Look for this week’s wildflower near the seated area in Frank’s Wood and on our verges.
When Linnaeus was classifying and naming plants in the 17th century, he will have been familiar with the history of King Mithridates Eupator (132BC to 63 BC), famed for creating herbal remedies including a concoction which many believed to be an antidote for all poisons. The species name eupatoria was an obvious choice for Agrimony with its reputation as a universal remedy. Highly regarded, even sanctified in France as Herbe de Saint Guillaume; the Anglo Saxons used it to treat snake bites; medieval monks would grow it in their gardens to treat wounds and for stomach problems and the Celts infused it in oil alongside juniper for use as an anointing herb.
Common names include Church Steeples, from its shape, and cockleburr and sticklewort from the burrs on the fruit - a sneaky way of enlisting passing animals and ourselves as seed spreaders. Fairy’s wand captures its folklore history as a witch's cure for unexplained illness.
Agrimony is a natural source of a yellow dye, its nectar and pollen support bees and hoverflies and it is an important food plant for the uncommon grizzled skipper butterfly. A beautiful, ancient plant.