Common Verbena, Holy Herb, Herb of the Cross, Juno’s Tears Wild Hyssop, Enchanter’s Plant, Wild Verbena, Mosquito Plant, Simpler’s Joy, Indian Hyssop, Blue Vervain, Pigeon’s Grass, Pigeonweed.
Floriography: Enchantment and Sensibility
Vervain can be used to refer to the entire Verbena genus containing approximately 250 species. The medicinal verbena, v.officinialis, also called Vervain is native to Britain, Europe and the Mediterranean.
Verbena Officinalis is an erect, branched perennial wildflower with lobed toothed leaves and small five-petaled flowers on shoots. The vervain flower can bloom light blue to purple flowers, but some vervain will bloom with pink or white flowers. In late summer it produces wiry spike bearing tiny pale flowers.
Cultivation:
Sow seed in spring and plant out when well rooted. Vervain may also be propagates in spring by root division and root cuttings. The hardy perennial prefers a well-drained but moist, loamy soil in full sun or part shade. Established plants require regular watering or their growth will slow.
In receptive conditions, vervain will self-seed prolifically.
History and Lore:
The use of vervain for medicinal, ceremonial, and superstitious purposes goes back thousands of years.
Another name for vervain is “herba sacra” given by the romans, so called because the plant was found growing on Mount Calvary after Christ’s crucifixion and was used to staunch Jesus’ wounds after his removal from the cross. The Romans also used Vervain to bless their altars while the Greeks called it “hierobotane” or “holy plant”. Hippocrates was said to have recommended Vervain for fever and plague due to the cooling properties the plant possessed according to his humoral theory.
Vervain continued to be a sacred plant across many civilisations such as ancient Egypt who believed the plant sprung from the tears of Isis while mourning the loss of the God Osiris.
During the Middle Ages, Vervain was often used in folk medicine and as a key ingredient for magician’s and witches’ potions, it offered both protection and worded as an aphrodisiac giving it the name “herba veneris” or “herb of love”. The ancient Druids of Ireland believed that vervain held supernatural powers, the ability to bring help and protect from baneful spells cast against you. Worshippers of Thor in Scandinavia also used Vervain in ceremonies calling upon its mystical powers.
1870: The History and Practice of Magic by Paul Christian (Jean-Baptiste Pitois)
“Would you like to make a Mandragora, as powerful as the homunculus (little man in a bottle) so praised by Paracelsus? Then find a root of the plant called bryony. Take it out of the ground on a Monday (the day of the moon), a little time after the vernal equinox. Cut off the ends of the root and bury it at night in some country churchyard in a dead man's grave. For 30 days, water it with cow's milk in which three bats have been drowned. When the 31st day arrives, take out the root in the middle of the night and dry it in an oven heated with branches of verbena; then wrap it up in a piece of a dead man's winding-sheet and carry it with you everywhere.”
To attract love and keep yourself safe from all harm, carry a small piece of vervain on your body or in your pocket/
Bury some Vervain in your garden near your house and not only will your garden flourish but money will also begin to flow freely into your life in miraculous ways.
To instill a sense of peace and well-being, scatter the dried herb around you. Rubbing it in your hands will calm your emotions and those of anyone you speak to.
Medicinal Use:
Nicholas Culpeper regarded Vervain primarily as a remedy for women’s complaints. It is used today for uterine problems, painful and irregular menstruations and menopause related hot flushes, palpitations and disturbed sleep. Culpepper also used it for gout, yellow jaundice, shortness of breath and dropsy (oedema/ edema).
In Chinese medicine, vervain was used against malaria. In the West it had uses in alleviating nervous conditions, depression, anxiety and insomnia. Used externally it was a treatment for cuts, burns, sore and wounds. Overall it had a reputation as a cure-all.
Traditional and Current Uses:
Digestive Tonic: Vervain improves the function of the digestive system and absorption of food.
Nervous System: Vervain is prized as a restorative for the nervous system and is especially helpful for nervous tension. It is thought to have a mild anti-depressant action and is used to specifically to treat anxiety and the nervous exhaustion following long-term stress.
Convalescence: By aiding the digestion and restoring the nervous system, vervain is an ideal tonic for people recovering from chronic illness.
Headaches and Migraines: Vervain alleviates headaches and is used in Chinese herbal medicine for migraines connected with the menstrual cycle.
Hildegard von Bingen generally classifies the plant as “cooling.” Within Hildegard medicine she references vervain and verbena to treat swelling and inflammation in the throat, to heal ulcers, to treat jaundice, tooth and gum infections, and to reduce gum inflammation.
The bioactive compounds naturally contained in the Vervain plant interact with your body. The result of these interactions is how vervain helps you heal or relieves discomfort of underlying illness or injury. The medicinal effects of vervain include:
Antispasmodic (relaxant)
Antipyretic (fever reducing)
Diuretic (water reducer)
Astringent (constrictive)
Antibacterial
Anti-inflammatory
The natural astringent activity of vervain is what makes it a good oral rinse for bleeding gums and mouth ulcers. Gargling vervain with lukewarm water also helps to relieve sore throat inflammation.
Vervain is anti-spasmodic, which makes it a great way to relieve cramps. The fever-reducing properties of vervain are also great for minor colds or fevers. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it a great natural remedy for many different conditions. You can use vervain for the following conditions:
Digestive issues
Urinary tract infections
Kidney stones
Gout & jaundice
Headaches
Insomnia
Anxiety & Depression
Improve lactation
General pain relief, especially joint pain
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