Vervain
Parts Usually Used
Roots, leaves, stems
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Blue vervain is a bristly, erect, perennial; the quadrangular stem reaches a height of 2-5 feet and bears leaves that are oblong-lanceolate, gradually acuminate, serrate, and 3-6 inches long. Some of the lower leaves are lobed at the base, making good on the botanical name. The small, deep blue or purplish-blue flowers are sessile in dense spikes, 2-3 inches long, which are arranged in a panicle.
The fruit consists of 4 nutlets which ripen soon after the plant flowers. Blooms in July and seed ripen soon after. , known also as vervain, was used by the Druids, Egyptians, Persians, and British herbalists for a vast range of ailments, but vervain is no longer considered to have healing properties. It is grown as an ornamental for its small purple flowers. An old legend reputes vervain to have been used to staunch the wounds of Christ on Calvary.
(The legend not clear on whether this statement referred to V. officinalis or V. hastata). ) of the verbena family, sometimes called “queen of the lemons”, is a tropical shrub native to Central and South America introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers. Not considered a medicinal herb, but rather valued for its unparalleled fresh lemony scent and essential oils. ) is a native of the Americas that has spread throughout the world.
Not found medicinally helpful. The Chinese use Verbena officinalis, called vervain. The Chinese name is Ma-pien-ts’ao. Used for dropsy, malaria, dysentery.
Where Found
Native to the northern United States and Canada, found also in England. Fields, thickets, waste places, in dry hard soils, along roadsides.
Medicinal Properties
Antiperiodic, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, tonic, vermifuge, vulnerary, sudorific, nervine, emmenagogue
Biochemical Information
Essential oil, mucilage, tannin, verbenaline, and verbenine
Legends, Myths and Stories
Historically, blue vervain has been associated with sorcerers, witches, and magic. In ancient times, it was bruised and worn about the neck as a charm against headaches and venomous bites. An old legend reputes vervain to have been used to staunch the wounds of Christ on Calvary. It was the divine weed that was sprinkled on the altars of Jupiter, the herba veneris employed in rites of love and a sacred plant (hiera botane) of the Druids.
Latter-day magicians wear a crown of vervain as protection during the evocation of demons. Blue vervain, an ancient herb used by Druids, Egyptians, Persians, and British herbalists for a vast range of ailments, is no longer considered to have healing properties. Grown today for ornamental purposes.
Uses
Historically, herbalists utilized vervain for colds, fevers, coughs, and respiratory complaints characterized by wheezing or shortness of breath, believing it helped expel phlegm from the throat and chest. Traditional practitioners administered it for digestive and gastrointestinal disturbances, including diarrhea, dysentery, and general bowel and colon complaints, as well as for jaundice, headaches, migraines, insomnia, and nervous complaints.
The herb was also regarded as a blood tonic, employed to promote menstrual flow, and prepared as an eye wash intended to clear vision. Externally, folk traditions applied vervain preparations as washes or poultices for wounds, skin sores, ulcers, neuralgia, and snakebites.
How Sold
Capsules
Warning
Avoid blue vervain during pregnancy; it is a uterine stimulant; may be taken during labor.
Bibliography
, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A.
, Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R.
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(1988). , West Nyack, NY, 1987. , Special Sale Catalog, 1996 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974