Motherwort

Motherwort is a member of the Mint family, probably native to the southeastern part of Europe and central Asia where it has been cultivated since ancient times. Its natural habitat is beside roadsides, in vacant fields, waste ground, rubbish dumps and other disturbed areas. When I was in Romania we saw it growing on a roadside in the Transylvanian village of Crit. We have a plant in our garden which has grown very tall this year.


Nicholas Culpeper considered motherwort useful for removing melancholy vapors from the heart, improving cheerfulness, and settling the wombs of mothers. In 15th century Europe, motherwort was considered by some herbalists to protect against evil spirits.