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Feverfew
Tanacetum parthenium
Other Names: Altamisa, Amargosa, Bachelor's Button,
Feverfew, Flirtwort, Manzanilla, Featherfew, Featherfoil, Wild Chamomile
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 Photo
by Karen Bergeron Copyright 2004
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Herb Use and
Medicinal Properties
Feverfew is edible and medicinal. has a good reputation as alternative medicine
and
extensive research has proved it to be of special benefit in the treatment of certain
types of migraine headaches and rheumatism or arthritis. The plant is rich in
sesquiterpene lactones, the principal one being parthenolide. Parthenolide helps prevent
excessive clumping of platelets and inhibits the release of certain chemicals, including
serotonin and some inflammatory mediators. Constituents of Feverfew are Volatile oils,
containing pinene and several pinene derivatives, bornylacetate and angelate, costic acid,
b-farnesine and spiroketalenol ethers. Other constituents include essential oils,
flavonoid glycosides, pinene derivatives and costic acid. Feverfew should be taken
regularly to receive maximum benefit and protection from migraines. The leaves and
flowering heads are antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, aperient, bitter, carminative,
emmenagogue, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, vasodilator and vermifuge. An infusion made
from the whole plant is used in the treatment of arthritis, colds, fevers, as a sedative
and to regulate menses. Also used as a foot bath for swollen feet. Applied externally as a
tincture, the plant is used in the treatment of bruises. Chewing several leaves a day has
proven to be effective in preventing some migraine headaches. Feverfew’s sedative
properties make it useful in hysterical complaints, nervousness, low spirits, and is a
general tonic. Also said to be good as a syrup for coughs, wheezing and breathing
difficulties. The dried flower buds are said to have the
same
properties as pyrethrum, and used as an insecticide. An essential oil from the plant is
used in perfumery.
CAUTION: Feverfew should not be used during pregnancy
because of the stimulant action on the womb. The fresh leaves may cause mouth ulcers in
sensitive people.
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Habitat
Feverfew is a perennial herb native to
south-eastern Europe and Asia. Naturalized widely elsewhere. Found growing on rocky
slopes, walls, waste places and a weed of gardens. Cultivation: A very easily grown plant,
it succeeds in an ordinary garden soil, plants can even be grown in walls. Often grown in
the flower garden, feverfew is usually self-sowing. The leaves have a refreshing aromatic
aroma. Growing to 2 1/2 feet the stem is upright, erect, hairy, finely furrowed and
branching. Strongly aromatic leaves are alternate, hairless, toothed, light green about 4
inches long, and divided into broad, lobed segments. The lower leaves are bipinnate with
oval shaped leaflets. Many daisy-like flower heads (composite) bloom June-August, with white
ray flowers surrounding nearly flat yellow centers, growing to about 1 inch across. Gather
entire plant in bloom, dry for later use. |
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Recipe
Infusion: TO 1 oz. of dry herb add a pint of boiling water,
allowed to cool, take in half cup doses 3 times a day.
The dried flowers and plant
are used as a flavoring in cooking to give food a deliciously aromatic bitter
taste. I
Article by Deb Jackson & Karen
Bergeron
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