Description
FEVERFEW (Tanacetum parthenium), is an aromatic herbaceous perennial heirloom with small daisy like flowers that bloom from July to October. The plant grows 24" to 36". When fresh, the fragrance is lightly citrus and it makes a nice addition to the vase. Once dried, the fragrance becomes more medicinal, but still very pleasant. My first introduction to feverfew was when working in a community garden decades ago I suffered a bee sting (my last ever) and a knowledgeable old master gardener there clipped some from his garden, ripped it and applied to my sting. The relief was almost instantaneous. Since that time, I have always kept it growing in my garden for just such an occasion, and love the fresh scent! Once established you will never be without as it reseeds handily! 100 Seeds.
MEDICINAL: A proven anti-inflammatory, Feverfew has traditionally been used for reducing fever (hence its name), headaches (especially migraine headaches) and arthritis, although it should not be taken by those using blood-thinners, and it might cause the same stomach upset that aspirin causes. The active ingredients of feverfew are parthenolide and tanetin. Recent studies found that parthenolide induces cell death in leukemia cancer stem cells. Most recently, it has been marketed as a natural skincare product to calm red and irritated skin.
GROWING TIPS: Start indoors in February/March and transfer to small pots to harden off before transplating into a sunny permanent position in your herb bed.