Wildflower Wednesday

This week’s Wildflower Wednesday featured flower is Hoary Vervain.

Hoary Vervain is a native perennial that grows in prairies. It is a drought tolerant, nonaggressive species that blooms June – August.

Its flowers, that grow from the bottom up, just a few at a time, along narrow spikes, are an important food source for pollinators and birds.

Horary Vervain has a long history of medical and spiritual uses. Seen as holy, the Greeks and Romans used it to bless their alters. Christians called it “the herb of the cross” and believed that the plant was used to treat Christ’s wounds on the cross.

In the Middle Ages it was known as the “the herb of love,” and used as an aphrodisiac in magical potions. "To gain the love of a person, rub your hands with the juice of vervain and touch the man or woman you wish to inspire to love.” Grillot de Giviry, Witchcraft, Magic & Alchemy