The vervain plant is a lesser-known herbal remedy, but it has a
lengthy history of medicinal use when it comes to a variety of systems
in the body. In traditional herbal medicine, it has been used to treat headaches, insomnia, depression, anxiety, kidney stones, gout, jaundice and more. It also has been used to improve lactation
for nursing mothers and as a natural treatment for painful
menstruation. Does vervain have magical properties? If you start researching this
herb, you’ll see some pretty interesting information come up, even
including the suggestion that it has magical powers. Some sources also
say that vervain was used on Jesus’ wounds after he was removed from the
cross, which is why “herb of the cross” is one of its many nicknames.
Let’s take a look at how traditional medicine has used vervain
through the years, as well as what scientific studies have revealed
about its medicinal powers to date. I’ll also tell you about the
different forms of Verbena officinalis. You may even want to try growing
this herb in your own garden.
Vervain Plant Origin
Vervain is an herb that goes by quite a few other common names
including Simpler’s Joy, Enchanter’s Plant, Herb of the Cross, Juno’s
Tears, Pigeon’s Grass, Pigeonweed, Herb of Grace, Wild Hyssop,
Iron-weed, Wild Verbena, and Indian Hyssop. Vervain’s botanical name is
Verbena officinalis, which is often what it’s called in scientific
research. Vervain belongs to the plant family Verbenacea, not to be confused with lemon verbena. Lemon verbena
is a completely different plant, but lemon verbena and vervain are in
the same plant family. There are also varieties of vervain, including
blue vervain (Verbena hastata) and white vervain (Verbena urticifolia). What does vervain look like? It’s a slender perennial plant with
toothed leaves and small, pale lilac-colored flowers on leafless spikes.
Where does it grow? Vervain is likely native to Europe, specifically
the Mediterranean region, but it has been naturalized to other parts of
the world, including North America. (3) The aerial portions (above-ground plant parts) of Verbena
officinalis are used for medicinal purposes. These parts — namely the
leaves and flowers — are known to contain active plant components,
including glycosides (verbenin), alkaloids, tannins, bitter principles
and volatile oil. These chemical plant compounds give vervain its
antispasmodic, antipyretic (fever reducing) and diuretic abilities. (4)
What is vervain used for?
The aerial parts have been used
traditionally for many conditions, including stimulation of lactation
and treatment of dysmenorrhea, jaundice, gout, kidney stones, headache,
depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Vervain is also considered an astringent, a bitter digestive tonic, and a diuretic.
Among its purported benefits, vervain may help treat.
