Family: Acanthaceae
Species: Acanthus mollis
Origin: Europe
Plant: Perennial
Height: Up to 1 m
Soil: Deeply dug, well-composted soil
Exposure: Light shade
Propagation: Seeds
Uses: Medicinal
Bear’s breeches
Family: Acanthaceae
Species: Acanthus mollis
Origin: Europe
Plant: Perennial
Height: Up to 1 m
Soil: Deeply dug, well-composted soil
Exposure: Light shade
Propagation: Seeds
Uses: Medicinal
The beautiful acanthus leaf was immortalised in the fifth century BC when elaborate Corinthian capitals were decorated with sculpted acanthus leaves. It was a medicinal plant of great repute in the ancient world, but has been almost completely forgotten. Medical science is now researching its long-known ability to reduce pain and increase repair in dislocated joints and for its role in normalising affected ligaments and muscles and the treatment of burns.
In my early years as a physiotherapist, acanthus gel was manufactured for application on dislocated joints and I used warm, fresh acanthus leaves held in place with a warm towel, which improved mobility and comfort. Today acanthus gel is no longer available commercially and the use of warmed leaves has been forgotten. It is an old-fashioned garden plant suited to shady areas, and one of nature’s tried-and-tested wound-healing plants.
CULTIVATION
Acanthus is an evergreen perennial offered for sale at most nurseries. It thrives in rich, deeply dug soil; I use a mix of half topsoil and half compost, and add bone meal and rock dust (one cup per hole) sprinkled all around and dug in. Water the plant deeply, twice a week in summer, and once a week or less in winter. Make a ‘dam’ around the plant so that it retains water. Place three plants together in one hole, spaced 30 cm apart. Acanthus plants mature quickly and the huge leaves are spectacular. The plant becomes almost dormant in cold winter areas and needs to be cut back, with a good dressing of compost and rock dust to encourage new growth.
PROPAGATION
Acanthus establishes itself easily, self-seeding and coming up in many cool, shady places.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick the leaves throughout the growing season to use fresh. The long flowering stems are much used by florists, and at one time the dried flowering stems were popular in spectacular flower arrangements.
MEDICINAL USES
Acanthus leaves are wonderfully soothing if warmed and wrapped around an aching back. Alternatively, wrap a fresh leaf or two over aching feet or sore shoulders and then lie in a hot bath. The leaf saps and juices, together with the warm water, ease away tension and strain. The addition of Epsom salts to this bath makes a relaxing skin-softening ritual you will come to enjoy.
Washed and crushed roots and leaf stems can be used in a poultice over a dislocated joint (once the joint has been put back in place). Secure the poultice with a hot towel. Done daily or twice daily, it will reduce the discomfort and swelling.
Acanthus tea is rich in mucilage and is also excellent as a wound wash, as a mild laxative and to soothe the digestive tract, especially after eating rich or spicy food. Bile is also stimulated by this tea, and acanthus tea has been a much-appreciated treatment for discomfort in the gallbladder area. I can remember my grandmother sipping it slowly. Acanthus tea was also one of the first remedies given by doctors for bladder inflammation and cystitis, and it was a well-known treatment used to cleanse the liver.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup chopped acanthus leaf. Stir thoroughly and allow the tea to stand for five minutes before straining and sipping slowly.
As a digestive tonic, sip a wineglass of acanthus tea before a meal, and then another glass after the meal. This will ensure both an improved appetite and excellent digestion. As the juice of the leaf and stem is so soothing to the lining of the mouth, throat and digestive tract, a gargle of the tea was once a recommended treatment.
I started making a healing acanthus cream some years ago for minor burns and sunburn, and find it wonderfully soothing.
Wrap a warm acanthus leaf around a swelling or a sprain and submerge in warm water with Epsom salts.
African marigold
Family Asteraceae
Species: Tagetes species: T. erecta (African or Aztec marigold), T. patula (French marigold), T. minuta (khakibos), T. tenuifolia
Origin: Mexico
Plant: Annual
Height: Up to 50 cm
Soil: Any soil; thrives in compost-rich soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seed
Uses: Culinary, medicinal, insecticidal
Tagetes is a fascinating genus of around 50 species of robust and showy annuals and perennials that have found a place in gardens worldwide, where they are known as ‘African marigold’ and are used as insect repellents. The name ‘marigold’ comes from ‘Mary’s gold’, given for the richly golden flowers. Looking ahead, marigolds have the potential to play an important role both for their medicinal and their remarkable insecticidal properties.
As a young farmer’s wife, I struggled to keep our family’s ‘lifeline’ of organic vegetables pest-free. The answer came when I saw herders picking pungent khakibos to rub over tick-infested animals; I learned to gather khakibos seedlings and replant these vibrant little jewels in our vegetable and flower gardens to repel pests. The crops soon grew richly abundant because of the interplanting with khakibos, and later with French marigold, too.
We used marigold and khakibos leaves and flowers to make strong ‘drenches’ in which to bath the farm dogs; to keep dried seeds insect-free; and to keep ants out of the garden. Combined with soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), we also made aphid sprays and shampoos to keep fleas and ticks off the pets.
WARNING: Do not confuse the name ‘marigold’ with Calendula officinalis, which is known as ‘marigold’ overseas, particularly in Britain.
CULTIVATION
Plant 30 cm apart in well-dug well-composted rows where they will reseed over and over again. At the Herbal Centre we have a very attractive cross-pollinated variety that is quick to propagate and grow. We reap seed throughout the summer and the brilliant orange flowers keep up a spectacular show through the hot months.
PROPAGATION
Scatter the seeds into seed trays or into a well-dug bed in semi-shade. Keep moist and shaded with leafy twigs until big and sturdy enough to handle and prick out. At very hot times, water twice daily.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick sprays, flowers and leaves continuously. Pulling up whole plants for sprays is worthwhile, particularly as the plant sets seed so prolifically and seed saving is vital. Dry the seeds in cardboard boxes and trays, turning daily, until bone dry, then label and store in screw-top jars.
Continually harvest and dry marigold seeds, to use throughout summer; the seeds germinate rapidly.
COMPANION PLANTING
Marigolds are vital between rows of vegetables; I can even grow kale in summer if it is kept lightly shaded and thickly interplanted with marigolds. We also plant marigolds around roses, and as strawberry companions marigolds are worth their weight in gold. This is a companion plant you cannot do without, and summer gardens draw bees and butterflies in abundance, thanks to its bright presence.
There is a newly found, very attractive marigold called T. tenuifolia that shows its pretty face of a mass of small, single-petalled flowers on a metre-high perennial bush of lacy leaves. Richly fragrant, it bravely faces the onslaught of insects and keeps all the plants insect-free in a wide area around it, including our asparagus plantings. This plant is worth searching for, and as an organic gardener I am enchanted with it!
CULINARY USES
Dried marigold leaves and petals have been used for centuries to flavour soups, stews and sauces. Salad dressings can include marigold petals used fresh or dried. They taste delicious and are well known for their digestive calming effect too. Dried petals added to spicy mixes have become a favourite at the Herbal Centre restaurant. Grind over savoury dishes, especially roasted sweet potatoes, pumpkin and brinjals.
MEDICINAL USES
Marigold tea is a soothing digestive, easing colic, sour belching and tummy rumblings and destroying internal parasites. This unusual tea is effective against many pathogenic organisms; khakibos is also used with great effect as a tea for intestinal worms.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh petals, buds and leaves. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly. A touch of honey and lemon juice can be added.
An external wash of marigolds and khakibos is a valuable treatment for skin infections and haemorrhoids, infected mosquito bites, rashes, heat rashes and grazes.
Tagetes tenuifolia
OTHER USES
To make an insect-repelling spray, fill a bucket with khakibos sprigs and marigold flowers and sprigs and cover with boiling water. Cool the mixture overnight with the bucket lid on. Strain and use as a spray for aphids, mildew, fungus, sooty mould and scale. Repeat daily for four days. Also water the brew down ants’ holes and use as a room spray for mosquitoes.
Extracts from bright orange marigold petals are used commercially to colour butter, cheeses, creams, custards, yogurts, ice-cream, poultry feed and even fabric.
Agastache
Korean mint
Family Lamiaceae
Species: Agastache rugosa
Origin: Central to east Asia
Plant: Perennial
Height: Up to 1 m
Soil: Well-dug, well-composted soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Small cuttings
Uses: Medicinal
The Agastache genus of richly scented perennials is a fascinating one and has been in use in China, Korea and Thailand since AD 500. The plants deserve to be brought to popular attention again as they are valuable for treating many everyday ailments (Korean mint is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese herbology). ‘Agastache’ is Greek for ‘many spikes’.
In my early years in the Herbal Centre gardens, I grew A. rugosa (Korean mint) and A. foeniculum (anise hyssop), using the leaves for teas and traditional Chinese medicinal applications. Recently a spectacular new cultivar ‘Lavender fields’ (A. rupestris) became available that is heat tolerant and able to thrive in dry, nutrient-poor soil. It is an excellent nectar plant for bees; the fine honey from it tastes slightly of aniseed. It makes a charming cut flower and a delicious tea, and it draws bees and butterflies to the garden.
CULTIVATION
Agastache needs full sun and deeply dug, richly composted soil. Being a mint, it thrives with a long, slow, weekly watering. The tall stems are topped with thumb-length mauve flowers and the plant is hardy and easy to grow. Cut back the spent blooms after their magnificent 6–8-week show; you will often get another crop of flowers before the winter. Use the spent blooms, stalks and leaves in the compost heap; they aerate it beautifully, taking time to decompose.
Agastache loves compost, so dig in liberal amounts around the clump and water in deeply.
PROPAGATION
Slice little tufts off the mother clump and replant in moist, richly composted soil or in bags for replanting later.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
The leaves, stems and flowers can be chopped finely, dried, and kept dust-free in tea boxes for winter use.
MEDICINAL USES
The delicious minty flavour of agastache tea makes it a comforting digestive, good for heartburn, colic, bloating, belching, flatulence and spasms.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh leaves; let the tea stand for five minutes, strain and sip slowly. Add a touch of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice and three slices of ginger to the tea to relieve colds, flu, bronchitis, coughing and fever, and to clear mucus, congestion and a tight wheezing chest.
A wonderful oil can be made from the stems, flowers and buds. Sold and labelled as ‘rugosa oil’, it is a traditional oil used on dry rashes, dry skin, cracked heels, and the skin around the fingernails. It is easy to make and very useful as a calming and soothing massage oil. In the case of strains, sprains and aching muscles, warm the oil by submerging the bottle in hot water before applying it as a gentle massage oil.
In rural areas in North and Central America, A. foeniculum grows indigenously and the oil is part of traditional folk medicine. It is used to massage tired feet and legs and for backache and stiff shoulders and neck; it is also rubbed across the forehead and temples to soothe a tension headache. Some ancient medical texts describe agastache as a strain, sprain and bruise poultice and I have found it to be beautifully comforting in a cream for just this.
The Chinese used the leaves warmed in hot water as a poultice, with the hot leaves quickly easing the swelling and discomfort. In Chinese medicine agastache can also be used as a steaming herb. Add the leaves to a bowl of boiling water and hold a towel over the head to make a ‘steam tent’ and breathe deeply to ease congestion.
For a sprained finger, submerge a fresh agastache flower and leaves in hot water and hold these in place with a warmed bandage.
Agave
Maguey / Century plant
Family Agavaceae
Species: Agave americana
Origin: Southern USA, South America, Mexico
Plant: Large monocarpic succulent
Height: 2 m
Soil: Arid, sandy soil, not fussy
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds and small plants
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The Agave genus consists of about 300 species and occurs naturally in hot dry regions of the Americas. Many of the species have edible parts and are used medicinally, many are used to make potent alcoholic beverages, and several have sisal within the leaves. Agave americana has excellent leaf fibre and is becoming a valuable plant ecologically as it grows where little else thrives and on minimal rainfall. It is being used extensively for arid land reclamation and its medicinal values are coming into the limelight.
CULTIVATION
Plant out in long rows in full sun, in well-composted and deeply dug soil, spaced 3 m apart. Growers use drip irrigation to each plant. The plant produces one flowering stem when mature, after 10 years (or more in colder climates), and dies after flowering. However, agave seeds prolifically, with many small plants appearing under the spread of their huge leaves. Agave is a popular feature plant in many gardens, especially Agave americana marginata, which has yellow stripes along the leaf margins. The plants are used by farmers in desolate areas as a natural protective ‘fence’ due to their needle-sharp spines.
PROPAGATION
Scatter the well-crushed seed pods over moist well-dug soil or scatter the seed in separate bags or pots. Alternatively, wait for the tall flowering stem to mature. Tiny plants will form after the seed ripens at the ends of the branches. The little sisal plants can be pulled off when they are sturdy and thumb-length in size, and can be planted in individual bags filled with compost mixed with topsoil. Allow them to stabilise for 3–5 weeks, then start moving them out into the sun for a longer time each day, until they are hardy and ready to be planted out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Cut the leaves as soon as they reach arm length. The younger leaves do not have the necessary juice content in the bases, so do not be in too much of a hurry to harvest. Processing is immediate as the whole core is used and the liquid content is critical. It is necessary to crush and press the plant through mechanical rollers (I started with an old washing-machine roller that I adapted and it worked well; this is worth looking into for small-scale processing). The juice is then utilised in different ways and makes a delicious base for fruit juices. The tall flowering spikes make attractive ‘Christmas trees’ in arid areas!
CULINARY USES
Roasted agave hearts and young flower stalks are popular in Spain and Mexico, where they are sold as a street food in markets. Certain agave species are used to produce agave syrup or ‘nectar’, which is sweeter than honey, with a very high fructose content.
MEDICINAL USES
Agave is listed in many old American pharmacopoeias as a valuable medicinal plant. It was used as an anti-inflammatory herb, and as an excellent digestive herb to ease constipation, flatulence, indigestion, colic, bloating and dysentery. Agave tea is known to increase perspiration, to relieve a fever, and it is an excellent diuretic. Beneficial results have been found for jaundice, and the tea has remained a popular medication for muscular tension, spasm and aching joints and can even be used in creams and added to massage oils. Agave has become a valuable health drink, with the sweet sap benefiting arthritic patients.
TO MAKE AGAVE TEA: Gently simmer one cup of dried, chopped leaf bases in two litres of water for an hour, with the lid on. Stir and press frequently with a spoon, then cool and strain the tea. One cup three times a day is the standard dose, taken after meals. Lemon juice and cinnamon are often added as some agaves are slightly bitter.
Baby agave plants maturing on the tall, flowering spike
Externally, the leaf sap can be applied to burns and rashes. However, it can irritate the skin in some people, so try a test patch on the inside of the wrist. Saponin-rich extracts from the root are used to make soap, especially for oily acne skin, and today soft sisal washcloths and body brushes are available to help clear and revitalise the skin. Traditionally, pads of sisal fibres soaked in warm water were used to soothe aching joints, backaches and sprains.
OTHER USES
Sisal (Agave sisalana) is used to manufacture string, rope, mats and blinds, and the plant is being trialled for its natural insecticidal uses.
Twine made from sisal fibres – every gardener’s mainstay
From ancient times, the sweet liquid in the flowering agave stem has been fermented to make a potent alcoholic beverage known as ‘pulque’. Tequila is also distilled from agave.
Ajuga
Carpet bugle
Family Lamiaceae
Species: Ajuga reptans
Origin: Eurasia
Plant: Evergreen groundcover, perennial
Height: 10 cm
Soil: Richly composted, deeply dug soil
Exposure: Light shade
Propagation: Rooted side shoots
Uses: Medicinal
Once a favourite plant, the carpet bugle has largely disappeared from our gardens, but deserves to be reinstated for its exceptionally useful medicinal applications. It is an old-fashioned groundcover and neat path edging that no cottage garden was once without. Pretty, variegated forms can now be found, such as Ajuga reptans ‘Ruby Glow’, a variegated pink form, A. reptans ‘Variegata’, and A. reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’, a deep purple form.
In 1653 the famous English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, wrote glowingly of it: ‘If the virtues of Ajuga repens (bugle) make you fall in love with it (as they will if you be wise), keep a syrup of it to take inwardly, and an ointment and plaister of it to use outwardly, always near to you.’ The herb was an ingredient in a popular medication kept in every household, known as ‘traumatick decoction’, which was registered in the London Dispensatory in 1694. It was taken for falls, injuries, shocks, wounds and accidents, and it was often used by carpenters and stonemasons, hence the plant’s common name, ‘carpenter’s herb’. Ajuga was also used for centuries as a cure for hangovers, and hot ajuga tea was offered at the inns and public houses.
CULTIVATION
Plant out in deeply dug, richly composted soil that is kept moist. Ajuga thrives in light shade and needs a light frost cover in midwinter. It has a dense spreading habit and is uniformly neat and attractive. The variegated and burgundy-shaded leaves are pretty when planted in patterns.
PROPAGATION
Carpet bugle is an easy perennial to propagate. Dig off rooted tufts or runners from the edges of the clump. Re-root them in moist, compost-rich soil in bags or pots until ready to plant out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick fresh leaves as needed to use medicinally and in teas, as ajuga is evergreen. In Europe, leaves are picked and dried for winter use: place the leaves on trays in the shade, and cover with brown paper to keep them dust- and fly-free. Turn the leaves daily; they usually take three days to dry. Store the dried leaves in large glass screw-top bottles. The flowering tips are edible and can be picked at any time except during the coldest months when ajuga does not flower prolifically.
MEDICINAL USES
Fresh ajuga lotion is still used today to treat wounds and grazes, and as a poultice over bruises, sprains and strains. It was once sold as a comforting massage cream, and remains popular today in some parts of the world as a tea served after a rich meal, the way a small black coffee is served.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼–½ cup fresh ajuga leaves. Add a slice of fresh ginger or lemon, stir well and strain. Sweeten with honey and sip slowly. This tea was taken as an after-dinner herb, as well as for indigestion, bloating, flatulence, and over-indulgence in food and wine.
The tea is also excellent as a gentle laxative. Take it hot after dinner and first thing in the morning. Five prunes soaked in ajuga tea overnight and then eaten for breakfast with a cup of hot ajuga tea will ease a stubborn bowel movement.
Serve ajuga tea hot after dinner as a digestive aid.
In the case of headaches, nervous tension and everyday discomforts, ajuga tea is soothing, uplifting and comforting, and it acts as a light painkiller. If the tea is made with extra honey it becomes the ‘syrup’ referred to by Nicholas Culpeper.
Ajuga leaves can also be made into a hot poultice. Soften and warm the leaves in hot water, then dry them in a large towel and place them warm over the area and bind in place. The poultice will relieve tumours, bruises, sprains, slow-healing wounds, and torn muscles and ligaments. Sip a cup of ajuga tea while having the treatment. Medicinal oils were very popular in the last century and need to be revived again as they are perfect on muscular aches and pains, bruises, sprains, swellings and stiffness, and they have a mild pain-reducing effect. I include ajuga in the massage creams I make for physiotherapists.
Akebia
Akebia vine
Family Lardizabalaceae
Species: Akebia quinata
Origin: China, Japan, Korea
Plant: Evergreen perennial climber (deciduous in cooler areas)
Height: Spread of stems can reach 5 m
Soil: Unfussy, the poorer the soil the more the flowers
Exposure: Sun, can take a little shade
Propagation: Cuttings, layering
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Akebia vine was once a garden feature found in the ‘rare’ section in nurseries, and was considered a collector’s plant. I am particularly drawn to it now for its potential to become one of our new antibiotics; it has enormously strong power to control bacterial and fungal infections, and it has a high potassium salt content, which few other plants have.
Akebia was listed in the ancient pharmacopoeias of Japan, China and Korea. There are two species, Akebia trifolata with three leaflets, and A. quinata with five leaflets. We grow the latter at the Herbal Centre. The small dark leaves of this pungent bitter herb were traditionally made into a wash for wounds and infected rashes, and taken as a tea to boost the immune system and clear infections. The scented maroon flowers and sausage-shaped violet fruits are also used medicinally.
CULTIVATION
Several vines need to be grown near each other in order to cross-pollinate. I have grown an akebia for over 20 years and although it makes lots of spring flowers, it has never made a single fruit – so I am searching for new plants to grow near my beauty! Akebia needs a deep compost-filled hole near a fence in full sun to start its new life, and frost-free conditions, if possible.
PROPAGATION
Pull one or two of the long vine tendrils down to the ground; the soil must be deeply dug, well composted and moist. Pin the tendrils into the soft soil with a looped wire. Cover a section of the tendril with soil and place a flat stone over it to keep it in place to root. I do several at a time and find if I carefully cut off the mother vine and leave it undisturbed, it eventually sends up leafy sprigs. Once it is sturdy, dig it up and plant it out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
The flowers can be picked in spring for teas, and the evergreen leaves can be picked fresh at any time for use in teas, medicines, oils and vinegars. In China and Japan, the pliable stems are stripped of their leaves and woven into baskets.
Akebia vinegar is ideal for pickling.
CULINARY USES
In China and Japan, akebia flowers and chopped fresh leaves remain popular in salads and sauces, and I have tasted the flowers dipped in batter and deep-fried as a snack or served with a dipping sauce, and found this to be delicious. Akebia vinegar is also still popular in China and Japan for pickling, and sweet-and-sour akebia vinegar is often combined with ginger slices, mushrooms or small onions. The pickles are delicious served with cold meats.
MAKES 4–6 JARS
MEDICINAL USES
Akebia is worth its weight in gold as an antibiotic, an anti-fungal, and as a strong diuretic (the latter due to its potassium content). It is also a reliable stimulant of the circulatory system and the urinary system, and it has a toning and strengthening effect on the female organs, especially after childbirth. Other well-recorded uses are for scanty or absent menstruation, and for insufficient lactation in young nursing mothers. Akebia is easy to take in the form of a tea.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh bruised leaves. Stir and crush the leaves until the water colours, then strain and add a touch of honey and lemon juice, and sip slowly twice a day for the above conditions. In acute cases, divide the dose into half cups and take four times a day.
The tea can be taken daily for 10–14 days for rheumatoid arthritis, for swollen and easily bruised legs, for bladder, kidney and urethra pain and infections, and for cystitis. After 10–14 days take a break from the tea for 2–3 days, and then continue. During that time be sure to eat correctly to give your body a chance to heal.
Allspice
Pimento
Family Myrtaceae
Species: Pimenta dioica / Myrtus dioica / Pimenta officinalis
Origin: Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba
Plant: Small evergreen tree
Height: Up to 12 m
Soil: Deeply dug, richly composted soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Cuttings, seeds
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
I call allspice ‘the little berry with a big warm heart’! The name ‘allspice’ was given by John Ray (1627–1705), an English botanist who became fascinated with the tree on the Spice Islands, and likened the flavour of the dried ripe berries to a combination of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon – and the name has stuck forever. The spice has a long use as a traditional medicine and in food preparation. The berries are picked when green, and when dried resemble large, brown, smooth peppercorns. Allspice grows best in tropical areas and cannot tolerate frost.
CULTIVATION
Allspice needs a long, slow, twice-weekly watering and a spray of water over its leaves occasionally, especially if rain is scant. Full sun is essential for development of the oils within the leaves.
Tidy up the odd branch in winter, although generally it has a neat, compact way of growing, and dig in two barrow-loads of compost. It is a jewel in the garden and is stoically undemanding. In the northern hemisphere it has remained a cherished hothouse plant under glass.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is by seed pressed into moist soil. It does take a long time to grow; avoid letting it dry out.
I have also been successful in air layering, and in rooting low branches into soft, moist, compost-rich soil in wide pots, under the tree.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
The leathery leaves can be picked at any time of the year and used fresh or dried in the shade and added as a spicy flavourant. The berries can be picked as soon as they colour, and can be dried. In our subtropical gardens we reap a sparse crop of berries.
CULINARY USES
Allspice flavour lifts an ordinary familiar dish to subtle gourmet level. When I was a child, my mother made an unforgettable ice-cream from midsummer raspberries, flavoured with finely ground allspice berries. Allspice is beautiful in custards and cake icings, in biscuits and on garden-fresh peaches and cream, as well as on young marrows and in white sauces. Use it in pickling spices (leave the berries whole), and add it to marinades, mulled wine, liqueurs, chutneys, ketchups and rubs. It is a versatile spice, adding a depth of flavour like no other!
SERVES 4–6
MEDICINAL USES
Allspice was included in the British pharmacopoeia from 1721 and was listed as a medication for both the digestive system and the nervous system until 1914. Thereafter it was relisted as a carminative, aromatic stimulant, and its oils were recorded as important for use in bandages and liniments. The powdered berries were used to disguise the taste of unpleasant medicines.
A tea made from the fresh or dried leaves was found to be an excellent digestive after a rich meal, relieving flatulence, burping, tummy rumblings and diarrhoea. The tea was also taken to ease muscular aches and pains, rheumatism and neuralgia, and for coughs, excessive phlegm, chest infections and tight, uncomfortable breathing.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over three crushed, chopped leaves and stir well. Strain after 5–10 minutes, and sip.
With the addition of ¼ teaspoon of finely ground allspice powder, this very pleasant tea became known as a treatment for exhaustion, as it is refreshing and reviving. It can also be taken, sweetened with honey, for a sore throat and a streaming nose, and with a squeeze of lemon juice added, the tea becomes a panacea.
I have made allspice soothing massage cream for aching muscles and sore feet for many years, as I learned as a physiotherapist, of its muscle-relaxing effects. After a hard day on your feet, a cup of allspice tea, sipped while the cream is being gently massaged into the legs, feet or back, works like a charm to release muscle spasm, to get the circulation going, and to help you unwind.
Allspice tree in the Herbal Centre gardens
OTHER USES
Allspice oil is used in aftershave lotions and perfumery, and the smooth, grey wood has been used for centuries to make walking sticks, drumsticks and umbrella handles. With use, the wood becomes silken to the touch.
Angelica
Family Umbelliferae (or Apiaceae)
Species: Angelica archangelica
Origin: Western Europe, Himalayas, Siberia
Plant: Biennial
Height: Up to 1 m
Soil: Rich, moist soil
Exposure: Partial shade
Propagation: Fresh seed
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Today few gardeners think about angelica or know that it is an extraordinarily health-building herb, so it is hardly ever grown. Named after the Archangel Michael (the symbol of protection), this beautiful plant was believed to ‘protect against all evils and cure all ills’. It became popular in the 15th century and was grown in cloister gardens so that the monks could dispense it to the sick and dying.
It is a bittersweet, aromatic, tonic herb, much loved and used in Greenland, Scandinavia and Europe, where its uses were recorded in folklore and medicine for centuries. In Scandinavia, the Sami still use it today to make a flute-like instrument out of the hollow stem. Austrians have used it as a tea or tincture to treat gastrointestinal and respiriatory tract disorders. Essential oils from the seeds and roots have also been used to flavour cordials, ice-creams, rich desserts and alcoholic drinks such as vodka, vermouth and liqueurs.
The Benedictine monks made a remarkable liqueur with angelica stems and roots. Known as ‘Benedictine’, the liqueur has a fascinating flavour. The story goes that a mere thimbleful in a little hot water could render an impossible situation calm and reasonable. The monks also made angelica cakes, which they shared on religious feast days.
In 1877 the British Flora Medica recorded that angelica root tea could ease severe colic and that it was one of the chief remedies for digestive gripes, wind and discomfort. The monks had recorded many such uses as far back as the 14th century, and today its healing power is well researched, verifying those early writings.
CULTIVATION
Plant out in richly composted soil, 1 m apart. Partial or very light shade ensures luscious compound leaves and thick juicy stems.
PROPAGATION
New angelica plants will only germinate if the seed is absolutely fresh. It needs to be sown within a month, and no later. However, if you have been slow in collecting the seed, it does seed itself quite liberally.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
As angelica is a biennial, the leaves are picked only in their second year when the plant produces a tall, multi-branched flowering head with several umbrels of sweetly scented white ‘lace’ flowers.
WARNING: Do not take angelica in any form if you are pregnant or even mildly diabetic.
CULINARY USES
In the past, angelica was a favourite culinary herb. It was used to make a crystallised ‘sweet’ and as a decoration on festive cakes and desserts; I remember helping my grandmother with this precious ritual at Easter and Christmas. Angelica leaves, flowers and stems are also used in drinks and chilled lemonades.
Crystallised angelica
MEDICINAL USES
Angelica has been found to relieve bronchitis, pneumonia and chronic chest and respiratory infections, especially in the elderly. Angelica teas and syrups made with ginger, honey and angelica root are proving to be a vital natural treatment as flu and bronchitis become more tenacious. Angelica tea is still used today for an increasing number of ailments; it is excellent for colic, wind, indigestion and stomach complaints.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup chopped angelica stems and leaves. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then stir, strain and sip slowly. A squeeze of lemon juice can be added with a touch of honey.
Angelica root extract has good anti-inflammatory properties and, when all parts of the plant are used, it makes a valuable tonic and circulatory herb as it improves blood flow to the peripheral parts of the body.
Annabelle hydrangea
Family Hydrangeaceae
Species: Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Origin: Eastern Asia, North and South America
Plant: Bushy perennial shrub
Height: 1–1.5 m
Soil: Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil
Exposure: Light shade; afternoon shade if in full sun
Propagation: Cuttings taken in winter
Uses: Medicinal, cosmetic
Almost no one grows Annabelle these days and very little has been written about it, so my need to proclaim this medicinal beauty is urgent. I am dedicated to re-establishing this beautiful plant in the nursery industry.
An American botanist first brought me a tiny Annabelle hydrangea cutting and told me the Cherokee Indian medicinal uses for it. The Cherokee Indians taught the settlers to use the roots for bladder stones, and to use the sweet-smelling flowers for their air-cleaning abilities. In America, the flowers are used to decorate churches as flowers of blessing. The shrub makes a breathtaking bouquet of pure white flowers; the individual flowers are much smaller than the hydrangeas we grow, but withstand the elements far better.
Cut back the spent flowers on the nodes for new growth.
CULTIVATION
Annabelle hydrangea thrives in a large, deep, compost-filled hole, with a strong ‘dam’ built around it to hold the long slow weekly watering. In very hot weather, water twice weekly. Its preferred position is in light or partial shade, but I have grown bushes successfully in full sun too. Prune in winter and put extra compost around the bush.
PROPAGATION
Take cuttings in the last weeks of July. Cut the flowering stalks down to the last three nodes; in this way you can often make two cuttings per stem. Each cutting should be a minimum of 30 cm in length so that you can press at least three nodes into the compost-rich soil, giving it several places from which to try and send out roots.
Press the cutting immediately into a pot or bag filled with moist potting soil and compost. Often 2–3 cuttings in a pot seem to help each other along. Water 2–3 times a week so that the tiny roots do not struggle.
Once the first leaves are out, move the pots out of the protected warm place where you have started them, into a shady place under the trees. By now they will be about two months old and showing strong buds at each node. Check them almost daily. Allow the cuttings to send out green leaves before planting them out, usually around 4–6 months or when they are sturdy. Plant out in the summer months.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
To harvest roots for medicinal use, soak the plant with water, then lift one side with a big fork, wash off the soil, cut off alternate roots (half the thickness and length of a pencil), and push the plant back into the hole. Add compost, and let it settle for a month before harvesting on the other side. Only use plants that are at least three years old, and only reap the roots in summer. While I reap the roots, I say prayers for the mother plant as the Cherokees told me to do!
Flowers can be picked at any time, and in all stages, even when they turn green in autumn. The flowers can also be dried and stored in a sealed glass jar to make into freshening spritz-sprays during winter.
MEDICINAL USES
Annabelle tea has antiseptic and diuretic properties and will ease kidney and bladder stones, cystitis, painful prostate, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory aches and pains in the joints and back, and swollen ankles and feet. Sip half a cup in the morning and again in the evening. After two days the tea usually clears the problems. Keep the tea in the fridge and use no more than one cup a day. More than this may make you feel dizzy or may congest the bronchi, but this is extremely rare.
This same brew is a much-loved wash over grazes, rashes and heat rash, and as a wash for hot, tired feet it is wonderfully soothing. As a spritz-spray it is cooling for sunburn, and it can also be used as a cosmetic spray for acne, oily skin, enlarged pores and rosacea.
Annabel hydrangea root tea has antiseptic and diuretic properties.
OTHER USES
Place the flowers in vases in central rooms in the house; the fragrance is soft and gentle, and clears the air. The flowers make a refreshing spritz-spray for stuffy rooms or when travelling.
Annatto
Lipstick tree / Bixa
Family Bixaceae
Species: Bixa orellana
Origin: Tropical America, Caribbean
Plant: Perennial evergreen shrub
Height: Up to 5 m
Soil: Deep, richly composted hole
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Bixa is a voluptuous shrub, laden in late summer with clusters of flowers and in late autumn with dark red fruit, filled with seeds that make an astonishing red-orange dye. It is a show stopper! It was once used by the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and native Amazonians as a medicine, body paint, ceremonial herb, and as a textile dye. Today bixa is one of the most valuable commercial plants in tropical regions.
CULTIVATION
This easy-to-grow evergreen thrives in a deep compost-filled hole in full sun. Make a ‘dam’ around each tree to retain the twice-weekly watering, and dig a wide metre-long pipe into the hole at an angle so that a hose can be inserted and water can reach the roots. Give it 2–3 barrow-loads of compost annually, and trim off the pods, which look beautiful in flower arrangements.
The tree looks good all year, especially with its winter pods. However, it is a tropical plant and cannot take frost. It is versatile, and can be planted as a hedge, or grown as a specimen shrub. Left to sprawl, it can become wide, thick and tough; prune well to shape it. Gardeners situate it prominently to relish its unusual beauty.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is from seed, sown in trays and kept moist and protected, or cuttings from the young branches. Both methods are reliable; check daily. Plant the seedlings in bags of mixed topsoil and compost and keep moist and sheltered. As the plants strengthen, move the bags into the sun for an hour each day, increasing gradually until the little trees become sturdy. When new leaves form in early summer, plant out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Harvest the seeds for spices and dyes as soon as they have matured on the tree. To test whether the seeds are ready for harvesting, split open the pod and press the seeds with the thumb. If they it emit an orange-red dye, they need to mature on the tree. Reap when still moist to use as a lipstick dye for the lips. Once fully dry, store the seeds in a glass jar with a screw top.
Leaves can be reaped fresh at any time through the year. Reap the edible flowers when needed in autumn and spring.
CULINARY USES
The ground-up seeds are used as a spice, commonly known as ‘annatto’, which has a pleasant, slightly peppery taste. Although it contains few nutrients, it is a valuable and safe colourant when added to herb teas, fish dishes, paella and tomato dishes. Annatto is sold in Asian shops in exciting ready-to-grind mixes with other seeds and chillies, and is used in Asian dishes, especially in meats, preserved fish and pork dishes.
The orange-red juice from the seed pulp is high in red and yellow carotenoids and makes a commercial food dye. It is a safe, natural colourant, replacing tartrazine, used for cheese, margarine, mayonnaise, sauces, salad oil, instant soup, smoked meats and fish. To make the dye, boil a cup of dried seeds in 1–2 litres of boiling water. Simmer gently until the desired colour is achieved.
Most fascinating is that annatto is known as ‘the chocolate spice’ and is used in the chocolate and sweet industry for flavour, richness, and a full colour. A little annatto gives a yellow colour; the more you add, the more orange it becomes, until it becomes a beautiful and safe red.
MEDICINAL USES
Bixa leaves have been used medicinally in many tropical countries through the centuries. Fresh leaves are made into leaf infusions to treat high fever, indigestion, coughs and colds, phlegm, mouth cancer, parasites, colic, dysentery and abdominal bloating.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup freshly torn leaves. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly with a squeeze of lemon juice if liked, for all the above ailments.
Bixa has long been used as an astringent herb that destroys worms on an empty stomach, as it has a purgative action. The same tea lowers fevers, and soothes indigestion, colic, bloating, sour belching, and flatulence. Early pharmacopoeias record use of the pulped seeds and juice to relieve phlegm, as a dysentery cure and a mouth cancer treatment. The pulp and ground seeds are also a soothing treatment for burns and blisters, and children love the bright colour spread on their skin.
OTHER USES
Bixa is used in the cosmetic industry as a safe natural colourant. Juice from the ripe seeds can be used to colour lips, nails and cheeks – giving it the name ‘lipstick tree’.
Ashwagandha / Withania
Indian ginseng
Family Solanaceae
Species: Withania somnifera
Origin: India, Asia, Africa
Plant: Perennial shrub, sprawling, evergreen
Height: Up to 2 m
Soil: Any soil, thrives with compost
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Uses: Medicinal
This medicinal herb is a beacon of hope, particularly as a de-stressor and a restorer of lost vitality. With its amazing tonic powers, it counters loss of positivity, especially in the elderly after a long illness.
Withania has been used in India’s Ayurvedic medical system and pharmacopoeias for centuries, and it remains one of the most important herbs for treating TB, general debility, memory loss, rheumatism, fatigue, and emaciation in children. It is also well known and treasured in Africa where, because it of its easy spread, it has become one of Africa’s endemic medicinal plants.
CULTIVATION
Plant out at least 1 m apart, in full sun in deep, richly composted soil, with a sturdy ‘dam’ around. Give withania a good dressing of compost twice a year, and a long, slow watering twice weekly in summer. This will ensure good leaf and berry growth. Withania is a vigorous grower and can be pruned lightly to shape in winter – all the prunings can be saved to use as cuttings.
PROPAGATION
Squeeze ripe seed, free of its protective husk, onto a sheet of paper towel. Once dry, any time from spring to autumn, press the paper onto moist sandy soil in a seed tray and sieve soil lightly over it. Water the tray from below so as not to disturb the growth. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, prick them out into compost-filled pots and place these in a protected area in good light. Stand the pots in full sun for an increasing time each day until ready to plant out in the garden.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Harvest at any time of the year. All parts of the plant are used, berries in their husks included. Withania can be used fresh or dried.
MEDICINAL USES
Withania is considered one of the top 10 herbs that strengthen the immune system in medicine today, and it is an excellent adaptogen. Research has indicated that it has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-tumour properties, and use of withania has been shown to increase haemoglobin levels, improve recovery from chronic illnesses, and aid in treatment of anaemia. Research has also been done on withania’s enhancement of the immune system, its detoxing role, and its restorative tonic properties.
Withania is known for its effect on long-term stress, and as a safe sedative. It strengthens the nerves as it has a neuro-protective action. The herb has become increasingly valuable in cases of brain fog, senile dementia and senile debility. Homeopathic use of withania root is equally effective.
Whole-plant extracts have been found to be effective against staphylococcal, salmonella and even E. coli infections. As withania stimulates the uterus, it is useful during prolonged labour, under a doctor’s care. Withania is also beneficial in cases of multiple sclerosis and infertility, and it can be used as an external poultice over painful joints, swellings, stings, bites, burns and suppurating wounds. It is a valuable natural medicine for sleeplessness and for children who fail to thrive.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup withania roots, stems, flowers, berries and leaves. Let the tea stand for 5–10 minutes, then strain and sip slowly. This is the standard dose, taken once or twice a day. The alkaloids in the leaves and roots lower the blood pressure gently, and also lower the heart rate, bringing a state of calm.
Dried ashwagandha roots are used as a decoction, infusion or tincture.
Known in isiXhosa as ubuvuma, in Sesotho as bofepha, and in isiZulu as ubuvimba, withania is an important plant in traditional African medicine. Here the leaves, stems, mature branches, roots and fruit are used, whereas in European and Asian pharmacopoeias mainly the roots and leaves are used.
A doctor visiting from India brought me my first plant around 1985. A visiting Zulu sangoma requested some pale flowers and tender young leaves to make a paste with castor oil for burns and haemorrhoids. Word got around and soon we had a steady stream of sangomas from as far afield as as Messina, Phalaborwa and Kimberley. They also wanted roots to treat asthma, syphilis and rheumatism, and I went back to early texts to verify these uses.
WARNING: Do not take withania if you are on sleep-inducing medication or during pregnancy.
Withania belongs to the great Solanaceae family and therefore needs to be used with care. Although toxic to livestock (the plant is ignored by grazing animals) it has been used in veterinary medicine to treat mastitis for centuries in rural areas. The name somnifera indicates that it has sedative effects, which is why it is so valuable in human and veterinary medicine.
Asparagus
Family Asparagaceae
Species: Asparagus officinalis
Origin: Eurasia
Plant: Perennial
Height: 1.5 m
Soil: Richly composted, deeply dug soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seed and clump division
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The word ‘officinalis’ in the scientific name for asparagus is the term given to plants with a long history as a medicine, and the herb is listed in ancient pharmacopoeias from several countries. Commercial cultivation dates back to Chinese recordings of medicinal plants in AD 200.
Asparagus is easy to grow, even in a small garden, and it can become an ongoing crop for even the most tentative gardener. If it is planted where you can keep an eye on it daily, you will be able to pick the young spears almost year-round for teas and juices.
CULTIVATION
Full sun, well-watered richly composted soil, and twice-yearly applications of compost will ensure a vibrant crop of luscious spears. Crush and dry the berries for seed.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is by seed or by ‘crowns’. Sow the seeds in deep trays filled with compost-rich soil. The crowns grow bigger each year. Cut off the long, ferny fronds in the first weeks of winter. Once you have ‘crowns’ or creeping rhizomes set out in rows, asparagus will remain a perennial for many years. Leave it undisturbed.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
The best harvest time is spring, from early August onwards. Cut the spears just above the soil surface with a sharp knife and wash well.
WARNING: The berries are poisonous. Do not eat them, even when they are red and ripe.
CULINARY USES
The simplest way to enjoy asparagus is picked fresh, plunged into boiling water and simmered until tender, for about 15 minutes. Serve with a touch of butter and sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. It is delectable! Asparagus can also be made into a delicious omelette, baked with a cheese sauce as a lunch dish, prepared in a pastry crust, or wrapped, two spears at a time, in filo pastry and baked until hot and crisp. Italians dip fresh spears in beautiful rich cheese sauces, so experiment with that, too. You will not tire of asparagus; and it is so needed by the body.
Asaparagus quiche
SERVES 4–6
Asparagus berries are poisonous and not edible; save, dry and crush them to release the seeds.
MEDICINAL USES
Asparagus is a strong and stable diuretic. As far back as the first century AD, the famous Greek physician, Dioscorides, used boiled asparagus spears and the water the spears had been boiled in to flush the kidneys and bladder, to clear out impurities and to improve the flow of urine. His treatment also relieved jaundice, sciatica and even prostate problems.
Today the same treatment is used successfully to treat cystitis; to remove toxins from the joints, thus easing arthritis, rheumatism and gout; and to flush impurities from the blood. Oedema around the heart, and heart problems, also respond well to this treatment. Asparagus is a restorative herb and is valuable in cleansing the bowel and liver. For those who are overweight, fresh asparagus is vital as a weekly meal, more often if possible. Always use fresh asparagus rather than tinned.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Boil the spears in enough water to cover them. Once tender, drain and save the water to drink as tea or to add to soups, smoothies and juices. A fresh vegetable juice on alternate days is a slimmer’s favourite.
MAKES 2 GLASSES
Asthma tree
Malabar nut / Vasaka (Sanskrit)
Family Acanthaceae
Species: Adhatoda vasica
Origin: India
Plant: Evergreen shrub
Height: Up to 3 m
Soil: Deep, well-composted hole
Exposure: Full sun, light shade
Propagation: Cuttings
Uses: Medicinal, insecticidal
The asthma tree, known as ‘the breath of life’, has been used in India from the earliest times. It was recorded in the first Ayurvedic pharmacopoeias as a treatment for chronic bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory ailments. Today its uses as a reliable bronchodilator, a mucus dissolver and a valuable expectorant have been validated by medical science.
CULTIVATION
Vasaka is rarely found botanically other than in India. To ensure early growth, plant it in a large, compost-filled hole and flood it with water weekly, or twice weekly in hot weather. The tree thrives in full sun as well as in light, partial shade. It is frost-sensitive, so plant it in a sheltered place and protect it with plant fleece in winter. Large, white, honey-smelling flowers or bracts appear in winter.
PROPAGATION
Take pencil-sized cuttings during the summer from the easily rooting branches. Keep the cuttings moist, shaded and protected until ready to plant out.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick the large leaves fresh at any time of the year to make medicinal teas. The leaves can also be preserved in vinegar for use as compresses and poultices.
COMPANION PLANTING
Vasaka’s vigour protects and encourages the growth of nearby plants. We grow a groundcover carpet of pennywort (Centella asiatica) under the tree and it thrives in the shade (both plants are indigenous to India).
MEDICINAL USES
Vasaka grows wild all over India and has to be one of that country’s most valuable and exceptional medicinal plants. As a bronchodilator, it stands in the Ayurvedic tradition of ‘life breath’ and is invaluable as it has extraordinary antiseptic properties and remedial action against all respiratory ailments, from asthma, TB and emphysema to coughs, colds and flu. It is reputed to reduce high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and spasmodic pain. Its legendary benefits have been investigated and trialled, with astonishing results.
Ayurvedic research has also found that vasaka contains compounds that regulate excessive menstrual flow. It is an important ‘woman’s herb’, also used for premenstrual tension, menstrual pain and premenstrual breast discomfort. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia and swollen arthritic joints, warm vasaka leaves in hot water and apply as a compress, as hot as is comfortable, and be amazed at its quick action! Vasaka leaf tea is a panacea for the ageing patient, and helps to relieve anxiety, breathlessness, stiffness and soreness, forgetfulness, tight chest and persistent cough. The tea is intensely bitter, but it is said that the more bitter the herb, the more effective it is.
The bitter taste of vasaka tea can be sweetened with honey.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over one fresh vasaka leaf and two thin slices of ginger. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then strain and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoon of honey, if liked, to ease the bitterness. Sip a cup a day or, if the symptoms are acute, a cup in the morning and a cup in the late afternoon. After taking it for two weeks, stop for three days before resuming the dosage. Always consult your doctor before starting a home treatment, especially for respiratory ailments.
Vasaka leaves and flowers can be dried in a sachet to use as an insect repellent in cupboards.
The first Indian physicians, who practised ancient Ayurvedic medicine, established the connection between oxygen inhalation and the health of the entire neurological system. They used breathing techniques or pranayamas to build vibrant wellbeing, and were supported in this by vasaka, which kept the lungs clear and strong, free of mucus and infections.
OTHER USES
Vasaka has excellent pesticidal properties. The flowers or bracts were traditionally dried and burnt in a wood fire to repel mosquitoes, flies, ticks and fleas, and the ash was swept onto floors to deter ants. Fresh leaves can be pressed between documents to keep fish moths away, and the leaves and flowers can be put into boxes to protect valuable papers.
To make a strong insecticidal spray, fill a bucket with fresh vasaka leaves and flowers, and add rue leaves or marigolds for extra strength. Pour boiling water to cover the leaves and let the brew stand overnight. The next morning, strain and use as a splash or spray on aphid- or whitefly-infested plants, or spritz-spray the mixture to repel flies and mosquitoes. I am sure it is the incredible, bitter compounds in the leaves and flowers that make this spray so effective.
The asthma tree was completely unknown to me and was not listed in my huge collection of botanical books, when a tiny, smiling Indian lady presented me with two pencil-sized cuttings, wrapped in plastic. She insisted that this exceptionally valuable medicinal plant should be planted in the Herbal Centre gardens, and today we offer well-established shrubs in the nursery, which enthral visitors.
Asthma weed
Pill-bearing spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
Species: Euphorbia hirta
Origin: India, Asia, cosmopolitan
Plant: Tenacious annual
Height: 3–10 cm
Soil: Any soil
Exposure: Sun, partial shade
Propagation: Seed
Uses: Medicinal
Few people notice this tough, flat medicinal weed growing in paving cracks and gardens, and most have no inkling of its exceptional properties as they dig it out and destroy it. It is a cosmopolitan weed from the tropics and subtropics that spreads easily from its minute seeds.
Asthma weed is possibly native to India, but it is recorded in so many herbal pharmacopoeias worldwide that it is almost impossible to source its beginnings. Most definitely a ‘new herb’ for the future, especially in Africa, asthma weed has the capacity to bring relief to many struggling communities, which is why we grow it extensively in the Herbal Centre gardens and share many seed-bearing plants.
All euphorbias are potentially too toxic to be used in medication and their white latex is highly irritating to the skin and contains diterpene esters. However, Euphorbia hirta is ester-free and regarded as a safe herb that can ease debilitating illnesses. As a precautionary measure, never use the euphorbias without medical advice and extra-careful identification. There are over 2 000 different euphorbias in this genus, so caution is the word. When in doubt, leave it out!
CULTIVATION
You only have to go into the garden and asthma weed is likely to be there, like blackjack (see p. 52), especially in paving cracks. It is a flat-growing annual, literally level with the ground. I plant it next to paths or in pots for quick pickings and never need to look after it as it is a tough survivor plant. Space the plants 30 cm apart. Toss seed-bearing plants onto the compost heap where they flourish.
PROPAGATION
We post seeds countrywide for those rare spaces where it is not found. Small seedlings can be pricked out and replanted easily, so get to know asthma weed in its baby growth phase too.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Asthma weed can be harvested in all phases of its life, from a small seedling to the mature plant. Use it fresh, as that is the most powerful way, but it can be dried for teas if needed. The herb is also harvested to use on warts, in which case it needs to be used fresh.
Apply the white latex from asthma weed stems to warts.
MEDICINAL USES
Asthma weed tea is an ancient remedy still used in China and India today. In India, leaves with a reddish hue grown in the hot sun are considered to be stronger in action.
Asthma weed also contains melissic acid, which helps to calm coughing and stressed breathing. It is an anti-spasmodic plant and its choline and phenolic acid content probably accounts for its relaxing effect on the respiratory and digestive systems, and for its quick relaxation of the bronchial tubes in cases of severe bronchitis and emphysema.
A sip of asthma weed tea soothes and relaxes a tight cough.
Asthma weed tea is the most effective way of stopping a tight cough and coughing spasms in the elderly. A sip of asthma weed tea soothes and relaxes immediately, and the tea is pleasant and enjoyable.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup dark green and red leaves and stir vigorously to release the healing compounds. Strain after five minutes and sip slowly to relieve asthma, tight chest, heavy mucus, difficulty breathing, coughing spasms, chronic phlegm in the throat and nasal passages, hay fever and streaming colds. I was taught by an esteemed Indian doctor that health cannot be restored until phlegm is completely cleared.
In cases of amoebic dysentery, asthma weed has proven itself over and over again. Half a cup of the tea should be taken 4–6 times a day, two days running, along with the doctor’s medication. When cattle, dogs and horses have severe diarrhoea, use the same dose, squirted gently into the animal’s mouth with a small syringe, four times through the day.
Always remember that large doses of a herb, and asthma weed in particular, will cause digestive irritation, nausea and vomiting, so be cautious. My usual medicinal dosage is no more than 1–2 cups of the tea daily, divided into half-cup doses; 1–3 cups can be used in acute conditions. Always administer the tea with your doctor’s knowledge, and in the case of animals, with the vet’s knowledge.
The white latex from asthma weed stems can be applied to warts, and will gently ease off the top layer of skin. Consistent application will soon flake off the offending wart. Try not to scratch as this can cause infection; simply let the milky sap do its work. This remedy has been used through the centuries, but apply cautiously as the latex is a powerful irritant to the eyes and tender skin.
Avocado leaves
Family Lauraceae
Species: Persea americana
Origin: Tropical and subtropical America, Southeast Asia
Plant: Many-branched evergreen tree
Height: Varies according to cultivar, can reach 20 m in height
Soil: Rich, moist soil, but adapts well
Exposure: Sun, partial shade
Propagation: Pip or grafted onto rootstock
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Avocado leaf was first utilised as a medicine in Guatemala; later Spain, Portugal and other Mediterranean countries recorded use of the avocado in their early pharmacopoeias, not only as a health-boosting food, but as a vital medicine. Leaves used in packaging the fruit were traded to treat high blood pressure and reduce fluid retention; and fever, rheumatism and muscle sprains and tears were recorded as being eased and healed with avocado leaf poultices and washes.
CULTIVATION
Plant each tree in a large hole, filled with compost and topsoil, in full sun. Set a wide metre-long plastic pipe into the hole so that water can reach the roots. Build a ‘dam’ around the tree and water two to three times a week in hot weather and once weekly in winter. A barrow of compost in midwinter and midsummer will ensure a bountiful crop of fruit. Check for broken, crowded or dead branches, and prune accordingly.
PROPAGATION
As children we were shown how to ‘sprout’ a ripe seed from a particularly delicious avocado. Three matchsticks were pressed into the fleshy pip and the seed was balanced over a jar of water on a sunny windowsill. It was not long before there were many pale roots and a strong leafy growing tip.
Commercial grafting onto sturdy stock guarantees prolific crops and today many avocado varieties are offered at local nurseries; some are even cold-hardy.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Fruit is picked as it ripens, but leaves can be picked at any time of the year as the tree is evergreen. Fresh avocado leaves are sold in many marketplaces for both culinary and medicinal use.
CULINARY USES
Creole cooking includes avocado leaves in tasty stews and stir-fries, and Creole avocado leaf soup is a superb comfort food for flu, coughs and bronchitis. The leaves can be crisped in the oven and will aid digestion. Dried leaves are also used in teas and in refreshing lemonades and fruit drinks.
SERVES 4–6
Paradise fruit drink is delicious served chilled.
SERVES 4–6
Make a strong avocado leaf tea and add it to a rich tomato, onion and pepper pasta sauce. In this way the leaf’s health-giving properties can easily be included in the diet.
MEDICINAL USES
Fresh avocado leaves warmed in hot water are an ancient remedy for headaches. Place them over the forehead and behind the neck. The warmed leaves can also be used as a poultice for rheumatic pains and swellings and for muscular pains and sprains.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup avocado leaves (chop the leaves and press them down well). Let the tea stand for five minutes, stir often, then strain and sip slowly. This tea is wonderfully soothing, and with a small slice of ginger and lemon it is excellent for coughs, colds and bronchitis. It can also be taken for high blood pressure, diarrhoea, dysentery, and digestive complaints such as stomach ache, flatulence, heartburn, colic and constipation.
To clear dandruff, stimulate hair growth and give sheen to dull hair, try making an avocado leaf hair tonic.
WARNING: Avocado leaves and bark are known to stimulate the uterus, so do not drink avocado leaf tea or use the bark hair rinse during pregnancy.
Balloon flower
Chinese bellflower
Family Campanulaceae
Species: Platycodon grandiflorus
Origin: Northern China, eastern Asia and eastern Siberia
Plant: Perennial border plant
Height:12–20 cm
Soil: Richly composted, deeply dug soil
Exposure: Light shade, full sun
Propagation: Root division, seed
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The balloon flower gets its name from its buds, which inflate like little balloons before bursting open. Also known as ‘Chinese bellflower’, this is an eye-catching midsummer flowering perennial, commonly grown in gardens worldwide, yet relatively unknown as a valuable natural medicine.
The roots were part of the ancient Chinese warrior’s ‘dietary backpack’. The root was believed to keep the warriors disease-free and able to endure extreme winter conditions without faltering, due to its warming attributes. For centuries no one knew what the warriors’ secret ingredient was, but when the Japanese made their famous ‘sake’, an alcoholic drink believed to give them ‘wings’, speculation was rife. The secret ingredient was, and still is, the roots of the balloon flower, one of the seven herbs used to make Japanese ‘sake’.
CULTIVATION
The balloon flower is an easily grown border plant that becomes completely dormant in winter, so always mark your rows. It thrives in full sun and can take light shade. Plant in deeply dug, richly composted soil, 30–40 cm apart, and give the plants a twice-yearly dressing of compost, dug in lightly around them. Give a long, slow watering three times a week in summer and once a week or less in winter.
PROPAGATION
If you are lucky enough to find seeds, sow them in moist soil in seed trays. Alternatively, after three years the root clump can be lifted and divided in winter. Take out the biggest roots (wash and peel them for medicine). Replant the smaller roots in richly composted soil in bags, under cover. Water frequently and check daily. Once the little shoots appear, move the bags into the sun for an increasing time daily, until they are robust. Water on alternate days; do not let the young plants dry out.
Harvest balloon flower roots after three years of growth.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Flowers are picked during their midsummer flowering time for culinary use. Roots are harvested from plants that are three years or older, during winter dormancy.
CULINARY USES
The purple flowers and balloon-shaped buds are startlingly lovely in salads and stir-fries and taste delicious too, while the roots are excellent in pickles, soups and stews. Balloon flower root pickled in vinegar is an ancient delicacy, made commercially today. Roots are also finely chopped and eaten raw in salads, or lightly fried with bacon, onions or leeks. Added to soups and stews, the roots are considered to be a tonic.
MAKES 3–4 BOTTLES
Collect balloon flower seeds at the end of the season.
MEDICINAL USES
The Chinese ‘barefoot doctors’ made a root tea for respiratory ailments and to fight infections.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of finely grated root. Let the tea stand for five minutes. Add thin slices of fresh ginger or lemon if liked, and sip slowly. The standard dose is 1–2 cups per day.
Sugared root is also a valuable medicine. Roots are washed, peeled and sliced into fine strips, and laid in wide-mouthed jars on a bed of sugar. Layers of root and sugar are alternated. Seal and keep closed until all the juices of the roots are crystallised. When needed for a medicinal tea, shake off the loose sugar and pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup of the dried root. Let the tea stand for 5–6 minutes. Ginger and lemon can be added for more benefits. This is an excellent tea for a sore throat and a cough.
Look out for ‘platycodon cough lozenges’ at Chinese shops; this is a much-respected traditional medicine. Chinese doctors advise one to take 4–6 or even 8 grams of dried root (Radix platycodi) a day in teas, or ground into a tonic soup, for inflammatory conditions and respiratory ailments. The Chinese use the root in medications for colds, bronchitis, lung congestion, tonsillitis, flu, asthma and throat infections, as well as for inflammatory conditions and high blood pressure. They also use it in the form of a decoction for peptic ulcers as the root inhibits the flow of gastric juices, thus helping the peptic ulcer to heal.
Bauhinia
Camel’s foot / orchid tree
Family Caesalpiniaceae
Species: Bauhinia variegata
Origin: Northern India
Plant: Small deciduous tree, spring-flowering
Height: Up to 7 m
Soil: Unfussy
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Uses: Medicinal
This exquisite medicinal tree has been part of India’s pharmacopoeias and medical texts from long before the time of Christ. The mauve-and-white flowers and buds were gathered in spring by the women, both as part of the spring festivals, and for storage as precious medicine to treat malaria fever and snakebites.
Recorded in Sanskrit as ‘kanchmara’, the bark and flowers make an antiseptic wash; the flowers also make a gentle laxative and the most comforting tea for fevers. Ayurvedic doctors use extracts of the bark and flowers in well-researched medical treatment of glandular problems and women’s ailments.
CULTIVATION
Plant in a big compost-filled hole and make a ‘dam’ of stones around it to keep the moisture in. Water the trees deeply twice a week, less often in winter, and give a barrow-load of compost in spring and late summer. Plant bauhinias 3–4 m apart, and in winter, when all the leaves drop, prune and neaten. Save the prunings for the precious bark. Bauhinias are often planted on city streets and in spring make the most beautiful of flowering trees.
PROPAGATION
Take cuttings from new spring growth, 12–15 cm long, and press into bags of moist topsoil. Keep the bags moist, shaded and protected until the new leaf buds form. They can then be brought out into the sunlight, increasing the time daily until the cuttings are vigorous. I have also grown many bauhinia trees from seed gathered at the end of the flowering season and planted immediately. Water daily and keep protected until sturdy, then move out into the sun for a longer time each day.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick the flowers and buds in spring, as the flowers open, and also when the flowers are fully open.
Twigs and small branches can be clipped off at any time of the year. Peel off the bark immediately as the longer the branch is kept, the more difficult it is to peel.
Flowers can be dried on brown paper. Turn daily and, once fully dried, pack the flowers into glass jars with close-fitting lids and store them in a dark cupboard.
Traditionally picked for religious ceremonies of blessing and thanksgiving, the bauhinia has remained a much-respected medication for centuries.
MEDICINAL USES
Buds and open flowers can be put into bath vinegar to ease sunburn, heat rash, insect bites and grazes as their antiseptic and healing properties are well known. The flowers can also be dried and used in teas to ease menstrual problems.
Bauhinia has a long-standing reputation as ‘the woman’s herb’. In the past, Indian women collected baskets of the flowers each spring to use as medicine. Ayurvedic doctors use extracts from the bark to help normalise menstrual flow and regularity, and menopausal women have found bauhinia to be a gentle and supportive tea.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh or dried flowers. Let the tea stand for five minutes. Stir frequently, then strain and sip slowly. A cinnamon stick or a few cloves or cardamom pods can be added to ease digestion and release tension. Make a large quantity of this flower tea to add to the bath as it helps to soothe premenstrual tension, bloating and irritability.
Ayurvedic doctors prescribe bark tea as a gargle for loss of voice, difficulty in swallowing, thyroid swellings and a sore throat. In cases of malaria, the bark tea should be taken 4–6 times a day, and bauhinia flowers should be used in the bath as a wash to help lessen the fever. This is an ancient remedy, still used today.
TO MAKE BAUHINIA BARK TEA: Cut a few supple branches into finger-length pieces, and strip off the bark with a sharp knife. Pound the pieces together using a mortar and pestle. Simmer 1½ cups of bark pieces in two litres of water, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Set the tea aside to cool before straining. Sip half a cup slowly three times a day for throat ailments.
In the case of overweight middle-aged men and women, Ayurvedic doctors prescribe a tea made from the powdered root. Another very effective old remedy is a gentle laxative made from bauhinia flowers.
Add bauhinia flowers to a bath bag for a relaxing bath.
Bitter melon
Bitter gourd / Karela / Cerasse
Family Cucurbitaceae
Species: Momordica charantia
Origin: Tropical Africa and Asia
Plant: Annual vine
Height: 2 m
Soil: Deeply dug, rich soil
Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
Propagation: Ripe seed
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The strange and warty ‘fruit’ of this ancient vine is one of the world’s oldest folk medicines. It is also a traditional vegetable, and was offered in religious ceremonies as a thanksgiving fruit. Each year seeds were donated to priests and holy men to distribute to the poor, as both food and medicine.
Seeds were first given to me by an Indian doctor, wrapped in silk and nestled on a handwritten prayer. There were 15 seeds – the number used in trade and barter, never more, often less! Today, when I harvest my beautiful bitter melons, I still keep the dried ripe seed wrapped in silk with a prayer, and our crop is bountiful.
CULTIVATION
Plant out against a fence, about 60 cm apart. Check the little vines often; twist the soft stems and loop them around the fence. The vines grow quickly and bright yellow flowers soon appear, followed by finger-sized, pale green, rough-skinned fruit. These grow into elongated melons encrusted with ‘warts’ and knobbles, and with a point at both ends. Apply several dressings of compost and rock dust during the rapid growth period, and water slowly and deeply 2–3 times a week. In tropical areas the vine grows abundantly all year round.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is from seed, so allow several bitter melons to turn bright orange and ripe. The dark seeds with their shocking red arils are contained within the orange flesh. Slice the ripe fruit open and allow the seeds to dry. Plant the dry seeds in bags, filled with a mixture of good topsoil, and compost in a sheltered position in early spring. Check the soil daily to see that it is moist but not soaked. Cover the bags with a frame of thick plastic to make a mini greenhouse, and keep the little seedlings warm through the cold spring nights. Move them out into the sun as the weather warms up. Once the little vines are sturdy, plant them out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Tender young green fruits are harvested for culinary use. As the fruit ripens, it becomes increasingly bitter, and the plant is then used primarily as a medicine.
Plant bitter melon seedlings against a fence when they are sturdy.
CULINARY USES
The leaves can be steamed and eaten as greens or added to soups, stews, curries and stir-fries. The young stems are also chopped and steamed as a vegetable. In China and Indonesia, pickled bitter melon is a delicacy, using young fruits before they become too bitter. In parts of Africa, the young fruits are sliced thickly and boiled to remove the bitterness, then pickled in vinegar and honey. Another way of preparing them is to soak and boil the slices in salt water, and then fry them; they are then eaten with salt and vinegar. In the tropics, banquet tables are often laden with all manner of delicious bitter melon offerings – even the flowers are eaten.
MEDICINAL USES
The riper the bitter melon, the more effective it becomes as a laxative. In the past, grandmothers doctored their families cautiously with the fruit as they were familiar with its power. Today, bitter melon drops can be bought at pharmacies in tropical countries; one or two drops are usually sufficient to ease constipation, to act as a diuretic, to cleanse toxins from the system, and to ease an overloaded liver.
The Chinese ‘barefoot doctors’ still love bitter melon for killing parasites, clearing intestinal worms, treating jaundice, and lowering the temperature when there is a high fever. Traditionally, the plant is taken in the form of a tea for these conditions, as well as for bladder and kidney stones, and colitis.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup thin slices of young, green bitter melon (soak the slices in salt water beforehand and rinse them to clear some of the bitterness). Stir gently, sweeten with honey and sip slowly.
The fruit is also often used as a poultice. It is boiled in its skin; once tender, it is split open and the seeds are removed. The pulp is then mashed and applied to haemorrhoids, throbbing varicose veins, burns, grazes, raw rashes, insect stings, cuts and boils.
Bitter melon has a long history as a treatment for late-onset diabetes and it is listed in many old pharmacopoeias for this use. Today, medical research has proved that bitter melon contains a valuable peptide that acts like insulin, as well as the glycosides, charatin and momordin, which help to lower sugar levels in the blood and urine.
WARNING: Do not take bitter melon during pregnancy, and only use it medicinally under a doctor’s supervision.
Blackjack
Family Asteraceae
Species: Bidens pilosa
Origin: Worldwide
Plant: Easily self-seeding annual
Height: Up to 50 cm
Soil: Any soil, waste ground weed
Exposure: Sun, partial shade
Propagation: Seeds
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Surprisingly, this common international weed in all its insufferable tenacity deserves a truly exalted place in this book. I have written about blackjack as a valuable medicinal plant for many years, but it is only recently that I have truly researched and utilised it. There is no plant quite like it.
In the rural area where I live, so many people are in need of medical care, antibiotics are less effective than they once were, and hospitals are overflowing. A natural cure is needed, such as blackjack, which is a powerful anti-oxidant and a long-known anti-inflammatory. Virtually all the Bidens species (some 200 of them) show anti-bacterial and antiseptic action, and some even have anti-diabetic properties.
B. pilosa has been researched extensively. Our ‘terrible blackjack’ is highly active against malaria, it has excellent anti-bacterial properties, and it is also active against the herpes simplex virus. In isolated areas of Africa, blackjack has even been used to treat venomous snakebites and it has helped to lower fevers during acute infection.
Will blackjack be one of the new natural antibiotics we need so badly? Whatever its future role, it is so useful today that its place is assured among the ‘new herbs’ of the future.
CULTIVATION
This aggressive, prolific weed appears in almost every garden. Once you have learned to recognise it, you will find it everywhere. Its prickly black needles stick to everything, spreading rapidly, especially on disturbed land.
PROPAGATION
Blackjack self-seeds. If anyone does not have it, we will send envelopes of seeds.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pull up whole plants and use fresh. Wash the roots well. Dry whole plants for winter use in very cold areas by spreading on trays covered with sheets of brown paper. Store the dried herb to use in teas and washes.
Add blackjack as a pot herb to vegetable soup.
CULINARY USES
Long used as a pot herb, young blackjack sprigs are delicious boiled quickly in a little water, with a pinch of salt. Serve well drained with black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice. I also put a small bunch into soups, stews and stir-fries as the herb has a pleasant taste and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals.
A cup of blackjack tea with a slice of lemon is delicious.
MEDICINAL USES
I learned from different tribes that a tea of fresh blackjack leaves helps ‘the old people’ with their sore throats, chesty coughs, mucus, aching joints and chronic diarrhoea. Poultices over sprains, made from the leaves softened in hot water, are part of the farm workers’ first-aid kit; and tests have now verified the effectiveness of this. Eczema, psoriasis, rashes, itchy skin, hepatitis and bladder and kidney ailments all benefit from blackjack tea. The tea should be cooled and splashed onto the skin, and simultaneously taken as a drink.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over half a cup of crushed young leaves, stems and roots (do not use mature plants with flowers and seeds). Stir thoroughly and leave the tea to draw for 15 minutes. Strain and sip slowly. Blackjack tea is excellent for clearing the chest. For acute conditions like malaria, flu and bronchitis, drink two cups (morning and evening), or three cups (morning, noon and evening), for 3–4 days. Give children a half or even a quarter dose. The tea can also be used as a warm, soothing wash for insect bites and haemorrhoids.
Cells in the mucous membranes throughout the human body are toned by the amazing properties in the blackjack tea, taken internally and used as a wash. The cooled tea can be used as a douche for vaginal infections. It also helps to clear uric acid from the system. Teas, washes and spritz-sprays can be used to relieve severe sunburn, wounds and grazes, and can be added to creams to ease infections, sprains and swellings. I have even found that blackjack preparations help with tick bites, allergic rashes and other itches in dogs.
Years ago, an old herder showed me how he made a blackjack drench for tick-infested cattle. He boiled washed blackjack plants (roots included) and the leaves and flowers of wilde als (Artemesia afra) in a drum for 40 minutes (half water, half plants). When the brew was warm, he rubbed it over the cattle weekly. I remember how the big Afrikaner cattle stood so still. I only realise now how valuable his first-hand experience in treatment was, and how farmers had relied on the drench for decades.
Blueberry
Family Ericaceae
Species: Vaccinium myrtillus
Origin: Europe, Asia, North America
Plant: Perennial small shrub
Height: Up to 1 m
Soil: Acid soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Cuttings
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Few of us think of the blueberry as a medicinal plant, but it is quite an amazing plant in its original habitat. It is a member of the Vaccinium genus, which includes cranberry, bilberry, huckleberry and the American blueberry (V. cyanococcus). Blueberries have become so popular as a health food – as their leaves reduce blood sugar levels, and for the anti-oxidants and high acidity in their fruits – that great tracts of land are being dedicated to their production.
In the cold, temperate parts of Asia, North America and Europe, both V. myrtillus and northern highbush blueberry (V. corybosum) thrive in the sandy, cool marshes, and New Zealand and Australia have also found suitable areas for growing these popular berries.
People have become aware of the benefits of eating blueberries for the anti-oxidant effect of the anthocyanins, which improves circulation, benefiting the nervous system, the skin, the eyes and the cardiovascular system. This helps prevent microcirculatory deterioration, which is the cause of premature ageing and mental deterioration.
Blueberry leaves have been used in winter teas for centuries, becoming part of the American herbal lore. Today, blueberries are favoured for treating many ailments, and trade in dried leaves and berries continues. These berries are also used in wines, liqueurs and syrups; they are part of a growing industry that finds a ready market all over the world.
CULTIVATION
Cool summers, icy winters and acidic soil seem to be best for this plant. Our own attempts in the subtropical heat, in soil built up with acidity, have not yielded a thriving crop, but we persist, as the these precious plants have so much value. The best growing medium is soil that is deeply dug and prepared with leaf mould, rock dust and bone meal instead of compost.
PROPAGATION
Blueberry is a deciduous shrub with shiny, small, tough leaves and creeping rhizomes, and propagation is mainly by spring cuttings from the mother plant. The cuttings need to be pressed into trays of moist, sandy soil and kept moist, warm and protected.
Once the cuttings have rooted well, plant out into bigger bags filled with well-rotted leaf mould and topsoil, and keep well watered in partial shade. As the little plants strengthen, move the bags out into the sun to prepare them for planting. They should be planted 1.5 m apart in rows spaced 2 m, in deep holes filled with good topsoil mixed with leaf mould and rock dust. The ratio of rock dust to soil is one spade of rock dust to 8–10 spades topsoil, mixed well. Make a dam around each plant to form a basin for long, slow watering, 2–3 times a week, and once a week in winter. In winter, lightly tidy and prune the branches to shape the bushes for easy picking.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Harvesting and processing needs to be done carefully and thoroughly, as the berries need to ripen on the bushes and must not be handled roughly or excessively. When picking, use trays set with punnets to avoid overhandling the fruit.
MEDICINAL USES
My interest in blueberries began with the many emails and calls I got on macular degeneration of the eyes, where I learned that eating at least 10 berries three times per week had such favourable results that I now consider blueberry one of the top 10 superfoods. Eating blueberries or drinking a tea of the leafy sprigs will soothe, repair and ease blood supply to the legs and feet, treat diabetes, anaemia, swelling of the feet and legs, urinary complaints, varicose veins, thread veins, haemorrhoids, mouth infections and inflamed, swollen, bleeding gums.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Add ¼ cup fresh leafy sprigs to 1 cup of boiling water, let it stand for five minutes, stirring frequently and pressing the leaves well, then strain and sip slowly (add a touch of honey and a slice of fresh lemon if liked). The tea should not be taken for more than seven days at a time, as blueberry is a powerful herb and needs to be used with respect. Blueberries are astringent and cooling, and the tea acts as a diuretic, lowering the blood sugar levels reliably, and improving circulation with its vasoprotective qualities, and the microcirculation to the eyes in particular. Blueberry tea is invaluable in treating diarrhoea and dysentery, as it eases the condition and also assists with cleansing and repair. The tea is also useful for treating inflamed mucous membranes, gout, arthritis and muscle stiffness. For hot, itchy, irritated and inflamed skin, the cooled tea can be used as a spritz-spray or used as a wash over the area.
CULINARY USES
Blueberries can be enjoyed fresh or dried throughout the year – they are delicious and make a gourmet treat. We have experimented with blueberries to make muffins, tarts, ice-cream, jelly, liqueur, juice, jam, compote and syrup. Versatile and rewarding, our recipes expand every summer and no one ever tires of them. We have also used blueberries dipped in honey for winter desserts, and have come to enjoy this wonderfully gratifying fruit thoroughly.
MAKES 12
Boneset
Family Compositae
Species: Eupatorium perfoliatum
Origin: USA
Plant: Perennial, clump-forming
Height: 50 cm, up to 1 m
Soil: Rich, well-composted soil
Exposure: Full sun or light shade
Propagation: Division of the clump
Uses: Medicinal
I have only recently come to grow boneset and use it directly from the garden, as it has taken 30 years to get it into South Africa. It reminds me of comfrey, with similar long, substantial leaves, and white florets on tall stems in midsummer.
The Native Americans used infusions of the flowers and leaves to treat fevers, colds and rheumatic and arthritic pains. The name ‘boneset’ came from the herb’s ability to treat ‘break-bone fever’ (better known as dengue, an acute viral illness causing the bones to ache). When the settlers arrived in America, they were beset with many fevers, illnesses and accidents. The Native Americans introduced them to boneset and it became invaluable to them.
Boneset was introduced in Britain in the late 1600s and registered as a medication in the 19th century. It remains popular today, with boneset capsules and syrups available at pharmacies. Boneset is probably the best of all fever herbs.
CULTIVATION
Select a spot in the full sun or in light shade for part of the day. Dig a deep hole and fill it with rich compost and rock dust mixed with topsoil. Water the hole and then settle the plant in, taking care not to disturb the roots. Make a small ‘dam’ around it and fill the dam with water. Check daily until the herb is growing vigorously. Water it 2–3 times a week in summer, and once a week in winter. Under the heat of the African sun, boneset appears to prefer lightly shaded conditions.
PROPAGATION
I have found the seeds difficult and erratic to cultivate; dividing the clump with good roots seems to be the only way. When the first leaves emerge in early summer, divide the clump carefully, cutting away growing shoots with roots and a good strong cluster of leaves, the way you would separate a comfrey plant. Establish the clump in a large, deep pot filled with a mixture of good topsoil and compost, thoroughly moistened. The pot must not dry out, but do not overwater or the clump will rot. Keep the pot shaded and protected until new leaves appear. Once the little clump establishes well, move it into the sunlight for an hour, increasing the time daily until it is strong enough to plant out.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Leaves can be cut with a sharp knife throughout summer and autumn. Use the fresh leaves as needed in teas and creams, and make a good quantity of boneset anti-inflammatory cream (p. 57) for the winter ahead, as fresh leaves are needed for this. Flowers and buds can be used as well; these appear at the end of summer. Boneset is completely dormant in winter, so pick the summer leaves and dry them for winter use, keeping the leaves in brown paper in a sealed tin or box.
Boneset cough mixture made with elderberries
MEDICINAL USES
I have taken Eupatorium in homeopathic form for decades to clear heavy bronchitis and phlegm, as it stimulates strong resistance to both viral and bacterial infections – it is a virtual cure-all for even the most helpless sinus sufferer. However, be aware that, like all herbs, boneset can become toxic if taken in too high a dosage for too long. So the correct dosages are vital.
Medical research has isolated several valuable compounds in boneset’s leaves, stalks and flowers, particularly the sesquiterpene lactones and polysaccharides that are excellent for stimulating the immune system. Eupafolin, another immune-system stimulant, works on the respiratory organs. In addition, there are sterols, flavonoids, resins, diterpenes and oils, all of which have some anti-inflammatory properties. Intense arthritic pain, rheumatic pain, rheumatic fever and gout can be eased with careful doses of boneset tea and poultices of the warmed leaves.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh boneset leaves sliced into strips. Stir well, let it stand for five minutes and strain. Sweeten with honey and sip slowly. I make a soothing anti-inflammatory boneset cream for stiff joints, sore muscles and backache.
In the case of very hot, swollen and painful joints, use a poultice of big, fresh boneset leaves warmed in a basin of hot water and applied to the joint after massaging with the cream. Cover with warm towels and place a hot-water bottle over the joint. Relax for 20 minutes.
Candytuft
Family Brassicaceae
Species: Iberis amara
Origin: Mediterranean area, Balkans
Plant: Biennial, garden ornamental
Height: 20 cm
Soil: Well-dug soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seed, cuttings
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Candytuft was a popular garden flower for centuries. It is beautiful as a low border plant and valuable as a medicine, although it has almost been forgotten. Interestingly, it is one of the edible flowers with a high vitamin C content, and as such is still is used in medicinal mixtures today.
There was once much tradition around candytuft as a plant of blessing and celebration. Garlands of the herb adorned churches during harvest time and Thanksgiving, and posies made with long ribbons were left with candles for those who were sick or unable to attend communion. Cottage gardens grew candytuft for weddings and christenings through the centuries. I remember my grandmother using it in these ways and I grow it today for those old memories and its bright whiteness. The name Iberis refers to the Iberian Peninsula, whence it derives.
CULTIVATION
Plant out in full sun in a deeply dug bed, rich in compost, as a border plant spaced 50 cm apart. Water the plants three times a week in very hot weather and twice a week in the cooler months. I dig a spadeful of moist, well-rotted compost around each plant in winter, using a small fork, and water in home-made liquid manure made with comfrey in midsummer and autumn. This extends the flowering stage. Candytuft is treated as an annual in most nurseries, but it can keep going for 3–4 years if spent flowers are pruned off carefully. It is undemanding and neat. Occasionally in spring and early summer you will find it in nurseries. Snap it up, as it will flower a couple of times a year and give many months of pleasure.
PROPAGATION
Candytuft is raised easily by seed or cuttings taken soon after flowering. Tuck cuttings into moist, compost-filled bags and keep them sheltered; water on alternate days until ready to be planted out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Pick the flowering stems as needed, as they are edible. Candytuft flowers are charming used on cakes and desserts, in fruit salads, salads, stir-fries and fruit drinks. They are also harvested fresh for medicinal use.
CULINARY USES
Sweet candytuft syrup was a favourite summer celebratory drink in the Mediterranean area from the early centuries. Made with lemon slices and honey, this drink heralded the harvest celebrations and Easter parades. Candytuft sprigs and flowers were used to decorate food and drinks.
SERVES 6–8
MEDICINAL USES
Candytuft tea was taken in the early centuries as a bitter digestive tonic, and it was a respected treatment for relieving flatulence, colic, digestive bloating and burping.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh candytuft flowers (usually about four). Add a slice of ginger; stir well for five minutes then strain, sweeten with honey and sip slowly.
The same brew was the treatment for arthritis, rheumatism and gout, and a poultice of warmed candytuft flowers was used as a comforting and pain-relieving dressing over hot swollen joints. Dip the flowers in hot water and apply to the area as hot as can be tolerated; bind in place with a hot towel and relax for 10 minutes, then repeat. I put a hot-water bottle over the area to help the candytuft flowers do their work. Together with a cup of candytuft tea, this old-fashioned and comforting remedy should again become a panacea.
One of the cherished antique flowers, candytuft needs to be reconsidered for its high vitamin C content and its safe pain-relieving properties for muscular pains and the deep bone pains of chronic arthritis, gout and rheumatism. The plant also has anti-spasmodic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and anti-microbial properties, and it stimulates the liver to produce bile.
A garland of candytuft once served as a treatment for headaches, especially in children, and I remember my grandmother twisting the stems of freshly picked candytuft to help relieve my mother’s headaches. It was quite a common sight to see my mother at work in the garden or kitchen wearing a candytuft crown!
Carob
St John’s bread / Locust tree
Family Fabaceae
Species: Ceratonia siliqua
Origin: Native to the Mediterranean area
Plant: Evergreen tree
Height: Up to 15 m
Soil: Deep, well-dug, well-composted soil
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
Carob is revered as the tree on which John the Baptist survived in the wilderness, and from that time onward it has been regarded as a holy tree. It has endeared itself to many over the years for its sweet, chocolate- flavoured pods and as a healthy ‘sugar-free’ alternative to chocolate.
Curiously, no matter the size of the pods, carob seeds are always exactly the same weight. Carob trees are therefore cultivated near goldfields and diamond mines for their small seeds, as each seed weighs exactly one carat (200 mg), the unit of mass for diamonds and gold. Carob trees are still grown at Kimberley diamond mine, and visiting school children are introduced to carob in a way they never forget.
CULTIVATION
Plant out in full sun, in a large, deep, compost-rich hole, with a ‘dam’ around it to retain water. Set a thick plastic pipe, 1 m in length, into the hole at an angle so that a hosepipe can be inserted and water can reach the roots, ensuring a bountiful crop of pods. Water trees once weekly, and give each tree a barrow-load of compost twice a year. The plant is dense and voluptuous and male and female trees are separate. Pods are borne in late summer, and fall from the tree when ripe.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is from seed. Press three seeds into a bag filled with friable topsoil mixed with compost, and keep them sheltered and moist. The seeds grow easily and quickly. Leave the seedlings in their bags until big enough to handle. Then plant out individually into bigger bags, in richly composted soil. Stake seedlings to keep them upright and move them into the sun for an increasing time daily to strengthen, before planting out permanently.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
I was told by Greek carob growers to allow the pods to fall from the tree as that is when they are sweetest. Gather the ripe pods and store in large, covered containers until needed.
Finely ground carob powder and carob chocolate squares
CULINARY USES
Pulp from the pods is dried, roasted and ground to form carob powder or flour, or it is boiled into thick ‘molasses syrup’ (the tough seeds are removed beforehand). The powder can be mixed into hot or cold milk to make an energy-boosting drink or used in baking as a replacement for cocoa. It has less fat, no caffeine and no oxalic acid compared with cocoa beans, making it the ideal chocolate substitute. Because carob is sweet, it can also replace sugar in recipes. Choose a favourite cake or biscuit recipe and substitute carob powder for the cocoa, and taste the difference. Try making your own carob bars, fudge, or slabs.
In the food industry, a valuable natural gum known as ‘tragasol’ is obtained from the crushed seeds. It is used extensively as a thickener and stabiliser and has an almost tasteless presence in commercial salad dressings, mayonnaises, sauces, mustards and sandwich spreads. Processed meat, cheeses and ice-cream all contain tragasol.
Once the seed has been crushed, the residue is pulverised further to make flour that is starch- and sugar-free. The flour is well known and safe for diabetics, and is high in protein.
MEDICINAL USES
Because of the high pectin content in carob powder, it is given to ease digestive problems. The dosage is one tablespoon of carob powder mixed into 225 ml of warm water. Sip this 2–3 times a day before meals to ensure safe, painless digestion. Often this mixture is enough to relieve bloating, cramps and flatulence, and a tablespoon held in the mouth and trickled gradually down the oesophagus will ease burning indigestion quickly and painlessly.
Carob is safe for young children and the elderly and recommended for those with high blood pressure. In the case of babies who vomit up their formula, add a little sieved carob powder to the milk. It will soothe and help them to digest the food comfortably. Carob is a balanced health food with various vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and B complex, phosphorus, iron, copper and magnesium, and it is high in protein.
Chaste tree
Monk’s pepper
Family Lamiaceae / Verbenaceae
Species: Vitex agnus-castus
Origin: Mediterranean area and Asia
Plant: Shrub or small tree
Height: 4–5 m, usually pruned as a shrub
Soil: Deep, compost-rich hole
Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Berries, cuttings
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The chaste tree has been grown as a garden ornamental in many countries, and has been associated with chastity throughout history. The peppery dried berries, which were given to the monks to reduce libido, have strong hormonal effects on both men and women, and are medicinally described as increasing female progesterone and inhibiting male androgens.
The pungent, bittersweet leaves are still used to make medicinal teas, and the dried berries often appear in spice mixtures in the Middle East.
Monk’s pepper was grown in the monastery gardens, particularly in the Mediterranean area.
CULTIVATION
Vitex agnus-castus is often mislabelled at nurseries and confused with V. negundo, V. incisa and V. trifolia. All are attractive and need full sun and a large, deep hole, but only Vitex agnus-castus has culinary and medicinal uses.
Space plants 2 m apart. The plant takes dry, well-drained soil and summer heat admirably, and needs two dressings a year of lightly composted soil to encourage flower growth. Prune back lightly to shape in late winter, and make a ‘dam’ around it to hold a deep, weekly watering. It takes frost, but in cold areas it is deciduous. The tree is aromatic and easy to grow, and makes a charming hedge or boundary.
WARNING: Do not use monk’s pepper during pregnancy.
PROPAGATION
Propagation is by ripe berries or cuttings. After the mauve flower spikes turn to seed, cover them with small paper bags to collect the berries. Crush the berries to release the seeds and sow them in trays of moist, lightly composted soil, covered with glass to ensure even temperature and to maintain moisture. Water from below by standing the seed tray in a larger tray of water.
When the tiny seedlings are strong, remove the glass. Do not let them dry out. Prick out and plant in compost-rich soil in small pots. Water and check daily, and keep protected. Repot into larger pots or bags filled with a good mix of compost and topsoil as they grow. Check daily and keep lightly moist. Place the pots in the sun to harden off; plant out once the plants are 50 cm high and sturdy.
Cuttings should be taken in late winter; cut 10–15 cm twigs with good leaf growth. Press into moist compost-rich soil and keep a clear plastic bag over the box on a frame, like a mini hothouse, to keep it warm through winter nights. Remove the bag during the day. Once new leaves have formed, prick out carefully and plant in large, compost-rich bags to encourage growth. Move out into the sun as they mature, for a longer time each day. Check the watering daily.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
Once the berries are starting to dry off, pick the whole spray and dry it on brown paper in the shade. Once dry, carefully sieve out any bits and pieces of leaf and stem and pack the berries into pepper grinders for griding over soups or stews.
The peppery pink berries of Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle) ground with monk’s pepper is a favourite combination over savoury dishes.
CULINARY USES
The dried berries are ground like a pepper and mixed with several other peppers or local spicy mixes for specific dishes. It remains popular in the Mediterranean and Middle East where it is used to flavour egg dishes, pickles, meats and breads. Asian shops often have a flavour-filled pepper mix that includes black pepper, green pepper, pink peppercorns and monk’s pepper with dried ginger that gives an exciting taste to beef or mutton stew. Fresh leaves are used in a tea served either hot or cold with pure squeezed grape or apple juice. In the past, dried leaves and twigs were popular in infusions in winter as a relaxant and as a base for hot and cold drinks.
SERVES 4–6
MEDICINAL USES
The chaste tree is still used medicinally in many countries. Strong monk’s pepper tea has remained a comforting treatment for menopausal hot flushes, discomfort, weight gain, water retention, malaise and headaches, as well as the feeling of tension and not coping.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh or dried leaves (and a few berries if possible); stir frequently and allow the tea to draw for five minutes. Strain and sip it slowly. Taken once or twice daily, it is instantly calming and relieves hormonal changes.
This tea is excellent for men with premature ejaculation, for infertility in both men and women, and for insufficient lactation in nursing mothers. It is also wonderfully soothing for premenstrual tension. As a treatment for impotence and depression, the chaste tree remains the most exceptional herb. Always talk to your doctor before starting a home treatment.
Chestnut
Family Fagaceae
Species: Castanea sativa
Origin: Temperate parts of the northern hemisphere
Plant: Spreading deciduous tree
Height: 30 m
Soil: Deep, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
Exposure: Sun, partial shade
Propagation: Seed, grafting
Uses: Culinary, medicinal
The chestnut tree has a significant place in history and an even more prominent place as a ‘medicinal botanical’ from Roman times. It is listed in the pharmacopoeias of many cultures; in all cases both the leaves and nuts are used.
Italian medical texts record its virtues for many illnesses as far back as the second century AD, while French records date back even further. Ancient chestnut recipes are being used again, such as the puréed chestnuts (‘purée de marrons’) served to King Louis XIV of France; flour made by grinding cooked chestnuts (‘farine de châtaigne’); and the much-loved ‘marrons glacés’ that thread their way through history as one of the first sweetmeats.
Today, centuries-old specimens may be found in Great Britain and the whole of central, western and southern Europe. South Africa is not the ideal climate for chestnut trees as summer temperatures are too high and there is little frost in winter. The nuts form, but are not luscious; however, you can still reap the leaves to use medicinally.
CULTIVATION
The chestnut is a beautiful, slow-growing deciduous tree that thrives in cold winters, actually benefiting from frost and icy winds. It needs a huge (really huge), deep, well-dug hole in full sun, filled with compost. Set a large pipe into the hole at an angle so that a hose can be inserted and water can reach the roots. Build a generous ‘dam’ around the tree and flood it weekly. Give it a barrow-load of compost twice a year. Some nurseries, especially in the Cape, offer small chestnut trees for sale.
PROPAGATION
In the colder parts of the country, farmers propagate with strong cuttings, taken on branches showing the past season’s growth. Occasionally, where a mature chestnut has rooted from a seed, they use this young sapling as a strong start for grafting from a favourite tree.
As the chestnut is deciduous, take cuttings (15 cm long) in winter and root them in pots filled with moist sand; two or three cuttings per pot. Stand each pot in a tray of water and keep moist, warm and protected. Once the new buds appear, move the pots into the sun for an hour each day, extending the time gradually as the little plants become more vigorous. Replant into bigger pots to encourage sturdy growth before finally planting out.
HARVESTING AND PROCESSING
As the nuts ripen in their prickly outer shells, wait for them to split open and fall from the tree. Wooden chestnut-gathering ‘trugs’ or baskets are still made today in England and Europe for harvesting chestnuts.
CULINARY USES
Nourishing, sweet chestnut soups were part of the monks’ treatment for colds and chills and were given to those recovering from pneumonia and bronchitis. Try making a chestnut sweetmeat as a treat for children – it is still sold in country markets today and was among the first ‘sweets’ ever offered for sale.
SERVES 6
MEDICINAL USES
In the Middle Ages, a brew of fresh, bruised chestnut leaves steeped in honey was a favourite treatment offered by the monks to relieve debilitating coughs, and today chestnut leaf cough mixture is regaining popularity. Chestnut leaves were also used to treat malaria, fevers and the intense and restrictive pain of rheumatic fever and other rheumatic conditions as far back as the Middle Ages. Today’s research is verifying this.
A tea made from chestnut leaves and bark is still a cherished country remedy for diarrhoea. Tea prepared from the chopped leaves is taken to relieve coughs, colds, flu, bronchitis, whooping cough, throat infections, asthma, and to clear the lungs of mucus build-up.
TO MAKE THE TEA: Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh leaves (add a thin strip of bark from the branches in the case of diarrhoea). Let the tea stand for five minutes before straining. Sweeten with honey and add lemon juice if liked. Take two cups a day, morning and evening, until the condition clears. The same tea can be used as a gargle for throat infections, and boiled leaf extractions are used in commercial and homeopathic preparations in many countries today. The leaves are rich in tannins and other components such as quercetin and glycosides, all of which have valuable medicinal properties. It is no wonder that the chestnut has been cherished for so many centuries!
In northern countries in winter, city street traders still sell hot roasted chestnuts, which are a tonic for coughs, colds and flu. Passers-by cannot resist that little hot paper bag of feel-good deliciousness!