Arnica in the garden

Hi Doc, I saw that you grow Arnica in your garden!? do you live so far up in the mountains? Here Arnica grows only above 1000 mt and is a protected species so I cannot just harvest that. I would like to grow it myself but... I live at 500 mt.
I have read that Arnica Montana and Angustifolia have the same properties, but do you happen to know if the Angustifolia grows at a lower altitude? Which species do you grow?
many thanks!
Marisa from Italy

[IdahoHerbalist]

Most plants have an amazing ability to adapt to new climates and even soil types. When I want to grow something I buy a little seed or a couple of plants and try them. I am successful in the vast majority of cases. Goldenseal is one of the only ones I have not been particularly successful with. It went three years before dying out.

If you have access to plants I would say try them and see what happens! Experiment and share your experiences.

[Doc Jones]

Arnica prefers higher elevations in nature but does fine elsewhere. It will probably be perfectly happy at your place.

Hi Doc, you know what? I found arnica seeds and they have actually grown to a beautiful plant! No flowers yet, I think it has to adapt for a while before blooming, but I wait for them this year!

[Doc Jones]

MarisaG wrote:

Hi Doc, you know what? I found arnica seeds and they have actually grown to a beautiful plant! No flowers yet, I think it has to adapt for a while before blooming, but I wait for them this year!

Glad they're happy Marisa. Remember not to take them internally. We don't want you to get dead. They make a wonderful liniment though.

sure thing!
but the Arnica does not flower at all. it's 3 years I have planted it, plenty of leaves and no flower. I am afraid it's too hot in the summer and she doesn't really like it, but she doesn't want to disappoint me by dying. So she stays there, but makes no flowers
But I read that we are entring a Grand Solar Minimum, so if temperatures will go down like in the 1700s when there was the "year without Summer", at least I will have some arnica flowers hahahaha