Verbena

Weed with a past May 10, 2008 Vervain (Verbena officinalis), a native to the Mediterranean, has naturalized here as a weed. It isn't really much to look at as a garden plant. It has however a colorful and dramatic history. For instance, the Egyptians believed the plant originated from the tears the goddess Isis shed at the death of Osiris. The Romans went a step farther and consecrated the herb (verbena is derived from the Latin for sacred boughs) to use for the purification of their private homes and temples. Brides picked and formed wreaths to wear at their weddings, and medicinally it was used as a remedy for both diarrhea and snakebite. Both the Persians and the Druids used vervain as a cure-all, the latter taking it so far as to use it for divination. According to the Druids, the plant was only effective if harvested when neither sun nor moon were in the sky. They also believed a payback was needed for picking and so left honeycombs wherever they removed the herb. The Christians also embraced this nondescript weed, calling it 'herb-of-the-cross', believing Christ's wounds on Calvary were staunched with the leaves. In medieval times it was said to be a witches' herb used in many spells, especially love spells. Funnily enough, it was used at the same time for protection against witches and witchery. It was also used during this era very widely as a medicinal herb and the court physician for Theodosius I used it to cure tumours of the throat--although the medieval method of doing so wasn't too scientific. The physician would cut a piece of vervain root in half, tying one part around the throat of the inflicted and the other part over a fire. As the root above the fire shriveled and dried out so too would the tumor. Hmmm, I wonder how many cures he performed. It arrived in North America with the Puritans and medicinal use continued for years for a panacea of illnesses. Don't experiment with it though as the glycoside content causes vomiting even in moderate doses. Tip: Sprinkle some aromatic herbs (about 1/2 cup) on the carpet before vacuuming. Vacuum them up and the nice fragrance will remain after cleaning. Superstition: A medieval method to get rid of pimples instructs to go outside at night with a handful of vervain in a hankie. When a shooting star goes by rub the hankie over the pimples and they'll disappear. The hankie is important because if bare hands are used, the pimples will simply be transferred onto them. ©The Powell River Peak 2008