Garden of medicinal plants

Photos Credit: Salagon Museum. Text : Marie Josèphe Moncorgé. Translator: Jean-Marc Bulit

Common vervain

Verbena officinalis is 35 to 80 cm tall, with small lilac coloured flower. Just as clary sage, vervain was a medieval panacea (universal remedy):

Platearius recommended to hang the root around the patient's neck to heal swelling of the neck, to wear the vervain made in a crown against headaches, to give it grinded in powder against chest achings. Vervain heals spider bites (wine), rabid dog or snake bites (plaster of leaves), jaundice, terce fever and ague.

Vervain, sorcerer's herb or sacred herb was used for magic or divinatory practice. Platearius has such a recipe: To get the love of a man, oint your hands with the juice of vervain then with them touch the one you want to be loved by.

Common vervain - Oldcook: medicinal garden with photos of Salagon Museum Rosemary de from Drôme, photo J.Bouchut - Oldcook: medicinal garden Pot marigold from Drôme, photo J.Bouchut - Oldcook: medicinal garden Saint John's wort - Oldcook: medicinal garden with photos of Salagon Museum Common mallow - Oldcook: medicinal garden with photos of Salagon Museum Clary sage - Oldcook: medicinal garden with photos of Salagon Museum

Click on the photo to access the garden's plant.

Jardin médiéval imaginaire