Agrimony has been valued as a medicinal plant for many centuries, in particular in the west country, where Agrimony wine, made with lemons, oranges, ginger, and sugar was used for colds. The spikes of the flowers have a spicy odour, similar to apricots, and the tannin containing leaves were once much used as an addition to tea, adding a particular delicacy and aroma to its flavour. The leaves are, in fact a very useful addition to most blended herbal teas, making them much more palatable. Agrimony tea on its own seems to be helpful for people with multiple allergies.

 

Agrimony is mildly astringent, and is used for acute sore throats (gargle the tea), chronic catarrh,  diarrhoea, and cystitis. Historically it was seen as useful for wounds, and was one of the main ingredients of eau de arquebusade – used for wounds inflicted by an arquebus, or hand-gun. A preparation of the whole plant, including the roots, is also considered useful in skin eruptions – pimples, blotches etc.

 

 

Modern western herbalists have found agrimony to be effective in gall-bladder and liver inflammation and other digestive disorders associated with 'liversishness', nausea, and halitosis. The tea, again, is gentle and fast acting for digestive upsets associated with 'flu and gastritis, so it is always worth having some around.

 

Preparations:

Tincture made from dried ariel parts – 1:5 with 25% alcohol

Tea – combines well with many other herbs, particularly peppermint for digestive upsets.