Melilotus albus 'White Melilot'

Fabaceae: a distinctive upright, hairless biennial to 1m. Found in grassy places and disturbed soils on waste ground. The flowers are white, in spikes to 7cm long, blooming from June-August. The fruit are brown veined pods. The leaves are 3 oblong leaflets. Introduced to Britain, locally common in parts of South and East England.

USES:

The root has been consumed as a food by the Kalmuks. The young shoots can be cooked, and used like asparagus. Young leaves are eaten in salads. The leaves and seedpods are cooked as a vegetable, they are used as a flavouring. Only fresh leaves should be used. The crushed dried leaves can be used as a vanilla flavouring in puddings, pastries. The flowers can be used raw or cooked. The flowers and seeds are used as a flavouring. The flowers also give an aromatic quality to some tisanes.

Melilot, used either externally or internally, can help treat varicose veins and haemorrhoids though it requires a long-term treatment for the effect to be realised. Use of the plant also helps to reduce the risk of phlebitis and thrombosis. Melilot contains coumarins and, as the plant dries or spoils, these become converted to dicoumarol, a powerful anticoagulant. Thus the plant should be used with some caution, it should not be prescribed to patients with a history of poor blood clotting or who are taking warfarin medication. The flowering plant has antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diuretic, emollient, mildly expectorant, mildly sedative and vulnerary properties. An infusion is used in the treatment of sleeplessness, nervous tension, neuralgia, palpitations, varicose veins, painful congestive menstruation, in the prevention of thrombosis, flatulence and intestinal disorders. Externally, it is used to treat eye inflammations, rheumatic pains, swollen joints, severe bruising, boils and erysipelas, whilst a decoction is added to the bath-water. The flowering plant is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use. A distilled water obtained from the flowering tops is an effective treatment for conjunctivitis.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds in spring to mid-summer in situ. Pre-soaking the seed for 12 hours in warm water will speed up the germination process, particularly in dry weather. Germination will usually take place within 2 weeks. Prefers a well-drained to dry neutral to alkaline soil in a sunny position. The flowers are rich in pollen making this a good bee plant.

HARVESTED: 2019

 

APPROX. 200+ SEEDS