Tanacetum vulgare
| Tanacetum vulgare | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Tanacetum vulgare (common name: tansy)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the pot to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant out in the summer.
Division is very simple at almost any time in the growing season, though spring is probably best. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1]. Plants thrive in almost any soil[2].
Tansy is occasionally grown in the herb garden, though a site for growing this plant should be selected with care since it usually spreads very aggressively at the roots[2][3]. There are some named varieties[4]. 'Fernleaf' is a more decorative compact form to about 75cm, it does not spread so quickly.
A good plant to grow in the orchard, when grown under fruit trees, raspberries, roses etc it repels insects from them[5].
The flowering plant attracts hoverflies and butterflies.
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, to the Caucasus, Armenia and Siberia.
Habitat: A common plant of waste ground, hedgerows etc[6].
Edibility: Young leaflets - raw or cooked[7][8][9][10][11]. They can be added in small quantities to salads[12]. The plant is also used as a flavouring, it is a substitute for nutmeg and cinnamon[13][14][15][16][17]. This plant is not recommended for internal use[18].
The flowers have a unique flavour and are eaten or used as a garnish[12].
A bitter, somewhat lemon-flavoured tea is made from the leaves and flowering stems[12].
Medicinal: Tansy is a commonly grown domestic remedy, useful in treating a wide range of complaints, though it is little used in modern herbalism[2][19]. Its main value is as a vermifuge to expel intestinal worms and, to a lesser degree, to help stimulate menstrual bleeding[19]. Tansy should be used with caution, however, it is possibly unsafe for internal use, especially if you are pregnant[4]. The essential oil in the leaves is toxic and as little as ½oz can kill an adult[20][21].
The leaves and flowering tops are anthelmintic, antispasmodic, bitter, carminative, emmenagogue, stimulant and tonic[2][8][22][20][23][24]. An infusion of the leaves or whole plant is used to treat menstrual irregularities and as an anthelmintic, especially for children[2][25]. It is also valuable in treating hysteria, kidney weaknesses, stomach problems, fevers and also as an emmenagogue[2]. In larger doses the plant can procure an abortion, though these doses can be poisonous[25]. Externally, tansy is used as a poultice on swellings and some eruptive skin diseases[2]. It is also used externally to kill lice, fleas and scabies, though even external use of the plant carries the risk of toxicity[19]. The plant is harvested as it is coming into flower and is dried for later use[2].
The seeds are used as an anthelmintic[26].
Usage: A green dye is obtained from the young shoots[2][17]. The leaves and flowers can also be used and a yellow can also be obtained[27].
The plant is used as a strewing herb in cellars, churches etc in order to repel insects[2][3][28][29][5][4]. Both the growing and the dried plant are said to repel flies, ants and fleas, especially if they are mixed with elder leaves (Sambucus spp.)[2][13][3][30][18][5]. The leaves and the flowering shoots contain 0.15% of an essential oil that contains camphor, borneol and thujone[8][25]. Both the leaves and the oil and they have been used to kill fleas and lice[25]. Thujone is an effective insecticide, but it is highly toxic to mammals when taken in excess[4].
The plant is a good addition to the compost heap, being valued for its mineral content[18].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beetles, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant is poisonous if large quantities are ingested[28][20][31]. There have been cases of death in N. America from drinking strong brews of the tea, presumably as an abortifacient[26].
Also Known As: T. aubiderti. Chrysanthemum vulgare. C. tanacetum.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ Harris, Ben. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health, 1973.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.