Agrimony
Botanical Name: Agrimonia eupatoria
Agrimony is an herb. Historically, people used the dry the parts that grow above the ground as medicinal herbs to make medicine by applying directly to the skin as a mild drying agent (astringent) and for mild skin redness and swelling (inflammation).
Agrimony contains beneficial active compounds including catechin – a water soluble polyphenol and antioxidant and thiamin – a water soluble B vitamin. It also contains quercitrin an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is also the source of its yellow pigmentation. Agrimony contains the complex polyphenol tannin. This bitter plant compound is a natural astringent. Also present in agrimony are palmitic, silicic, and ursolic acids. Palmitic acid is one of the most common saturated fatty acids in both animals and plants. New studies have found that palmetic acid may help fight skin cancer. Silicic acid is a compound of hydrogen, oxygen, and silicon that has been shown to be beneficial to hair, skin, and nails. Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in many herbs and fruits that acts as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory. In addition to its medicinal properties, the plant is also used as a dye. The entire plant is used to make dye and when gathered from spring through September, it yields a pale yellow hue. When gathered late in the year, the dye results in a deep rich yellow.
How To Use
One of the most common methods of enjoying this useful herb is by making tea. To treat diarrhea a cup of weak tea should be sipped up to six times a day. A stronger tea is used as a gargle to soothe sore throats and quiet coughs. To make the tea add one to two teaspoons of dried leaves stems or flowers to one liter of hot water and steep five to fifteen minutes depending on desired strength. For skin inflammation and to treat wounds soak a compress in very strong tea and apply several times daily. For skin issues essential oil may also be used. Agrimony is available as dried leaves, stems, and flowers, ground power, fluid extract, and essential oil.
