Sanguisorba officinalis 

'Great Burnet'

[Ex. Co. Durham, England]

Rosaceae: an elegant, hairless perennial of damp grassland and riverbanks. The tiny, reddish purple flowers, form dense, ovoid heads on long stalks, flowering from June-September. The leaves are pinnately divided, comprising of 3-7 pairs of oval, toothed leaflets. Local and sadly declining, and common only in central and Northern England. Native to most of Europe, including Britain, temperate Asia, China and Japan.

USES:

The young leaves and flower buds can be used raw or cooked. They should be harvested in the spring before the plant comes into flower, and have a cucumber flavour, normally added to salads or used as a potherb. The fresh or dried leaves can be used as a tea substitute.

Great burnet is employed mainly for its astringent action, being used to slow or arrest blood flow. It is taken both internally and externally internally and is a safe and effective treatment. Modern research in China has shown that the whole herb heals burns more effectively than the extracted tannins (the astringent component of the plant). Patients suffering from eczema showed marked improvement when treated with an ointment made from the root and petroleum jelly. The leaves are astringent, refrigerant, styptic and tonic. They are used in the treatment of fevers and bleeding. The plant is prevented from flowering and then the leaves are harvested in July and dried for later use. The root is anodyne, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, haemostatic, tonic and vulnerary. It is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, haematuria, menorrhagia, bloody stool, dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and burns. The root is harvested in the autumn as the leaves die down and dried for later use. All parts of the plant are astringent, but the root is most active. Great burnet is an excellent internal treatment for all sorts of abnormal discharges including diarrhoea, dysentery and leucorrhoea. It is used externally in the treatment of burns, scalds, sores and skin diseases. This species was ranked 19th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential anti-fertility plants.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Rapidly germinating, keep seed in constant moisture (not wet) with temperatures of about +20°C [68°F]. Seeds must be covered thinly. Do not cover very small seeds, but tightly press into the earth. Keep in cooler conditions after germination occurs. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade. Plants grow well in very poor soils and likes a dry chalky soil. This species is hardy to about -25°C.

Good honey-bee food plant!

HARVESTED:

 
APPROX. 200+ SEEDS