Feverfew

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Kitchen gardening

Feverfew

Feverfew has been used for centuries to lower fever (hence its name), but it has recently been shown to ease migraines and rheumatism too. As an added bonus it is an attractive flowering herb with daisy-like flowers and it is incredibly hardy.

Growing tips :

  • Feverfew grows best in full sun in well draining soil. It grows well in containers and between paving stones.
  • It will thrive on regular watering and feeding, but it is drought tolerant and will grow in even very poor soil.
  • The plant produces flowers for all of summer and early autumn and grows to a height of approximately 60cm.
  • It is a self-sowing plant, so remember to leave a few seed pods on the plant to sow seeds for next year’s crop.

Uses :

  • Eat the fresh leaves with a teaspoon of honey (the leaves on their own are very bitter) to relieve headaches, migraines, coughs and rheumatism. NB: Feverfew should not be used by pregnant women.
  • Hang bunches of feverfew indoors to ward off flies and mosquitoes. Chopped up stems and leaves are also a good snail and slug repellent in the garden.
  • Feverfew is an excellent companion plant as it attracts bees and wards off insect pests.