My Herbal Wellbeing - Herbal Tea Database - Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Home | About Herbal Medicines | Herbal Tea Database | Articles

Tansy
Common Name	Tansy
Scientific Name	Tanacetum vulgare
This herb is also called Stinking Willie, Traveller's Rest, Buttons, Alecost, Wild Agrimony, Goose Grass, Parsley Fern, and Hindheal. Tansy's botanical name comes from athanasia, the Greek word for "immortality," and it is one of the bitter herbs the Jews were ordered to eat at Passover. Puddings and cakes made with tansy were also traditionally eaten to celebrate the end of Lent, and the herb was used by the ancients for embalming. Tansy grows wild all over Europe and the United States, and it contains tannin, resin, thujone (a chemical component of sage), and tanacetin, which give it its own taste. Herbalists used it to expel worms from the intestines, produce perspiration, and promote menstrual discharge. CAUTION: In moderate doses the herb has a mild, tonic effect, but in larger quantities-more than 1 or 2 cups-it can be violently irritating and narcotic. Use with caution -tansy can be poisonous!
Plant	Perennial. Hardy to - 30ºF (- 34ºC). Much-divided, rich green leaves grow alternately on the purplish-brown stem. Clusters of small, button-like, bright yellow flowers appear from July to September. The seed is a hard, one seeded fruit.
Height	3 feet.
Soil	Any well-drained chalky soil.
Exposure	Full Sun.
Propagation	By seeds planted in spring or fall during the third lunar phase. Or by root division. Self-sows freely.
Care	Space plants 4 feet apart. Stake against wind and rain if they are in an unprotected spot. Cut off dead stems in fall; the plant will reappear in spring. Don't allow tansy to become too wet, and thin each year to prevent rapid spreading.
Part used for Tea	Leaves and tops.
Taste	Bitter, lemony. Can be sweetened with honey. Good in combination with rosemary.
How to Brew	BY INFUSION: 1 teaspoon of dried, or 2 teaspoons of fresh crushed leaves and tops. Cover with 1 cup of boiling water, and steep for a short period only. Serve tansy tea weak, and drink it in moderation.