Cultivation of Rhodiola rosea in Europe

This chapter reviews our knowledge of the use of Rhodiola rosea in traditional folk medicine and more recently as a pharmaceutical product with adaptogenic properties and mechanisms by which its increasing popularity contributes to precarity of supply. To ensure an adequate supply in the future, cultivation of this medicinal herb is of particular interest, and presents extensive research ndings on effective agronomic techniques. Research on this species has been published around the world. In nearly all European countries where Rhodiola is indigenous, a key feature of research on the species is that interest is recent, dating back only two decades. This chapter is structured according to the geographical distribution of R. rosea across Europe. After a brief historical overview, information from those regions where Rhodiola grows naturally, Russia, Scandinavia, European Alpine, and Carpathian Mountains, and the main techniques for cultivating Rhodiola are reviewed.