Agrimony

Uses for Agrimony

This is an old plant found in waste land in the UK, although not too far north in Scotland.
High in tannin, Agrimony is used as a tonic and astringent,
Agrimony was used to staunch bleeding and for centuries was used as a liver tonic, and to cure jaundice.
Currently it is used by herbalists to ease diarrhoea, urinary tract complaints and as a gargle for sore throats and sore bleeding gums.
Approved by the German Commission E for internal uses for mild diarrhoea and sore throat.  
An infusion can be used as a skin wash for mild irritations, eczema, oily skin, sprains and bruises.
Mrs M Grieve states in her Modern Herbal “Sheep and goats will eat this plant, but cattle, horses and swine leave it untouched”.
Agrimony makes a pale yellow dye when all parts of the plant are gathered in March, but a far deeper color when collected later into the winter, before the plant goes into its semi-hibernation.

Preparation

Use 1 tbs of the fresh herb or 1 tsp of the dried herb and pour one cup of boiling water over the herb to make an infusion.
More tannin will be extracted, the longer the herb is left to infuse.
For sore throats use 1tbs of the fresh herb and ½ tbs of parsley to make your infusion. Use as a gargle or drink half of the infusion at each end of the day.
This herb is considered safe and non-toxic in moderate amounts.

Drying

Pick when in full flower and dry on a rack in a warm shady place, or in a dehumidifier.
Store in airtight containers for up to one year.

Growing

Grows well in dry soil, although its natural habitat is wet and boggy places. This is a resilient plant but it has a long taproot and does not like to be moved once in place. It prefers full sun but will adapt to partial shade. It goes into a semi hibernation and mostly disappears through winter but comes back in multiple in summer although it is not invasive unless it starts to germinate seeds in the wrong places. The seeds usually need a period of cold and damp to germinate the following spring. The seeds are in burrs and can stick to clothing and animal fur.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.