by Merle Emrich
Yarrow
Also known as arrowroot, death flower, and hundred-leaved grass, yarrow comes by its botanical name from Greek mythology as Achilles ensured that his army always stocked up on the plant to treat battle wounds. Thus Achillea is paired with millefolium which is derived from yarrow’s featherlike leaves. Yarrow is a traditional medicinal plant used to stop bleeding but also to treat fevers and colds. It is a food source for many insects and birds use it to build their nests.
St. John’s Wort
Since at least the first century CE, St. John’s wort was known as a panacea—a cure for everything and anything, and even nowadays it finds its use as an antidepressant. The flowering plant was often harvested and hung on doors to ward off evil during the time of Midsummer which became St. John’s Day during Christianization; hence its name.
Thistle
Popular among butterflies, the thistle counts many species to its family, including milk thistle, spear thistle (or bull thistle), and artichoke thistle. While it is the artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) that tends to find its way into many kitchens, the stems of the spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), too, can be eaten when peeled and steamed or boiled. Even the roots of the not-yet-flowering plant can be eaten, and in Italy, the florets are at times used for curdling goat’s milk to make cheese. The milk thistle (Silybum marianum), on the other hand, has medicinal properties that might be able to lower blood sugar levels for type two diabetes, and it was used to treat liver and gallbladder problems.
Field Horsetail
Field horsetail is also known as snake grass, meadow pine, foxtail rush, and puzzle grass since it is possible to take apart the stem segments and stick them back together. Yet, more impressive perhaps is that it is a “living fossil” as a member of the Equisetidae subclass which is over 100 million years old. During the late Paleozoic era—when life crawled out of the oceans onto land and the first modern plants (conifers) developed—they grew as tall as 30 meters and dominated the forests’ understory. Throughout our own—comparatively brief history—humans have found many uses for this plant: As food, to polish pewter and wood, and as a remedy for ailments such as skin disorders, kidney problems, and lung diseases.
Lady’s Bedstraw
Lady’s bedstraw is yet another plant whose uses are manifold. As stuffing in medieval mattresses its scent kept away the fleas, its flowers were used in cheese making. It can be used to make red and yellow dyes, and in Denmark, it is part of a spirit called bjæsk. In Scandinavia, it was used as a sedative and associated with the goddess Frigg and her role in helping women give birth, and Cú Chulainn—the hero from Gaelic mythology—is said to have drunk tea made of lady’s bedstraw to calm his battle frenzy.
Wild Parsnip
While the sap contained in the stem and leaves can cause rashes and blistering, especially when exposed to sunlight, and even blindness, the parsnip root is a delicious vegetable, already known to and cultivated by the Romans who believed it to be an aphrodisiac. It was used in Europe as a source of sugar before being replaced by cane and beet sugars.
Chamomile
Both the flowers of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) are used for calming teas that may even help treat insomnia. Historically, the flowers as well as the more bitter-tasting stems and leaves have been used in beer brewing.
Mugwort
Mugwort was used as a remedy for fatigue and to protect travelers from dangers such as evil spirits and wild animals. Roman soldiers, for instance, would put mugwort leaves in their sandals. Yet, already since latest the Iron Age—the time of Celts, preceding the rise of the Roman Republic—the plant was used to flavor beer, as well as for medicinal and spiritual purposes.