Herb of the Week: Agrimony

Herb Of The Week: Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria)

                                                             (photo from Wikipedia)
Parts Used: Above ground plant parts, usually in dried form

Properties: Astringent, anti-septic, anti-parasitic, diuretic, haemostatic

About: Agrimony is probably best known for it’s throat soothing properties. Performers gargle with it to clear their throats, but it is also helpful to the average person to soothe an inflamed throat.

It may also be used to treat wounds due to it’s anti-septic properties. Agrimony is also used for intestinal problems and loose stools. Internal hemorrhage problems are also treated with this herb. This includes if you have bleeding ulcers on your GI tract, are bleeding between menstruations, or are bleeding too heavily.

Filter organs such as the liver, kidneys, spleen, and gallbladder are helped in their duties by Agrimony. In addition, skin eruptions, pimples, blotches, boils, etc.

Warnings: None known

Dye Color:  Deep yellow from leaves and stems harvested in the fall, ivory-tan from summer harvests.


Anything else you can think of to add to Agrimony's entry? Please leave your experiences in the comments box. Thanks!

Herb of the Week: Acacia

Herb Of The Week: Acacia


Part used:  all (flowers, bark, leaves, pods, stems, roots, etc)

Properties: anti-bacterial, anti-biotic, anti-catarrhal, anti-fungal, anti-helmintic, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-microbial, astringent, haemostatic, mucilaginous (roots and sap gum a.k.a. gum arabic), sedative (leaves and flowers)

About: Acacia is good for people with stomach ulcers, especially considering the sedative action of the leaves and flowers. Stress is the usual cause of gastrointestinal ulcerations, so all parts of this plant can be used to heal the body and mind together.

A decoction of the plant is also helpful in cases of internal hemorrhaging. I would recommend using the roots for this.

Most cultures in poorer countries know Acacia for its helpfulness in relieving sore throats, laryngitis, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, dysentery, and parasites. Unfortunately, most Westerners presume that we do not contract parasitic infections because we are so much more ‘clean’ and ‘civilized’. This is completely untrue.

Even wealthy pet owners have their dogs de-wormed, so it’s a safe bet to say that we should also probably look to ourselves for internal healing. Acacia is one of many plants that can restore your health by ridding you of parasites and worms.

Acacia is also listed as one of the top 15 anti-biotic herbs in the world, and can be used as teas, washes, powders (for sealing wounds and in tooth powder preparations for bleeding gums), and tinctures.

Use the sap gum, also known as gum arabic, for internal ulcerations in a tea of 1 part gum to 3 parts water. This can be dissolved in cold water and is odorless and tasteless.

Warnings: None

Dye Color: Acacia bark and root are good sources of tannic acid, which can produce a tea-stained wash to a darker brown depending on what material you dye.