A Hedgerow Walk to Dilston Physic Garden on 4TH July 2018

On 4th July 2018, the 21st Century Northumbria Herbal Project held a workshop at Dilston Physic Garden.

Dilston is located just off the A695 road running between Corbridge and Hexham on the south side of the

River Tyne. As part of the workshop, Anne Larvin led a herb walk along the private road and woodland walk

up to the Physic Garden. The group parked in the Scouts’ field (so called because the Scouts’ Camp site is

nearby and those visiting the camp park here).

LESSER BURDOCK Arctium minor Common name: Beggars buttons.

The Latin name is from the Greek word ‘arktos’ meaning

bear (animal). In Japan, its known as ‘gobo’.

The base leaves are very large and this plant at Dilston was

around 5ft high. Near the top of each stem was a group of

‘burrs’ (the seed head) which have hooked tips that attach

to clothes, and animal fur.

The root is the main part used medicinally - for chronic

blood disorders and as a blood purifier and cleanser. It

relieves dry skin, strengthens the hair and stimulates the

appetite. And many will recognise it as the partner of

Dandelion in Dandelion and Burdock beer or lemonade.

Indeed, it is a member of the same plant family as

Dandelion – Asterarceae.

The bruised leaf can be used as a first aid treatment when

laid on burns and it also helps treat ringworm (including

athletes foot).

YARROW Achillea millefolium Also known as …Thousand-Leaf, Nosebleed,

Staunchgrass, Soldier's Woundwort,

Sanguinary, Bloodwort, Bad Man’s Baccy (from

Shilbottle)….

Yarrow can grow from 8 to 40cm tall. As well as

white flowers, it can also be found with a pink

tinge to the flowers in the wild.

This is a very useful, multi-tasking herb: anti-

inflammatory, astringent, haemostatic, and a

circulatory tonic.

Yarrow shares an essential oil with Chamomile -

chamazulene –which is a natural profen (think

‘ibuprofen’).

Yarrow was one of the 9 sacred herbs in the Anglo-Saxon Lacnunga so it should be no surprise that it was a

component of Gruit Ale (together with bog myrtle and wild rosemary). This particular ale was highly

intoxicating – narcotic, aphrodisiacal and psychotropic!

A traditional remedy for relief of toothache involves biting on a yarrow leaf.

CLEAVERS/CLIVERS Galium aparine

Goosegrass, Sticky Willy, Bleedy tongues

Related to sweet woodruff, lady’s bedstraw, and madder, means that Cleavers is part of the Rubiaceae, or

coffee, family.

Small, hairy, clinging seeds of this weed are produced

in large quantities, of 300-400 seeds per plant, are

easily distributed and can persist in the soil for 6 years.

Cleavers is a herb that is rich in minerals and worth

eating when very young and fresh; it contains silica

which strengthens hair and teeth.

Medicinally, Cleavers has a very valuable role as a

lymphatic cleanser, and diuretic. As such it is used

medicinally for conditions such as lymphoedema,

cystitis, and skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne)

The seeds can be roasted for coffee if you have the

patience to collect them.

IVY Hedera helix

Readily recognised, with its heart-shaped, glossy

dark green, evergreen leaves. The berries appear

in winter and are poisonous.

A lot of folklore is associated with Ivy and it was

used in Ancient Greece as wreaths for poets and

Bacchus, the Greek god of wine.

An Anglo-Saxon recipe to sooth sunburn calls for

young ivy twigs to be boiled with butter and the

resulting ointment smeared on the face

(Leechbook of Bald);

Culpeper recommended the berries for the

plague; Sir John Hill, writing in the 18th century

said that Ivy had little use!

Although not used much in modern herbal

medicine in UK, it is a very popular chest/cough

medicine in Germany, often combined with thyme

and liquorice and has received approval from the

European Medicines Agency.

ELDER Sambucus nigra

The scent of the flowers is unmistakeable and

a sure sign of early summer.

During WW2, the Ministry of Supply

recommended the use of Elderflowers as a

Muscatel (wine) substitute and suggested the

flowers could be used in custards and milk

puddings as well as adding to gooseberry jelly

‘to greatly improve the flavour’.

The flowers were and still are used as a

remedy for fevers, coughs and colds. The

leaves have a traditional use as a fly

repellent.

DANDELION Taraxacum officinalis A very valuable medicinal herb, using both leaf and root. (The flowers can be eaten too, as well as used as

the basis for an infusion.)

The leaf is an excellent and safe diuretic since it also contains potassium which can be lost in the urine with

other diuretics. Traditionally used to support weight loss and reduce cellulite.

The root is used as a liver tonic, helping with constipation and makes an ideal combination with burdock root

for detoxing after the winter. The root is also used for coffee making – where the root is washed, chopped,

roasted and then ground to a powder.

Dandelion is an important plant for beekeepers as flowers yield high quantity of pollen and nectar especially

in early Spring and through until late autumn.

The stem, when broken, exudes a white latex that can be used to remove warts (the warts turn black).

ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB Epilobium angustifolium

LEAF

Rosebay Willowherb is known as Fireweed and Bombweed

because its one of the first plants to grow in areas of

devastation.

The leaf is used medicinally for urinary tract infections and

for enlarged prostate problems.

An infusion of the leaf makes a tonic tea drink and is a

useful astringent drink in cases of diarrhoea. The

astringent actin of infused leaves can also be beneficial as

a face wash for acne .

HEDGE WOUNDWORT Stachys sylvestris

This is from the same plant family as Wood Betony

(Stachys betonica) which is a valuable herb in modern

medical herbalism. But this plant has excellent 1st aid

potential as its name – Woundwort – shows, having been

used for centuries to treat battlefield wounds.

Elizabeth Blackwell, herbalist and brilliant botanical artist,

published her book between 1737-1739, and wrote that

this herb could be used for ‘all sorts of wounds, especially

green ones, and stops internal bleeding’.

And for those afflicted with midge bites when out in the

country, crush the plant leaves and rub over the affected

areas.

BROOM Cytisus scoparius Formerly called Genista scoparius, it is linked to

Plantagenets from the nickname of Geoffrey of

Anjou in the 12th century (planta genista).

Broom is a member of the pea family and its

flowering tops have been a valuable medicine for

heart conditions where it is used as a diuretic and

heart stimulant. During WW2, local groups were

urged to collect herbs including Broom, and in

Suffolk 6 tons of Broom tops were collected in

May 1942.

Care needs to be taken not to confuse this plant with Spanish Broom whose leaves are like pine

needles – Broom leaves are small and oval – and it flowers later. The flowers of Spanish Broom are

poisonous.

CUCKOO PINT Arum maculatum

Lords and Ladies, Devils and Angels, Adam and

Eve are just 3 of the common names for this

poisonous plant, which thrives in shady

hedgerows and woodland.

This photo was taken before the plant head

had turned a bright, tomato red – dangerously

attractive to young children. The leaves too can

cause problems with burning and blistering if

picked. In early Spring, only the leaves of this

plant are apparent and because Cuckoo pint

often grows in woodland areas where wild

garlic/ransoms grow, it is important to be able

to distinguish Cuckoo Pint by its leaf.

In the past, the dried and roasted root ground

to a powder called Portland sago (and used in a

similar way to arrowroot).

HERB ROBERT Geranium robertianum

Death come quickly, Red robin. Stinky Bob – just some of

the common names given to this plant.

The name ‘Robert’ or ‘robertianum’ is thought to come

from Father Robert, a monk herbalist. In the 1950’s

Geoffrey Grigson recorded more than 110 local names.

As a member of the geranium family it joins 300 other

species in this family.

The leaves of this plant rubbed onto skin act as an insect

repellent. But it is the root that it used medicinally as it is a

powerful astringent. Its traditional uses include using it to

stop bleeding after tooth extraction, and as a mouthwash

for sore gums and sore throats.

Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium

Similar to, but not the same as, Giant Hogweed, with

the most obvious difference being height and width,

leaf shape and the stem.

It is a member of the Apiaceae family and thus is

related to plants such as celery, parsnip, carrot,

hemlock and cow parsley amongst many others.

One of the causes of allergic reactions by some

people to members of this family is the presence of

chemicals known as furanocoumarins. Celery is the

leading cause of food allergy in Europe! The amounts

in these plants vary depending on weather and

growing conditions and on whether there are any

infections or predators near – furanocoumarins are a

defence mechanism for this plant against such

problems. One furanocoumarin present in Hogweed is

psoralen which is a photosensitiser causing rashes.

Strimming or cutting back a hedgerow containing

common hogweed will cause the plant to send out

chemical signals to other plants (through the fungal

mycelium in the soil and through pheromones) so

that the other hogweed plants then increase their

defences by producing more furanocoumarins and

thereby becoming more irritating and allergenic.

PLANTAIN Plantago spp.

Known as Waybread (wegbraede) to the Anglo

Saxons, Plantain was another of the 9 sacred

herbs in the Lacnunga (Old English for

‘Remedies’).

There are many different varieties of Plantains

but those most commonly used medicinally are

Ribwort and Common Plantain – the difference

being apparent mainly in the shape of the

leaves.

Plantain leaves are a brilliant 1st aid herb for

bites, stings, cuts, grazes: crush the leaves in

the hand, or chew them (saliva is a useful

antiseptic) and then rub onto the affected area

where it has antibiotic and wound healing

properties. The leaves are used, internally, by

herbalists for a range of digestive, respiratory

and urinary complaints.