Orpine is a succulent herbaceous perennial with many other common names including Stonecrop, Live-forever, Frog Plant, Live-long, Witches' Moneybags, Aaron's Rod, Purse Plant and Pudding-bags! It is endemic from Asia to Europe and has been widely introduced elsewhere over the planet, particularly in North America.
Its fleshy leaves are a bluish green with hints of burgundy. Deep red stems grow up to around 3 feet tall. These are topped with clusters of starry, showy, pale-pink to crimson flowers from July to August, giving rise to an abundance of tiny seeds from August to September.
It is said the son of Hercules, Telephus, used the herb to cure a battle-wounded leg that was not healing, hence its’ Latin name.
Orpine plants will succeed in most soils, sandy, loamy or clay, and will tolerate poor soils, although they prefer ones that are either dry or moist and well drained. It is drought tolerant and hardy in Zones 5 to 9, thriving in dappled light to no shade.
The plants are typically found growing on rocky or stony ledges in the wild, hence “Stonecrop”, making them great for rock gardens and dry areas.
Propagation can be from root division or from seed sown in early spring through to early autumn. Orpine is an extremely forgiving plant to grow, earning the names “Live Long” and “Life Everlasting” due to the remarkable length of time it remains alive and fresh after being uprooted, subsisting on the nourishment stored in its fleshy leaves and swollen roots.
The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, or boiled in milk, and the resulting decoction taken to stimulate the kidneys. It’s also useful in treating piles and diarrhea, and it has a growing reputation as an anti-cancer herb. A poultice of the crushed leaves has been used in the treatment of boils and carbuncles.
The roots can be cooked up in soups and stews, and the plant juice, mixed with vegetable oil, is used to heal burns.
On Midsummers Eve, the plant was gathered to determine the future of love relationships; 2 leaves were placed side-by-side and if they fell towards each other, love was true!