Feverfew

Tanacetum Parthenium
Matricaria arytenoids

Intro and History

Here's an herb that makes a medical claim with its name. Feverfew comes from the Latin febrifugia, or "driver out of fevers." The Romans believed in its powers but by medieval times it had fallen out of favor. Only lately has this helpful member of the chrysanthemum family been rediscovered, this time not as a fever cure, but as an anti-inflammatory and migraine headache cure of remarkable power.

The ancient Greek physician Dioscorides valued the herb for its effect on the uterus. It was often used in childbirth to help in the delivery of the afterbirth if contractions were not regular. Its use against fevers has been well documented.

In more recent times, in the southwestern United States and in Finland, it has been taken as a tonic, while a Cuban variety is used as an antiperiodic. In its long history this herb has been used as an ingredient in making confectionaries and wines; as an aromatic to ward off disease; and as an insect repellent. The seventeenth century herbalist John Parkinson claimed it aided in recovery from opium overdose, and Cotton Mather recommended it for toothache. It has also been used against ailments as diverse as female hysteria, infant colic, melancholia, and insect bites.

Feverfew has only recently become available in health food stores in the United States, although the British have long used it for self medication. As a headache remedy it is not new, having been recommended by the British herbalist Gerard in 1633, but recent scientific finding now support claims of its effectiveness.

Special Features and Uses

Medicinal

In 1978 a scientist suggested in the Lancet, a British medical journal, that since feverfew has long been used against both migraines and arthritis, it might share properties with aspirin. Two years later, the Lancet confirmed the educated guess with results from a subsequent study. In 1985 the British Medical Journal reported yet another study with findings that demonstrated that feverfew helps alleviate the pain of migraines. Researchers speculate that substances in the plant appear to make smooth muscle cells less responsive to body chemicals that trigger migraine muscle spasms. These findings don't suggest that migraine sufferers can toss away their conventional drugs, but they do show that feverfew does help some sufferers.

Ornamental

Low growing varieties of feverfew can be grown as annuals in rock gardens, window boxes, and porch boxes for summer and fall blooming. The flowers look very much like a cluster of small daisies.

Craft

Dry the stems of feverfew to add to herb and flower arrangements. The fresh leaves and stems produce a greenish yellow dye in wool mordanted with chrome.

Other

One active ingredient in feverfew is thought to be pyrethrin. If it is, the effectiveness of feverfew as an insecticide and insect repellent would be explained.

Hardiness

Hardy Biennial or perennial. Zones 5 thru 7.

Growth Habit

Feverfew is many branched with finely furrowed stems. Leaves are strongly scented, hairless alternate, yellowish-green and approximately 4" long. The lower leaves are bipinnate with egg-shaped leaflets while the upper leaves are pinnate and toothed. This aromatic plant gives off a strong and bitter odor. Usually compact and can be aggressive. Ranges from one to three feet tall.

Bloom

Bloom time is usually between July and October. The daisy-like flowers are small, white with yellow centers that are borne in tight flat clusters on the ends of the stems.

Propagation and Germination

Seeds. Sow seeds indoors in flats in February or March. Keep the seedlings at a daytime temperature of 65°F to 70°F, and 50°F at night. Transplant the seedlings in June, spacing them 9" to 12" apart. If starting seeds outdoors sow them two weeks before last frost. In mild areas, seeds may be sown directly outside in the early spring or fall.

Cuttings

Cuttings may be taken October thru May. Shorten the foliage by 3" and plant the cutting in light soil in a shady spot. Cover with sand and drench with water.

Division

Divide feverfew by sectioning each old plant into three parts and transplanting these. Division is best done in early spring.

Soil and Water

Feverfew likes average, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 - 6.7.

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade.

Pests and Disease

Usually free of disease and no pest noted.

Garden Note

Do not place among other flowering plants that require pollination because it repels bees.

References

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs
by Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton (Editors)

The Southern Living Garden Book
by Steve Bender, Editor

University of Maryland Medical Center [1]