Hemp Agrimony & Tansy – Know Them, Don't Eat Them
Not every wild plant worth a spot in the album belongs in the pot. Hemp agrimony and tansy are two roadside classics with real value – just not as food.
Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
- Identify: A perennial up to 1.5 m tall with reddish stems and large pink-purple flower clusters from July to September; likes damp spots – stream banks, ditches, wet meadows. The name "hemp agrimony" comes from the fingered leaves, which vaguely resemble hemp – though the two plants aren't related
- ⚠️ Not for consumption: Hemp agrimony contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can damage the liver. Even traditional tea uses are no longer recommended today – leave the plant standing rather than brewing it
- Why it's still worth noting: Few native plants attract as many butterflies – red admirals, swallowtails and peacock butterflies all feed here. Worth an entry in your journal, not worth picking
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Identify: A knee- to hip-high perennial with finely feathered, fern-like leaves and distinctive yellow button flowers (no petals, just tubular florets) from July to September. Crushed leaves give off an intense, camphor-like smell
- ⚠️ Not for consumption: Tansy contains thujone, which is toxic in larger amounts – up to and including seizures. It should not be used internally, even though older herbal books once said otherwise
- Traditional use: Dried bundles or small linen sachets of tansy in the pantry or wardrobe reliably keep pantry moths and other insects away – one of the oldest forms of natural moth protection
Why include it in the album anyway?
The Ernterei album isn't just a cookbook – it's a nature journal. Getting to know a plant and what it's good for, and what it isn't, is worth more than simply walking past it. That's exactly what belongs here.