Wholesale Blue vervain

01.
Where in the World

habitat and range for blue vervain

Blue vervain is native to North America including the Great Plains regions.

02.
A Bit of Botany

a little botany about blue vervain

description
Blue vervain, a member of the Verbenaceae family, is a slender, but erect, herbaceous perennial plant that can reach a height of up to 5' tall, branching occasionally in the upper half.

The green or red stems are four-angled, sometimes with fine white hairs. The opposite leaves are up to 6" long and 1" across. They are lanceolate, conspicuously veined, and have short petioles. The margins are coarsely serrated with variably sized teeth.

The upper stems terminate in a panicle of flowering spikes. These erect spikes are up to 5" long, and densely crowded all around with numerous reddish blue or violet flowers. Each flower is a little less than ¼" across, and has 5 lobes flaring outward from a slender corolla tube. There is no scent.

Four nutlets are produced per flower—they are reddish brown, oblong, and triangular convex. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, and lasts about 1 ½ months. The root system has fibrous roots and short rhizomes.

common names & nomenclature
The Dakota name for blue vervain translates as the word “medicine,” and the Omaha and Ponca name translates as “herb medicine.”

Also known as:
vervain, blue vervain, swamp verbena, wild hyssop, simpler's joy, american vervain, false vervain, traveler's joy, indian hyssop, purvain, herb of grace, herbe sacrée, herba veneris

03.
Cultivation & Harvesting

considerations for growing and harvesting blue vervain

Where does blue vervain grow?
climate
Blue vervain prefers full or partial sunlight and moist conditions, a good plant to locate near a small river or pond in a sunny location. Found in river bottom prairies, moist meadows near floodplain woodlands, soggy thickets, borders of rivers and ponds, marshes, ditches, fence rows, and pastures. This plant adapts readily to degraded wetlands and other disturbed areas.

soil
The soil should consist of a fertile loam or wet muck.

growing
Stratify seeds for 2 weeks then sow indoors. Germination in 14-21 days. Transplant the flowers by mid to late spring, spacing 12 inches apart.

harvesting
Leaves and flowers are harvested while the plant is in bloom.

preserving
Dry leaves and flowers completely, cut into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

04.
The Rest of the Story

additional information

In Egyptian mythology, vervain grew from the tears of Isis, goddess of fertility, as she grieved for her murdered brother-husband, Osiris. A thousand years later, vervain entered Christian mythology as the herb pressed into Christ's wounds to stanch his bleeding, hence its name herb-of-the-cross.

It is believed that Hippocrates recommended vervain for fever and plague. The court physician to Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great prescribed it for masses of the throat (probably iodine-deficiency type goiters). His fanciful prescription advised cutting vervain into two pieces, tying one around the patient's throat and hanging the other over a fire. As the heat and smoke shriveled the hanging root, the mass was supposed to shrink.

The Romans spread vervain throughout Europe, where it became especially popular among the Druids of pre-Christian England, who used it in magic spells, hence its name enchanter's herb.

During the Middle Ages, vervain became a popular skin and acne remedy. As the story goes, those with pimples would stand outside at night, holding a handful of the herb wrapped in cloth over their pimples and the blemishes were supposed to disappear.

From use for acne, vervain evolved into being used for other skin problems. Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote: "The leaves bruised, or the juice mixed with vinegar, does wonderfully cleanse the skin, and take away morphew (dandruff)." Culpeper also recommended vervain to support liver and kidney health, periodontal health, and conditions associated with excess uric acid in the blood.

How to use Blue Vervain

You can combine with other herbs, spices and flowers in tea blends or use to make a tincture.

How to make blue vervain tincture recipe

• How to make blue vervain tincture recipe
• Add blue vervain to a clean container with a good seal such as a mason jar
• Pour vodka about 1 inch over the top of the herb
• Seal and allow to sit in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks
• When it reaches your preferred intensity, strain out the blue vervain tincture

Important: Do not use blue vervain during pregnancy without the guidance of a medical professional experienced in the administration of this herb.