Eupatorium cannabinum

'Hemp Agrimony'

[Ex. Co. Durham, England]

Asteraceae: a tall, upright, downy perennial of damp grassland and scrub. The flowers are dull pinkish lilac, in terminal clusters 3-7cm across, flowering from July-September. The leaves are trifoliate, in opposite pairs up the stem. Common, except in the north of the country. Native to most of Europe, including Britain, to North Africa, western and central Asia.

USES:

Hemp agrimony has been employed chiefly as a detoxifying herb for fevers, colds, flu and other viral conditions. It also stimulates the removal of waste products via the kidneys. Due to its content of alkaloids, the plant should only be used under professional supervision. The leaves and flowering tops are alterative, cholagogue, depurative, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, febrifuge, purgative and tonic. The plant has a long history of use as a gentle laxative that does not provoke irritation, though excessive doses cause purging and vomiting. A tea made from the dried leaves will give prompt relief if taken at the onset of influenza. Recent research has shown that the plant might have anti-tumour activity, though the plant also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause damage or cancer to the liver.

 

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds in spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed.

This is a very good butterfly* & bee plant!

 

HARVESTED: 2023*