How to Grow Arnica

Arnica is often referred to as leopard bane. The herb promotes healing and tissue regeneration. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. The arnica herb is perennial and flowers between May and April. It grows in a bush-like form and spreads to 36 inches wide and 18 to 20 inches tall. It produces small, yellow flowers.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Plan for the area where you want to plant the arnica. This plant is versatile and requires only partial sun and normal watering conditions. The arnica herb does not bloom during the heat of the summer but flowers again the next year.

2. Plant your seeds a few inches from the top of the soil. Arnica plants grow well intermingled with bulb flowers.

3. Water your leopard bane once a week as needed. These types of plants only require watering when the soil becomes dry.

4. Feed and fertilize the arnica using a fertilizer with no nitrogen every 7 to 14 days during the flowering season.

5. Protect your herb against pests and diseases. The most common disease for this type of plant is powdery mildew or root rot if the plant gets too wet.

6. Grow new plants from cuttings of the pre-existing plant. Do this during the early spring in a cold frame or green house. Move the plant outdoors after spring arrives.

Tips & Warnings

• Rooted cuttings or pre-started leopard bane grow faster than those grown from a seed.

Resources

• Find everything you need to know about arnica.