Ballota nigra - Black Horehound, Phew!

Ballota nigra - Black Horehound, also called Marrubium nigrum, Black Stinking Horehound, Stinking Roger and Fetid Hoarhound. 

Black Horehound is native to the Mediterranean region and to central Asia, and can be found throughout Europe and the Eastern United States.  The name Ballota comes from the greek ballo (to throw away or get rid of), because of the strong offensive odor of the plant.  Nigrais  Latin for "black"  This plant should not be confused with White Horehound, which acts differently.

Black Horehound is a strong smelling perennial, the entire plant has an offensive odor and the leaves emit an unpleasant smell when bruised, smelling like stale perspiration.


Black Horehound is an excellent remedy for settling nausea and vomiting when the cause comes from the nervous system rather than the stomach.  It can be used for motion sickness, or nausea and vomiting due to nervousness.  It has a reputation as a normalizer of menstrual function and also as a mild expectorant, and is thought to be mildly sedative and antispasmodic and is occasionally taken for arthritis and gout.  It was also believed to be a cure for rabies in ancient herbals, and was recommended to be eaten with salt to "cure the bites of mad dogs."

The fresh herb is sometimes used to make a syrup.  The herb should be gathered just as it begins to bloom.  Black horehound is traditionally used as a tea or tincture.  Approximately two teaspoons of the leaves are added to one cup of hot water and allowed to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.  One cup is drunk three times per day.  Black horehound is rarely used alone, and is frequently combined with chamomile, meadowsweet, peppermint or ginger for relief of nausea.

Ballota nigra possesses a woody and fibrous root. The leaves are arranged in pairs on the stem, each pair being at right angles to the pair it succeeds. They are stalked, with margins coarsely serrate and dull green in color.  Its flowers are arranged in dense whorls at the axils of  the leaves and are reddish-purple in color.  It will freely self-sow and can grow up to 3 feet in height.

It is a hardy plant and flowers from June to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant will grow in moist, well-drained, nutritionally poor soil and can grow in sun or shade. 

Sow seed in spring or autumn in a indoors. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer or following autumn. 

Sources:

Botanical.com:   http://botanical.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Freckmann Herbarium:   http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/
 Plants for a Future:  http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ballota%20nigra

Marrubium vulgare - White Horehound

Marrubium vulgare - White Horehound, also called Common Horehound, Woolly Horehound, Houndsbane, Soldier's Tea, and Hoarhound.  The common name comes from the Old English words har and hune, meaning downy plant. This name refers to the white hairs that give the herb its distinctive appearance.  It is also suggested that horehound takes its name from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light.  The Egyptian priests called this plant "Seed of Horus", or "Bull’s Blood" and "Eye of the Star." 


The botanical name Marrubium comes from Maria urbs, "an ancient town of Italy" or from the Hebrew marrob, "a bitter juice," and is one of the five sacred herbs used by the Jews for Passover Feasts.   Vulgare means "common".  

It is native to central and western Asia, southern Europe, and northern Africa, but has become naturalised worldwide and in some places it is considered a noxious weed.  It grows in disturbed land, fields, semi-dry areas, and along roadsides. 

Horehound was once regarded as an anti-magical herb, having the power to break magic spells and repel witches.  It was also used in exorcisms and as incense for protection.  The Romans praised the benefits of White Horehound and it was used extensively during the Middle Ages.  During the Australian goldrush of 1890, it was used by the Chinese as a tonic tea. 

This pungent member of the mint family has long been noted for its efficacy in lung troubles and coughs.  It was already known to have healing properties in Egypt and Greece some 2000 years ago.  It was used in ancient times for fevers, malaria, an antidote to snakebite, rabid dogs, poison, killing flies, tree cankerworms and in magic ritual.


Horehound was regularly used for problems of the respiratory system, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, brain and nervous system conditions, disorders of the stomach, and for hepatitis.  It has also been used in restoring the normal balance of secretions by various organs and glands of the body, thypoid fever and in expelling worms. 

It was used as a tea, cough syrup and as a snuff to treat yellowness of the eye whites (related to liver disfunction).  It has been used in decoction form for sore throats and combined with fenugreek, licorice and thyme as a tea to loosen heavy mucous. 

CAUTION:  Horehound contains marrubin - a chemical compound used as an expectorant.  Large doses are purgative and can cause an irregular heartbeat.  Studies suggest that using white horehound over an extended period of time may lead to high blood pressure.  The juice can cause dermatitis.  This plant should only be taken as needed and not on a regular basis. White horehound is never to be used while pregnant or breastfeeding.  Horehound use may upset people with ulcers or stomach problems.

Although somewhat bitter and possessing a unique, pungent flavor, the fresh or dried leaves are edible and can be used as a seasoning or flavoring, made into a medicinal tea, candy and Horehound ale, an appetizing and healthful beverage.  It is also popularly used today in herbal cough drops.

Horehound is an important bee herb but is also used as a natural repellent against grasshoppers, making it an excellent companion plant for tomatoes.

White Horehound is a hardy plant, easily grown, and flourishes best in a dry, poor soil.  It can be propagated from seeds sown in spring, by division, and by cuttings in late summer.  It needs full sun and well-drained sandy soil.  If raised from seed, the seedlings should be planted out in the spring, in rows, with a space of about 9 inches or more between each plant.  No further culture will be needed than weeding.  It does not blossom until it is two years old.

The plant is bushy, producing numerous annual, quadrangular and branching stems, a foot or more in height.  It's tiny ¼ " white tubular flowers are found in dense clusters in the leaf axils (where the leaves join the stem) around the upper sections of the stems.  It blooms from April to September. 

The flower clusters dry to form brown burrs with small hooked spines.  Each burr contains four small spear-shaped seeds.  The oval shaped, downy leaves are gray -green on top and white below, with thick veins making it appear scalloped or wrinkled, and about 2" long and covered with woolly hairs.  The leaves are sharply aromatic when crushed.

Henbane and White Sage seeds!

I found my stash of white sage and henbane seeds.



Dried seedpods of White Sage



I collected these seeds myself about two years ago when hiking in Washington state.



White Sage Seeds







Whether they are viable or not remains to be seen, I'm hoping for the best.



Dried seed pods of Henbane



I have begun to cold stratify the henbane in the fridge, it will take two weeks.  They are pretty small, as you can see, but there are plenty of seeds that are a lot smaller.

Henbane seeds

As for the seeds I started earlier, the Angelica is still not up yet, it's been 12 days so far.  But I have just learned that they can take up to 30 days to germinate, so I will give those more time.  The Lovage, Borage and Basil are finally up.







The Nine Herbs Charm

The Nine Herbs Charm is an Old English charm recorded in the 10th century "Lacnunga manuscript."

The title "Lacnunga," is an Old English word meaning 'remedies', the word itself is not in the manuscript. The title was given to the collection by its first editor, Oswald Cockayne, in the nineteenth century, and has since stuck.


Cockspur Grass



The Nine Herbs Charm is intended for treatment of poison and infection through the preparation of nine herbs. The numbers nine and three are mentioned frequently within the charm and are significant numbers in Germanic paganism and later Germanic folklore. The poem contains references to both Christian and English Pagan elements, including a mention of the major Germanic god Woden.

According to R.K. Gordon, the poem is "clearly an old heathen thing which has been subjected to Christian censorship." Malcolm Laurence Cameron proposes a psychological value to the poem for ancient patients, stating that chanting the poem aloud results in a "marvellously incantatory effect".

The charm references nine herbs: Mucgwyrt (Mugwort), Attorlaðe (identified as Cockspur Grass by R.K. Gordon; but defined by others as Betony), Stune (Lamb's Cress or Corn salad), Wegbrade (Plantain), Mægðe (Mayweed or Matricaria (Chamomile)), Stiðe (Nettle), Wergulu (Crab-apple), Fille (Thyme), and Finule (Fennel). At the end of the charm, prose instructions are given to take the above mentioned herbs, crush them to dust, and mix them with old soap and apple juice. Further instructions are given to make a paste from water and ashes, boil fennel into the paste, bathe it with beaten egg - both before and after the prepared salve is applied.

The instructions also direct the reader to sing the charm three times over each of the herbs as well as the apple before they are prepared, into the mouth of the wounded, both of their ears, and over the wound itself prior to the application of the salve.

The " loathsome foe roving through the land" may be a reference to disease or specifically the plague.

Nine Herbs Charm

Translated from old Saxon

Remember, Mugwort, what you made known, What you arranged at the Great proclamation. You were called Una, the oldest of herbs, you have power against three and against thirty, you have power against poison and against infection, you have power against the loathsome foe roving through the land.


And you, Plantain, mother of herbs, Open from the east, mighty inside.
over you chariots creaked, over you queens rode, over you brides cried out, over you bulls snorted. You withstood all of them, you dashed against them. May you likewise withstand poison and infection
and the loathsome foe roving through the land.

'Stune' is the name of this herb , it grew on a stone, it stands up against poison, it dashes against poison, it drives out the hostile one, it casts out poison. This is the herb that fought against the snake, it has power against poison, it has power against infection, it has power against the loathsome foe roving through the land. Put to flight now, Venom-loather, the greater poisons, though you are the lesser, you the mightier, conquer the lesser poisons, until he is cured of both.
Remember, Chamomile, what you made known, what you accomplished at Alorford, that never a man should lose his life from infection after Chamomile was prepared for his food. This is the herb that is called 'Wergulu'. A seal sent it across the sea-right, a vexation to poison, a help to others. it stands against pain, it dashes against poison, it has power against three and against thirty, against the hand of a fiend and against mighty devices, against the spell of mean creatures.

There the Apple accomplished it against poison that she [the loathsome serpent] would never dwell in the house. Chervil and Fennell, two very mighty ones. They were created by the wise Lord, holy in heaven as He hung; He set and sent them to the seven worlds, to the wretched and the fortunate, as a help to all. These nine have power against nine poisons. A worm came crawling, it killed nothing. For Woden took nine glory-twigs, he smote the adder that it flew apart into nine parts.

Now there nine herbs have power against nine evil spirits, against nine poisons and against nine infections: Against the red poison, against the foul poison. against the yellow poison, against the green poison, against the black poison, against the blue poison, against the brown poison, against the crimson poison. Against worm-blister, against water-blister, against thorn-blister, against thistle-blister, against ice-blister, against poison-blister. Against harmfulness of the air, against harmfulness of the ground, agaist harmfulness of the sea.

If any poison comes flying from the east, or any from the north, or any from the south, or any from the west among the people. Christ stood over diseases of every kind. I alone know a running stream, and the nine adders beware of it. May all the weeds spring up from their roots, the seas slip apart, all salt water, when I blow this poison from you.

Mugwort, plantain open from the east, lamb's cress, venom-loather, camomile, nettle, crab-apple, chevil and fennel, old soap; pound the herbs to a powder, mix them with the soap and the juice of the apple.

Then prepare a paste of water and of ashes, take fennel, boil it with the paste and wash it with a beaten egg when you apply the salve, both before and after. Sing this charm three times on each of the herbs before you (he) prepare them, and likewise on the apple.

And sing the same charm into the mouth of the man and into both his ears, and on the wound, before you (he) apply the salve.

Sources include:


Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Walking the Hedge:  http://walkingthehedge.net/wildgeekhang/

More new seedlings!

One tiny little Anise seedling finally came up!  That took 10 days! Phew! I'm still concerned that the Angelica has not come up, neither has the Lovage or Tansy. 

The Hyssop are coming along nicely, as well as the purslane.  My tray of sunflowers has made a good start, I plan on using them along the border of my garden to deter deer and human petty thieves. The sunflowers act as a barricade and a privacy fence to not only shelter, but hide from view what lies beyond.  Sometimes the "out of sight, out of mind" technique works to deter garden thieves from stealing  melons and pumpkins. 



Purslane



I am still in the process of finding a dealer for the Sweet Grass and other herbs that are not carried by regular retailers.  There is one online who sells some of what I'm looking for, but I'd like to find more than one for comparison and selection.   

This normally fun assignment has been held up for a while due to money restraints.  My little dog got hurt and I had to take him to the vet the other day, where I shelled out a whopping $365 for a broken toenail. Yikes.  This is only a set-back however, I will continue to research a good nursery for the more hard-to-find medicinal herbs.

 
One of the things I have had to consider when selecting medicinal herbs for this community garden is the impact on the immediate environment.  I need to be careful not to grow plants that are too invasive, some are considered weeds and there are a few that are actually outlawed in my state.  If I had my own private garden, this kind of thing would not be an issue.

Opium Poppy is not outlawed, and I was able to find seeds for that. Those will be put down soon.  Also, some of the plants I had hoped to grow are better sown in the fall.  No matter, we will have a nice herb garden soon, now that we are actually getting started growing something!  Yay!

As for the potting soil that I'm using, they are the trays of "Jiffy-Pots" you can find in any store's garden center. They are dry peat pellets that you just add water and seed to get started.  The size I'm using, 72 pellets, costs around six bucks.   But I wanted to have more, and much larger starter pots without having to spend so much.  My solution is "newspaper pots."

There are web sites that show you how to make your own seedling pots out of newspaper.  It is so cool.  There are a few different techniques, but all are basically the same, just go online and search for "newspaper pots."   Some people use jars, wine bottles and cans to roll the newspaper, and slightly different ways of folding down the bottom so it holds dirt.  It's easy and free. 

There is also a little wooden tool to make the pots, it can be found on line as well, but it costs from about $12.99 to $20, or thereabouts.  I think it is just as easy to use a soft drink can or jar.  Below is just one website that gives instructions on how to make them. Have fun!

Sturdy Recycled Newspaper Pots

So, in these lovely newspaper pots I am using some expensive potting soils, because I want to give my babies a really good start in life.  By expensive, I mean they cost about $4-5 dollars for about 8 to 12 quarts of potting medium. 

The Miracle-Gro peat moss is meant to be mixed with potting soil.  I bought two different brands of the "seed-starting" mix and one of Organic Potting Soil.  The Miracle-Gro seed starter and the Jiffy Seed Starter are a much finer grain, whereas the potting soil, although organic, is a heaver topsoil type mix, which includes bits of twigs.  At least it does not have those nasty bits of styrofoam you will see in the cheaper potting soils.  I hate those things.  I will keep you posted as to how successful my plants are with each type of mix.