake withstands frosts down to approximately -15 °C (5 °F) provided it has a dry winter rest. In temperate zones, it is more reliably kept in a deep container and brought indoors for winter into a cool, bright room at 5-10 °C (41-50 °F).

Watering is moderate during the growth period from autumn to spring, and completely ceases during summer dormancy when the plant loses its foliage. Waterlogging in the absence of leaves leads to root rot.

The substrate must be loose, deep, permeable, neutral or slightly alkaline, with sand added. Drainage is mandatory at the bottom of the pot, and the container is chosen very deep to accommodate the taproot.

Fertilization is minimal; a single application of complete fertilizer at the start of the growing period is sufficient.

Mandrake tolerates repotting poorly, so it is planted immediately into a deep container and not disturbed unnecessarily.

Special notes: All parts of the plant, including root and fruits, contain tropane alkaloids and are poisonous. Mandrake is not an edible or home-medicinal plant: it is grown as a collector's ornamental. It is best to work with the root wearing gloves, and keep the plant out of reach of children and domestic pets.