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Ligusticum porteri
Also called Porter lovage, Porter's lovage, Osha, Oshá, Wild parsnip, Wild celery, Mountain Lovage
Porter's licorice-root (osha) is a wild mountain perennial herb in the carrot family, native to the Rocky Mountains and high ranges of the southwestern US and northern Mexico. It is very hard to grow outside its native habitat because it depends on mycorrhizal fungi, so cultivation is best attempted only in areas where it naturally grows.
Ligusticum porteri, also known as osha (pronounced OH-shuh) or Porter lovage, is a perennial herb found in parts of the Rocky Mountains and northern New Mexico, in the southwestern United States.
Osha is strictly a mountain plant, and it is most commonly found in deep, moist soils rich in organic material. The plant requires partial shade. Osha is widely distributed in the Rocky Mountains and the high mountains of northwestern New Mexico. It is most common in the upper limits of the subalpine zone, so in the southern part of its range, it grows at elevations from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet (2100 m to 3000 m), while in Utah and Wyoming, it grows as low as 5,000 feet (1500 m).
This plant has many uses in Native American medicine. The Zuni use an infusion of the root for body aches. The root is also chewed during curing ceremonies for various illnesses, and the crushed root and water used as wash and taken for sore throat. The Rarámuri also use the root as herbal medicine.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ligusticum porteri by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
