A hardy perennial, with tall, erect, softly hairy stems, to 2 m (6 ft.) in height, it has ovate, pointed leaves, toothed at the edges, and terminal yellow flower heads, shaped like shaggy daisies, in late summer.
History and traditions
It is said to be named after Helen of Troy, who was gathering this herb when abducted by Paris, or, according to another version, it grew from her tears on the same occasion. In any case it is an ancient herb, well known to the Greeks and Romans, who ate it as a bitter vegetable and digestive after a heavy meal. They also appreciated its medicinal properties Galen recommended it for sciatica and Pliny thought that the root “being chewed fasting, doth fasten teeth”. It appears frequently in Anglo-Saxon medical texts and in the writings of the Welsh physicians of Midday of the 13th century. It remained popular in folk medicine as a cough and asthma remedy over the centuries, and was grown in cottage gardens. The roots were often candied and old herbals contain many recipes for conserves, cough remedies and tonics made of this plant. John Lindley in his Flora Medical, 1838, remarks, “The plant is generally kept in rustic gardens, on account of many traditional virtues.”
Growth
Grow in rich, moist soil in a sunny position. Propagated by division of roots in spring or autumn, or by seed, which may be slow to germinate.
Uses
Medicinal
The constituents of this herb include up to 40 per cent insulin and it is sometimes recommended as a sweetener for diabetics. But its chief use in herbal medicine is for coughs, hay fever, asthma, catarrh and respiratory infections, taken as infusions or decoctions (these must be filtered to exclude irritant fibers). Elecampane is also said to have a beneficial effect on the digestion when taken internally. Applied externally it is said to relieve many skin inflammations and irritations and has sometimes been recommended as an embrocation, or rub, for the relief of sciatica and neuralgia.
