Achillea millefolium Milfoil Yarrow or Wild White Yarrow
This is the true wild form grown from seed collected in the wild in Europe. This is the yarrow used in herbal medicine. Long used to staunch blood flow from wounds, particularly those caused by knives or swords. The last battle it was used in by a medical corps was reputedly the American Civil War. Among its common names are Herbe Militaris, Staunchweed, Carpenter's Weed, Bloodwort and Holy Herb. The world famous French herbalist Maurice Mességué recommended its use as a tea (60g fresh leaves infused with half a litre of boiling water) for stomach cramps and to stimulate the digestive process. It was recommended to control excessivr menstrual bleeding, and leukorrhoea. It has also been used as a tea to promote perspiration at the onset of colds, and externally as a cold tea on sores, ulcers, acne and piles.
NOT to be taken by pregnant women.
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$7.50
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Aloe Vera
The true aloe vera, source of allantoin, one of the most important botanicals of history. It was said that Aristotle requested Alexander the Great to conquer Socotra, the island which produced aloes, and install Greeks to command it. The fresh juice has long been used to heal burns and help regenerate skin tissue. The gel containing the active substances oozes from the broken succulent leaf.
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$8.50
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Althaea officinalis Marshmallow
This is an erect hardy perennial, tall growing, bearing spikes of 5-petalled pink or white flowers in clusters and resembling a slender hollyhock. It is still widely used today in herbal medicine for its soothing properties to the throat and intestinal system. The Romans considered it a delicious vegetable, the young tops being eaten in spring salads and the roots boiled then fried with butter.
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$7.95
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Angelica archangelica Angelica
A tall herbaceous plant to 1.5-1.8m, with a pure sweet fragrance in all parts and huge umbels of greey-white flowers in the second year. It is mildly antiseptic and the leaves make an excellent tisane.
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$8.50
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Angelica gigas Purple Angelica
This dramatically beautiful species from China, Japan and Korea can reach around 1.8 m with lush divided foliage, deep burgundy stems and huge heads of darkest purple flowers. It will thrive in a lightly shaded spot with moist soil, and is frost hardy. The young leaves (only) are cooked as a vegetable in China. The roots find use in Chinese medicine.
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$10.50
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Aquilegia vulgaris Wild Columbine
This herbaceous perennial columbine is native to Europe and has maidenhair-like foliage and beautiful nodding spurred flowers. It can grow to 1.2 metres. All parts of columbines are poisonous so its early uses for rheumatism, to treat diarrhoea, break a dry fever and aid in childbirth are avoided. It still finds some use as an astringent. The deeds have traditionally been ground to a powder incorporated into an effective treatment for killing lice.
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$8.50
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Anthemis tinctoria Dyer's Chamomile
This attractive spreading shrub grows to around 60 cm high with attractive foliage and masses of golden daisies. The flowers are harvested to create a yellow dye using alum as a mordant.
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$7.50
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Artemisia abrotanum Southernwood or Old Man or Lad's Love or Maiden's Ruin
This legendary herb is aa small shrub with fine threadlike grey-green foliage with a sweet camphor-and-lemon fragrance. It was a favourite for tucking into fragrant posies in previous centuries and is very refreshing to the senses. The dried leaves were used in moth repellent mixtures, as a mosquito repellent, and the shrub is used as a companion plant in the home orchard and vegetable garden.
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$8.50
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Artemisia absinthum Wormwood
A lover of sunny places and well drained soil, it has been used since medieval times in bitters' to improve appetite and digestion, as an antiseptic, and also to treatparasitic worm infections. It was also used in various liqueurs and in medieval times as a spice for mead (a drink made from fermented honey.)
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$8.50
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Artemisia apiacea Chinese Wormwood
A very attractive, finely feathery, upright herbaceous shrub to 80cm. In Chinese medicine it is known as Ch'ing Hao or Hsiang Hao and finds similar medicinal use to Sweet Annie A. annua . It has been demonstrated to be a very powerful antimalarial among a number of medicinal uses. It is also very attractive with many slender stems arising from the base. The foliage is intricately lacy, grey on top and silver below. The flowers are borne in long airy silvery panicles of tiny button flowers and are stunning when dried for arrangements or crafts.
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$8.50
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Artemisia lactiflora White Mugwort
This Chinese herb is an attractive paerennial with indented leaves and long spikes of tiny white button flowers. It requires a moist soil and prefers light shade. It is a bitter aromatic tonic plant and finds use in Chinese medicine in treating liver and menstrual disorders.
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$8.50
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Artemisia vulgaris Mugwort
This was a popular herb used to brew ale in the medieval period, and also found use as a tea and in stuffings for fatty roasted meats such as goose and duck. medicinally it was valued for calming hysterical patients and for treating epilepsy. Mugwort is considered one of the most powerful magical herbs and is also strongly associated with the fairy world and fairy magic.
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$8.50
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Asperula odorata Sweet Woodruff or Our Lady's Lace or Lady's Laces
This plant is a delightful grouncover with whorls of small pointed leaves along the slender trailing stems and clusters of starry white flowers. It requires a moist soil and light shade or morning sun. The foliage has the scent of fresh mown grass which increases with drying due to the presence of coumarin. It was used in pot pourri, to fragrance linen, and when flowering in the traditional Maibowle punch made with white Rhine wine (still considered a safe usage). A tea made from the leaves was used for stomach aches, liver and jaundice problems, and to heal wounds in the medieval period to the 19th century but is no longer recommended for these purposes. It has also found use as an insect repellent. As a dye with alum as a mordant the leaves produce a brown colour and the roots light red.
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$8.50
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Ballota nigra Black Horehound
Strong smelling perennial with finely hairy green heart-shaped leaves and whorls of pretty mauve flowers in summer; native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. It has long been used to relieve nausea and including that associated with motion sickness, and also as a mild sedative and for normalising menstrual cycles.
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$7.50
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Bacopa monnieri Brahmi or The Memory Herb
This herb is widely accepted as being able to improve the memory of both students and older people, as well as those whose memory is affected by stress and mental fatigue. The herb has been the subject of extensive pharmacological trials and Brahmi has been shown to improve both memory and learning ability. Like Gotu Kola ( Indian Ginseng ) , another much tested Asian memory aiding herb, sprigs can be incorporated into green salads, into a sandwich or used as a tea. The standard method used to make Brahmi tea, which has a pleasant taste not unlike green tea, is to add about six sprigs to a one cup pot ( with added green tea for taste and for its established antioxidant properties if you wish ) and brew for about eight minutes. It can be sweetened. Brahmi requires a moist place to grow, preferably in dappled light, and forms a dense, emerald green, small leafed groundcover.
Rare
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$8.50
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Cedronella triphylla Cedronella or Balm of Giliad
A sweet camphor-and-lemon fragranced plant forms a soft multistemmed bush with incised leaves and large beautiful dense spikes of soft pink lipped flowers. It is an insect repellent, particularly of mosquitoes, and the leaves can be rubbed over arms and legs or the plant can be grown around patios and verandahs. It will grow happily in the ground or a lage pot. The dried leaves are a good addition to moth repellent bags to place with stored linen.
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$8.50
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Chamaemelum nobile syn. Anthemis nobilis Chamomile, Roman or Lawn or English
This perennial herb makes a delightful green apple scented traditional lawn or turf seat. The flowers are white daisies. The flowers have long been harvested and dried for use as a tea for upset stomachs, indigestion, nausea, stress, insomnia, poor digestion and nervousness.
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$6.95
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Chelidonium majus Greater Celandine
Commonly grown in the physic garden of medieval monasteries (and still to be found in their ruins), this plant has soft fernlike foliage and single small golden poppylike flowers,The stem exudes an acrid yellow juice when broken which was once mixed with vinegar as a cure for worts. It was also once used to treat inflammation of the bile duct and gall bladder.
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$7.95
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Daucus carota Queen Anne's Lace
The leaves have traditionally been usedas a salve when mixed with honey to treat external sores and ulcers. A tea has been used to treat bladder infections and water retention.
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$6.50
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S. chamaecyparissus
A perennial forming a wide silvery mound of finely wrought almost coral-like foliage. The flowerheads are little golden buttons. Full sun and good drainage. Drought resistant.
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$7.50
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S. viridis Green Lime Fizz
A beautiful minty green form of Cotton Lavender forming a dense finely feathery shrub with a pungent pine and rosemary refreshing fragrance.
Rare
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$7.50
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S. pinnata subsp. neapolitana
A species from southern Italy with soft finely feathery grey foliage and pale golden buttonlike flowers. The foliage is aromatic and excellent dried and used in sweet sachets and moth repellent bags.
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$7.50
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Echinacea purpurea Echinacea or Coneflower
Strikingly beautiful perennial with large lilac pink flowers rather like zinnias, borne on metre long stems, and very attractive to butterflies. It gas been long used in Native American medicine to increase disease resistance (it strengthens the immune system. It was also used as a blood purifier. It is now finding wide-spread use in immune system enhancement.
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$7.50
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Galium verum Ladies Bedstraw or Cheese Rennet or Yellow Bedstraw
A rather lovely little matting plant of fresh deep green needle-shaped leaves in whorls which has a pleasant fresh hay aroma when dried and honey-fragrant golden yellow panicles of flowers in early summer; strong decoctions are used to curdle milk and is similar to rennet in cheese making; particularly for lacto-vegetarian cheeses. A coral to red dye is created from the lower stems using an alum mordant; a decoction has been used on wounds and skin irritations.
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$8.50
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Geranium robertianum Herb Robert
A very attractive lacy fern leafed species of geranium bearing clusters of lilac flowers. It flourishes in moist, shady places. It has long been used for painful urination, dispensed as a tea. The tea was also recommended as part of the fresh vegetable juice cure developed by Rudolf Breuss.
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$6.50
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Hydrocotyle asiatica syn. Centella asiatica Arthritis Herb or Gotu Kola or Indian Ginseng
A small creeping sub-tropical to tropical plant with round, serrated, shiny, long-stalked leaves long used in Indian and Chinese medicine. This species has been featured by the media for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, revitalising the memory (or as one user put it "adding a sparkle to the brain") and retarding the aging process. Closely related to celery, the leaves can be finely chopped and added to sandwiches or salads, or liquidised with drinks. Two leaves daily appears to be a common pattern among users.
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$8.50
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Iris germanica var. florentina Florentine Iris or Orris Iris
The rhizomes of this beautiful springtime white or lavender flower which is found on the hillsides of Tuscany were dug, dried, aged and powdered for their violet scent. The powder has been used since medieval time in perfumery. The rhizome was also used to treat asthma and bronchitis, and in various recipes for eau de vie. The fresh rhizome was avoided as it is a violent purgative.
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$10.50
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Inula helenium Elecampane
This attractive tall golden flowered perennial quite closely a resembles a multi-flowered sunflower to which it is related. The root is the part used and it found its way both into love potions and in a decoction used to award away black witchcraft. It has also found traditional herbal use in treating coughs particularly those arising from bronchitus and asthma, and also to soothe the digestive tract.
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$7.50
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Leonotus cardiaca Motherwort
A most attractive perennial with soft grapelike leaves, pungently scented, flowers in spires pale pink to purple, very furry; long used to treat pregnant women for anxiety (hence the name); formerly used to treat bronchitis and asthma, employed homeopathically in anxiety and tachycardia of nervous origin.
See L. leonurus Lionstail Orange and Cream Flowered forms in Heritage Flowers
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Lobelia syphilitica The Great Lobelia, The or Blue Cardinal Flower
A tall (to 90 cm) showy perennial lobelia with spectacular long dense spikes of tubular richest blue flowers. to 0.7m. It has been cultivated in Europe since 1665. For moist soil in sun or light shade. In winter it dies down to a cluster of glossy deep green rosettes. Used in the past in North America as a cure for syphilis.
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$8.50
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Mentha pulegium Pennyroyal
This strongly mint scented herb was commonly used to flavour wines and food in Roman and medieval times but is seldom used for culinary purposes now as it is very poweful and may also cause abortion if taken in sufficient quantity. The essential oil is poisonous. Today its use centres on its value as an excellent flea repellent (the Latin name refers to fleas). ub the herb over the coat of dogs or make a collar of the braided stems. Never add the toxic highly concentrated oil to pet collars. he dried leaves can also be added to the baskets of pets.
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$6.50
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Nepeta cataria Catmint
Irresistable to all red blooded pussies, this perennial has soft grey mint-like leaves with a curious scent and pretty dense spikes of white flowers. The dried leaves are used to stuff toys and sleep pillows for pussies. But it has also been used as a soothing relaxing tea with honey, particularly for insomnia, stress and intestinal cramps.
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$6.50
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Nepeta cataria 'Citriodora' Lemon Catmint
This is similar in appearance and uses to catmint but has a strong lemon accent.
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$6.95
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Parietaria officinalis Pellitory of the Wall
A perennial with sticky red suffused small leaves . Described both by Pliny and Theophrastus, it has been widely used to treat infections of the urinary tract and as a diuretic.Christopher Marlowe the great Elizabethan playwright bore testimony to its efficacy.
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$7.50
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Pelargonium 'Citronella' Scented Geranium
This intensely citonella-lemon fragranced neat shrub with deeply incised leaves is mosquito repellent. Plant it around verandahs and patios, or rub over arms and legs.
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$8.50
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Plectranthus Dogbane or Wolfbane
Much loved though our dogs are they have less than delicate paws when it comes to gardens. This European plant was once also known as wolfbane for its ability to repel all members of the dog family. Rabbits don't care for it either. Despite this dogbane is a pretty plant with succulent rounded leaves, beautiful lavender blue flowers in spikes, and a scent that is not unpleasant. It is not toxic. Plant at one metre intervals around a garden plot as a repellent.
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$7.95
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Polygonatum multiflorum Solomon's Seal
Surely one of the most graceful of all perennials, sending up arching stems to 80 cm with paired leaves along their length and twin nodding tubular white flowers tipped with green suspended from each pair of leaves. It likes partial shade and prefers light soil. It is a herb of ancient medicinal use.
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$12.50
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Populus balsamifera Balsam Poplar or American Balm of Gilead
Also known as Balm of Giliad, and Tacahamac Poplar
This quite fast growing tree reaches its maximum height in 20 years, which can be up to 25 m or more in ideal situations where water is not limited. Native to North America, it is deciduous, cold hardy, and produces catkins in late spring. The bark is fragrant, and the large winter buds are covered in sticky very fragrant resin. The winter buds were traditionally harvested before they opened and used to heal wounds and as a treatment for coughs and colds. The bark was used to prepare a tincture which was used to treat a range of infections of the chest, stomach, and kidneys as well as in the treatment of scurvy and gout. The flowers were gathered when freshly opened, steeped in cold fresh water, and drunk to purify the blood in spring.
Rare
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$14.95
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Primula veris Cowslip or Paigle or Cowslop (from the Old English cuslsppe or cowpat)
A charming perennial found wild in English and European meadows. From the emerging rosette of fresh spring leaves comes several stems each bearing a bunch of nodding sweetly scented pale golden flowers. It was once considered to be a general panacea. The fresh leaves were collected in spring for salads (often with flowers). The flowers were candied, set with cream, used to decorate cakes, infused with hot water to make a tea, or used to create cowslip wine. The tea has medicina; virtues being used for headaches, insomnia, stomach cramps and as a gentle remedy to relieve the pain of migraine headaches and to apply to frackles, blotches, spots and wrinkles. Creams and lotions made from the flowers were also used. Cowslip wine was widely recommended for its sedative properties. Cowslip oil has also been used on bruises, and to rub on the chest as an expectorant.
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$8.95
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Prunella vulgaris Selfheal or Allheal
An ancient wound herb recommended by herbalists such as Gerard and Culpepper. The plant is astringent and is used for internal bleeding, piles, and also for mouth ulcers and also as a gargle for sore throats. It was used to staunch the flow of blood from sword and knife wounds in previous centuries. The plant is low growing with masses of rosy-purple, pretty, lipped flowers in compressed spikes. According to the medieval Doctrine of Signatures, it was also designed to treat both sore throats and diphtheria, and it is being relooked at currently as an antiviral.
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$8.50
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Rubia tinctorum Madder
A low growing perennial resembling a harge leafed sweet woodruff with whorls of leaves along the slender stems and white flowers. The leaves are used to yield a red dye using an alum mordant. Available from September 2009 onwards.
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$7.50
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Salvia sclaria Clary Sage
This is an exceptionally beautiful plant grown in France for the fragrant essential oil in its leaves, and forming a bush to about one metre with branched infloresences of dense, large blossom pink or pure white flowers. The seeds , when soaked in water, produce a mucilaginous eye bath used to remove particles. The essential oil is used as a perfumery fixative and in pot pourri, and has a muscatel and grapefruit fragrance.
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$8.50
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Salvia lyrata Lyreleaf or Lyrebird Sage
This species is native to the eastern United States. The leaves which are lobed and suffused with purple form a basal rosette and the very pretty blue flowers are borne in whorls up the flowering stem. The fresh leaves are said to cure warts. The leaves are quite minty in flavour and it has been used in the form of an infusion as a gargle for sore throats and mouth infections, and internally as a laxative. A save made from the root was traditionally used on sores.
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$8.50
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Stachys officinalis Betony or Bishop's Wort
Long used by herbalista and considered useful as a tea to relieve headaches, as a general tonic, and gargled for a sore throat. The tea was used externally as a treatment for wounds, sores, ulcers and bruising. This 'cureall' herb is now being investigated as an anti-viral herb and included in herbal cream and salve formulations particularly for cold sores .
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$7.50
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Symphytum officinale Comfrey or Boneset or Knitwort or Bruisewort
An erect growing perennial with drooping clusters of quietly beautiful white flowers. Highly valued over many centuries for its ability to speed the healing of broken bones, wounds, ulcers, sprains, minor burns and scalds, abrasions and bruises. It contains allantoin and choline. While its internal use is no longer advised, there has been no evidence to suggest that it should not continue to be used externally (the grated root is usually used), in the form of compresses. A number of modern ointment preparations contain allantoin.
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$8.50
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Tanacetum parthenium syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium Migraine Plant or 'Feverfew'
Fernlike deep green aromatic leaves and large heads of pure white, single, small, gold-centred daisies, to 80cm. An English medical inquiry claimed that 1-4 leaves eaten daily (usually in bread and butter) reduced both the incidence and severity of migraine headaches for many sufferers. It has also provided relief from arthritis symptoms, reduced stress and in some cases increased a 'sense of well being'.
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$6.50
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Teucrium chamaedrys Wall Germander
This tough and pretty groundcover plant grows to around 15 cm with neat small foliage and attractive lipped mauve flowers. It has been a popular medicinal herb since medieval time and continues to be usedby herbalist for treating gout and as a treatment for poor appetite as it has digestive and appetite stimulating characteeristics. It was popularly incorporated into 'bitters' and healthful liqueur.
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$7.95
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Teucrium scorodoria Curly Sage Germander or Curly Wood Sage
A very pretty plant with oval grey-green leaves resembling garden sage but with crispy curled edges. Spikes of fairy-like delicate yellow-green flowers. Traditionally used in the treatment of coughs, mastitis and skin problems, as well as flatulence. The leaves have been used as a hops substitute for beer. Drought and shade tolerant.
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$7.50
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Saponaria officinalis Soapwort or Bouncing Bet or Latherwort
This very pretty groundcover plant related to carnations has smooth leaves and clusters of pink flowers which are evening scented with a light sweet fragrance. Plants often flourish around ancient Eiropean monasteries. It has long been used to create a lather in water to make a very gentle hair shampoo and to clean delicate fabrics including ancient tapestries. A decoction was also used to soothe irritable skin.
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$8.50
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Tanacetum vulgare Tansy
Tansy is a strongly insect repellent plant which is used as a companion plant in vegetable gardens and home orchards. Tansy is a strong ant repellent and is also planted around hose entrances. The plant is attractive with deep green fernlike leaves and tall stalks of gold button flowers borne in large clusters and forms a dense mat.
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$7.50
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Valeriana officinalis Valerian, True
An attractive plant with pinnate foliage and fragrant palest lacy flowers in summer. Perennial. Long used as an analgesic, a tranquilliser and to induce sleep.
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$7.50
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Verbena officinalis Vervain
Vervain was sacred to many ancient cultures including those of Greece, Egypt, China, Rome, Persia and Celtic. It was widely considered to be the most powerful of herbs used in protection, purifying, and enabling visions. Today herbalists use a tea made from vervain as a hair tonic, in an eye compress, and as a sedative for coughs . A stronger decoction was used to treat wounds and burns, and as a gargle for sore throats.
Available from October 2010 onward.
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$8.50
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Vinca mjor 'Variegata' Greater Periwinkle
This was known as the Sorcerer's Violet in France and its herbal use goes back to the medieval period. This shade loving groundcover with beautiful cream and green leaves and heavenly blue windmill shaped flowers was useddiarrhoea and to staunch wounds.
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$7.50
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V. ninor 'Variegata'
This is the smaller leafed version of variegated periwinkle with similar uses.
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$7.50
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V. minor 'Alba'
This variety has ice white windmill shaped flowers and deep green glossy foliage. It also has similar medicinal uses.
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$7.50
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Viola odorata Wild Violet
The true wild violet of Europe has long found many medicinal herbal use. The plant contains salicylic acid (the basis of aspirin) IThe above ground parts have been used in treating headaches and migraine, as an antiinflammatory, to treat respiratory catarrh and bronchitis, and oral infections. Its folk use in treating cancer has been investigated and violets were demonstrated to have activity. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat exhaustion and skin problems. Essential oil from the flowers and leaves is used in the perfumery industry. The young leaves are often included in spring salads and the flowers are used in salads, crystallised as a sweet, and made into pastilles.
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$7.50
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Viola tricolor Heartsease or Herba Trinita
This beautiful species, the ancestor of the modern pansy, was exceptionally popular in medieval times and later as a medicinal herb. It once found even wider use but is still used by herbalists for a range of problems such as rheumatism, bronchitis and whooping cough, as a diuretic in treating cystitis, and in an ointment for treating skin complaints. Recent research has validated its antimicrobial activity. The flowers are used in salads and the young leaves to make a tea.
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$7.50
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Vitex agnus-castus Chaste Tree
The seeds of this Mediterranean plant are used to regulate the menstrual cycle. In Germany, where most studies have been carried out, extracts of the seeds are used to normalise the menstrual cycle and ovulation after stopping use of oral contraceptives.It forms a very beautiful large bush with palmate leaves composed of five leaflets and masses of dense inflorescences of purple lipped flowers very attractive to bees and butterflies
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$12.95
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Natural Health and Beauty from Australian Herbs by Judyth A. McLeod
(Pub. Simon and Schuster) 168 pp
Price includes postage.
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$24.95
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