Motherwort seed Leonurus cardiaca
LATIN NAME: Leonurus cardiaca
COMMON NAME: Motherwort
The motherwort is the old herb of the wayside, and the whorls of the small, pink-purple flowers sit along the tall, square stems. The upright, branching, perennial plant carries the deeply lobed, dark-green leaves and the whorls of the small, pink-purple or white flowers in the axils along the tall, square stems through the summer, one of the fine, quiet sights of the wayside. The plant has a very long record in the old practice of the West as the calming herb of the heart, and it is a fine, historic presence of the herb garden. It is a plant of the open, sunny, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The motherwort is a historic subject of the plant science, and the pink-purple whorls keep showing up in the work on the old herbs. The chemistry of the plant, which has a very long record in the old practice of the West, has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the traditional herbs, the calmative plants and the members of the mint family. The deeply lobed leaves and the tall, square stems have also made it a fine study plant, and the motherwort is a regular subject of the work on the old wayside herbs of the cool world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The motherwort is a fine, historic plant of the herb garden and the wayside. The whorls of the small, pink-purple flowers open along the tall, square stems through the summer, one of the fine, quiet sights of the border, drawing the bees, and the plant has a very long record in the old practice of the West as the calming herb of the heart. The deeply lobed leaves give the fine, dark texture of the herb border, and the plant is one of the fine choices for the herb garden, the wild patch and the traditional medicinal collection. It has been written up in the herbal and the botanical papers for the pink whorls and the very long history, and it is a fine, historic plant of the open, sunny, well-drained garden.
Cut the stems back after the flowers and the plants will send up the fresh, dark leaves from the base.
To grow the motherwort from seed, sow the small, brown seeds across the surface of a tray of loose seed compost, without covering them, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the well-drained ground, the pink whorls will sit along the stems through the summer.
Uses: Medicinal
Especially valuable for PMS, menstrual pain and delayed menstruation. Gentle sedative. Helps calm the entire nervous system. Strengthens the heart and often prescribed for palpitations.