Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
Flowers: June to September. Height: 100cm (39in).
Also known as Church Steeple (because the tiny yellow flowers form a terminal spike), Sticklewort, Fairy’s Wand and Garclive (Anglo Saxon). The word Agrimony comes from the Greek Argemone, a word given to plants used to heal the eyes.
The name Eupatoria refers to the powerful Greek king of Pontus, Mithridates Eupator (d. 63 BC), a renowned concocter of herbal remedies.
Medicinal: This herb was one of the most famous vulnerary herbs, used for the treatment of wounds on the medieval battlefield to halt bleeding and taken with a mixture of pounded frogs and human blood as a remedy for all internal haemorrhages. The flowers were soaked in water overnight and cleaning the eyes with this water helped improve eyesight. An infusion, ‘plague water’, was taken as a remedy to treat the plague and also to treat snakebite.
Culinary: Fresh or dried flowers make a pleasant tea.
Myth & Magic: Traditional British folklore says that if a sprig of Agrimony was placed under a person’s head, they would sleep until it was removed.
