Agrimony Herb, Agrimonia Eupatorium
The Agrimony herb has been used for its medicinal benefits since the time of the ancient Greeks.
Agrimone, means a plant with healing powers for the eyes. The plant parts that are sought after are the flowers, leaves and stem.
It was widely used as an herbal remedy for other illness such as stomach ailments, urinary related disorders, skin diseases, joint pains, respiratory problems and for its blood clotting properties to stop bleeding wounds and ulcers.
The root part is used for dye. The healing herb is no longer widely use except for minor applications like treatment for athlete?s foot.
A perennial that grows up to two meters high, this herb has numerous small yellow flowers that grow on long spikes.
This herb has leaves that are covered with hair-like seed vessels called burrs that will stick to skin when touched.
The entire plant emits a distinct sweet, antiseptic, strong fragrance that gets enhanced when the plant parts are crushed.
Planting
Since this is a hardy perennial, it can adapt to nearly any type of soil, though it flourishes in soil that is rich in alkaline with good drainage.
Watering should be done often as the herb is not drought tolerant and will refuse to flower if left dry for a lengthy period of time.
The ideal sunlight requirement is that of full sun but it can also thrive in partial shade. The spacing between plants should be at least 10 inches. This plant is notably pest resistant and disease free.
There are two ways that the herb can be propagated. One of the methods is by planting seeds. The seeds are encased in the burrs. To use the seeds, they have to go through a germination process.
The process that is used is stratification. This is done by placing the seeds in moistened growing medium for a period of six weeks in the refrigerator.
After the new plants have emerged, this can be taken out and be replanted at a depth of half an inch.
The other way of propagation is by root division. In places that have the fours seasons, this is to be done during spring to give the plant time to establish their root system before winter.
When dividing the roots, there has to be a healthy stem connected to roots to make a single new plant.
Harvesting
The flowers, leaves and stem are best harvested when the plant is in full bloom. This is when the healing benefits of the Agrimony herb are at their peak.
The leaves can be harvested occasionally in small amounts. The seeds are ready to be harvested in late summer or early fall when the burrs that contain them easily fall off.
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