Agrimonia eupatoria - Aigremoine eupatoire

Habitat

Exposition

Plein soleil ou mi-ombre

Humidité

Sol sec à moyen.

Sol

Tous sols.

pH

Sol acide ou calcaire

Habitat originel

Fields, stone walls, waste ground and roadside verges[7, 17], usually on alkaline soils[200], preferring sunny positions[165].

Origine géographique

Most of Europe, including Britain, south to N. Africa and east to Iran.

Comestibilité

• A refreshing tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves, flowers and stems [2, 183].
• It can be drunk hot or cold [183].
• It was formerly very popular either on its own or added to China tea, having a peculiar delicacy and aroma [4].
• Seed - dried and ground into a meal .
• A famine food, used when all else fails [179].
• This report could refer to A. pilosa .
• Ledeb .
• (q.v.) .

Usages médicinaux

• Agrimony has long been used as a popular domestic herbal remedy [4].
• An astringent and mildly bitter herb, it is a helpful remedy for diarrhoea and a gentle tonic for the digestion as a whole [254].
• The whole plant is antiaphonic, astringent, blood purifier, cholagogue, diuretic, tonic and vulnerary .
• It contains up to 5% tannin, which has a strongly astringent effect [244].
• When taken internally, an infusion of the plant has a great reputation in the treatment of jaundice and other complaints of the liver[4, 7, 9, 13, 14, 21, 165], it is also used to treat diarrhoea and as a gargle for sore throats [244].
• Externally, a strong decoction is used to treat wounds, skin problems, haemorrhoids etc [4, 7, 238, 244].
• The plant is harvested in late spring and early summer and can be dried for later use [9].
• The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Mental torture' and 'Worry, concealed from others' [209].

Autres usages

• A yellow dye is obtained from the root[1, 24, 57] - from whole plant according to other report,[4, 46] - and from the leaves according to another [148].
• Harvested in autumn[115], the yellow becomes deeper the later that the plant is harvested [4].

Culture

• Easily grown in most soils[133, 200], preferring a calcareous soil [13].
• Thrives in a dry lightly shaded position[14], though it prefers full sun [238].
• Plants usually self-sow quite freely when growing in a suitable position [238].
• The seeds are contained in burrs that can easily attach themselves to clothing or animal's fur, thus transporting them to a new area where they can germinate and grow [244].
• The cultivar 'Sweet scented' is popular in France for making tea because the whole plant is sweet scented and the flowers have a spicy apricot-like fragrance [183].

Propagation

• Seed - can be sown in spring or autumn, either in pots in a cold frame or in situ .
• It usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 13°c[133], though germination rates can be low, especially if the seed has been stored [244].
• A period of cold stratification helps but is not essential .
• When grown in pots, prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer .
• Division à l'automne [200].
• Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions .