Burnet |
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| Common Name | Burnet |
| Scientific Name | Sanguisorba minor or Poterium sanguisorba |
| Burnet is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. There's some confusion about this herb, with many botanists referring to two cousins, Salad Burnet and Garden Burnet, by the same names. Both varieties have been valued for their healing qualities. Growing in sheltered valleys in Europe, North America, and Asia, burner is supposed to slow the flow of internal and external bleeding, and legend says King Csaba of Hungary used it to help heal the wounds of 15,000 soldiers after a great battle. Burnet tea is also reputed to have been drunk by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War on nights before they were to enter battle to help keep them from bleeding to death if they were wounded. The herb is also believed to be an aid in relieving dysentery. At one time, it was used to flavour wine. | |
| Plant | Perennial, hardy to - 30ºF (- 34ºC). Burnet has small, nearly evergreen, compound leaves that consist of several pairs of sharply serrated leaflets set in opposite pairs along the leaf stalks. The flowers are clustered at the ends of stems rising above the leaves. They are tiny, thimble-shaped, and deep red or purple in colour. |
| Height | 1 to 2 feet. |
| Soil | Average, well-drained, sandy or chalky. |
| Exposure | Full sun. |
| Propagation | By seeds planted 1/z inch deep during the third lunar phase in fall, as soon as they are ripe, or during the third lunar phase in early spring. Germination is slow. The plant self-sows freely, and seedlings can be moved when small. Once established, burnet can also be propagated by root division. |
| Care | Place plants 12 inches apart. They make an attractive ground cover, and continue to supply greens if the flower stems and leaves are continually cut back. Burnet begins growing in March and can be harvested until after the first snowfall. Its ability to remain green throughout the winter, even when growing in poor soil, at one time made burnet a popular fodder plant in Great Britain. |
| Part used for Tea | Leaves. |
| Taste | Cucumber-like (similar to borage) if fresh, new leaves are used; less cucumber-like and nuttier if leaves have been dried. |
| How to Brew | By INFUSION: 1 teaspoon of dried leaves, or 1 tablespoon of fresh crushed leaves, steeped in 1 cup of boiling water. |
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