Blue vervain (verbana hastata) also known as American blue vervain, wild hyssop, wild vervain, swamp verbana, simpler’s Joy, and so on. The plant grows wildly in almost every part of the United States. It is a flowering plants in the verbenaceae (vervain) family that not only grows wild but also a favorite choice in landscape gardens. Blue vervain is a perennial wildflower, and it’s unique because of its candelabra like spikes flower.
Blue vervain is a traditional herb, with it’s roots, leaves, and flowers used to treat conditions such as cold, fever, headache, stomach pain and arthritis. Natives of America especially the West coast roasts and blend’s the seeds and adds it to meals or flour. Blue vervain attracts bumblebees and other pollinators, the seeds serves as a source of nutrient to songbirds.
Blue vervain is a slender and tall perennial flower that grow about 4 to 6 feet high. The plant grows in ditches, borders of river, moist Meadows near floodplain and woodlands, river bottom prairies, soggy thickets, and pastures. Blue vervain adapts to degraded wetlands, and other disturbed area, it grows well in moderately rich soils and, areas that are moist, low lying field and wetlands.
It has fibrous root and green to reddish stem that is 17 cm long and 5 cm wide with a shapely pointed tip, with a rough saw-like edges and a short stalk, they are dark green and it’s strongly veined. Blue vervain perennial wildflower has pencil-like flower spikes, it appears similar to the arms of candelabra. The flower has a ring of blue-purple flower. The flowers at the bottom of the spike blooms first, and the ring of flower appears to push upwards to the tip of the spike.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLUE VERVAIN
Eases menstrual cramps: Blue vervain helps to relieve menstrual cramps for women who are suffering from severe periods, it reduces general discomfort mainly for women who are cramping or bloated. It helps to soften symptoms of menstruation, regulates the hormones to help keep you balance and functional. It helps to ease mood swings experienced by women during their premenstrual period, it can also induce menstrual cycle from women whose period have been delayed
Keeps the nervous system healthy: Blue vervain contains soothing properties that can treat a number of ailments such as stress, nervous disorder, chronic anxiety and insomnia. Vervain is a penetrating nervine that soothes and sedates the nervous system. Vervain helps to promote good night sleep, without making the user groggy in the morning.
Antiparasitic activities: The natural antiparasitic of vervain means that, it can prevent or eliminate or prevent the growth and development of any worms or parasite in the intestine, thereby protecting digestive health. The anti-parasitic nature of blue vervain is still relied on in some situation and culture.
Detoxify the body: Blue vervain functions as diuretic as it stimulated the release of urine from the body. It help eliminate toxins from the system, as well as excess water, salt, and fats. It protects the liver and kidney by removing harmful and toxins that accumulate there.
Aids digestion: Blue vervain is a digestive stimulant, it improves digestive function by increasing the production of saliva, and also promoting stomach acid and digestive enzyme production. It is as good herb to use especially when digestive problems is caused by stress. When you’re stressed out, digestion can shut down. Blue vervain can help stimulate the appetite, and relax the stomach when tension is held there.
Relieves pain: Blue vervain has an analgesic effect, that seems to be effective for arthritic pain and pains from kidney stone. The compounds available in blue vervain can numb certain numb certain areas and also prevents it from registering in the nerves, thereby giving you relief. The anti-inflammatory properties of vervain is a perfect component to pain relief, as it also relieve swelling and inflammation such as arthritis, gout, and inflammation in the gastrointestinal system.
Good for breastfeeding mothers: Some sources recommends vervain to breastfeeding mothers to boost the flow of milk, it helps to improve lactation levels naturally, after delivery.
Relieves depressions: in the past, people who suffers from depression and unpredictable mood turn to blue vervain. The herbs helps to stimulate the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and serotonin. It also improve your mood and clears the mind off any form of worries.
Good for kidney/ liver health: verbana helps to cleanse the kidney and bladde, thereby cutting the risk of developing kidney stones. It helps to boost the functioning of sluggish liver. The vervain contains antimicrobial properties that helps to cleanse the liver and kidney of toxins, sand prevents any form of infection. It also contains aucubin and oleanolic acids which have hepatoprotective effects.
Natural mood enhancer: Drinking a cup of vervain has a relieving effect on the central nervous system that in turn triggers a feeling of relaxation and calmness.
Treats respiratory disorder: Blue vervain helps to treat respiratory problems such as cold, chest congestion, respiratory inflammation, sore throats, and chronic bronchitis. Blue vervain is an effective means of clearing up the tract and eliminates irritation. It also serves as an expectorant helping to remove mucus and phlegm that have accumulated the respiratory tract.
For a healthy gut: Vervain helps to boost nutrients absorption, eases digestive disorder and keeps the gut healthy. It is a natural remedy for vomiting and diarrhea, and also serves as a good laxatives.
Oral health: Blue vervain contains tannins which is very effective for protecting our oral health. If you’re suffering from, mouth ulcer, bleeding gums, bacteria or any other oral infection, blue vervain tea is very effective, and can quickly clear it up. Tannin function as an antioxidant that helps promote healing and reduces further degrading of the tissues.
Other traditional benefits of blue Vervain includes
- Blue Vervain is very effective in treating headache, fever, nervous exhaustion, gall bladder, insufficient lactation and depression when taken internally.
- It’s roots has astringent properties and can be used in treating dysentery.
- It is used as a febrifuge in autumn fevers.
- It is used as a domestic herbal remedy.
- It can be used to treat minor injuries, eczema, gum diseases, neuralgia, and sores.
- It can be used to treat anxiety, jaundice, dysmenorrhea, stimulation of lactation and insomnia.
- Eases depression and melancholy
- Verbana strengthens the nervous system and relieves stress and tension.
- It is an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, colon and bladder condition, and menstrual syndrome.
- Boost mood and energy when you’re fatigued.
- Blue verbana leaves can be used as blood purifier.
- It is used as liver tonic, known to stimulate appetite and aids digestion.
- It can also alleviate sprain.
- It is often used as a remedy of women’s health.
CULINARY USES OF BLUE VERVAIN
- The flowers can be tossed until of a salad or soup.
- You can roast the seed and grind it into powder or can be used as a pinole.
- The leaves can serve as tea substitute.
Blue vervain can as also has some unique benefits for skin care products such as bathing, and body product, and soap making. Some of this products includes, face toner, lotions, ointment, cream, aftershave, scrubs, massage oil and facial mask. Blue vervain has many skin care benefits, it helps the skin get rid of toxin left by bug bites, it to treat eczema and burns, it helps to prevent wounds from contacting any infection. Because of it anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, it is also used for skin infections, it helps to induce sweat from the body as a means of getting rid of toxin, and also helps the skin to look fresh and young.
Verbana essential oil and it’s benefits
Verbana is commonly known as lemon verbana, Blue Vervain, and lemonbee brush. The essential oil is extracted from verbana leaves by stem distillation process. The oil is pale yellow in color with fruity to lemon flavor. It is used in creams and lotion to treat skin conditions topically, an additional drop to a massage oil, helps to provide relief from stress, it is also used to treat insomnia, anxiety, exhaustion and depression. Verbana essential oil contains limonene, luteolin, myrcenene, terpineol, gerenial and so on.
Health benefits of verbana essential oil
Blue vervain contains antioxidants that helps eliminate toxins from the body, promotes digestive health and it’s function, relieve cramps and Soothes indigestion. Contains anti-inflammatory properties that reduces puffiness. Enhances skin softness, promotes concentration and stimulates the brain function, it reduces the chances of depression, high stress, and anxiety. Some of it’s health benefits includes:
- Reduces Anxiety: Inhaling verbana essential oil helps to relieve anxiety and stress and also maintains your zest. It also calms the nerves and balance hormones.
- Aids digestion: Verbana oil aids digestion, alleviates indigestion, nausea and stomach cramps. It provides relief from intestinal spasms, and gastric pain, it soothes upset stomach, prevent bloating, cramping and turbulence.
- Enhance immunity: When the body suffers oxidative stress, it breaks down, and we fall sick. Oxidative stress is often caused by free radicals that affects the immune system and organs. Verbana essential oil reduces the level of oxidative stress, and promotes the activity of the white blood cell.
- Reduces fever: This essential oil is very effective in reducing fever, fight cold, it encourages sweating which will cause the fever to break and also promotes the healing of inflammatory condition.
- Used in aromatherapy: Add a drop of the essential oil into your diffuser, it should not be used in an ultrasonic diffuser. It helps concentration and alertness and also promotes mood. It also help to strengthen focus and opens the mind to holding information.
- Muscle health: It helps to heal weak tone muscles, connective tissue, and reduce latic acids. It prevents injuries from trauma, and also provides relief from pain.
- Lower inflammation: Verbana essential oil is very useful for muscles and joints inflammation. Arthritis patient suffers from muscle ache and inflammation. The oil contains antioxidants properties that help reduces joint, improves mobility, and speeds the healing process of injuries.
- Congestion: Verbana oil contains expectorant properties that helps to relieve congestion, it helps to loosen up the mucous clogging up the passage way. It helps to eliminate phlegm which can be packed up with harmful bacteria.
- Acne: Millions of people suffers from acne, which can be very embarrassing sometimes. Just add verbana essential oil to your skin care routine.
- Boil and Cysts: This oil can be effective in treating boil and cyst, simple dilute the oil in a quality based oil and then apply it to the affected areas.
- Hemorrhoids: Verbana oil can be usedto relieve the symptoms of hemorrhoids when applied to the affected area. It prevents swelling and itchiness that comes with hemorrhoids and also destroy bacteria that may be lingering on the affected part.
There are some certain things that needs to be taken into consideration before making use Verbana essential oil, they include:
- Always consult you physician before making use of verbana essential oil.
- Make sure you’re not allergic to verbana essential oil. Simply apply the oil on your skin and wait for a few hours to see if there will be any reaction.
- Always mix the essential oil with a carrier oil when applying topically.
- Avoid the sun when applying the oil because of it’s ability to increase photosensitivity.
- Do not consume in high dosage to avoid vomiting or any feeling of nausea.
- Pregnant women and children should avoid taking verbana essential oil.
- Consult a doctor if you’re suffering from a chronic disease.
- Lemon verbana oil can interfere with high blood pressure medication, anti-presant and diabetic medications.
Blue vervain (verbana hastata) is a very bitter herb but has a kind of softness that other bitters often lack, making it grounding and uplifting. It is thymoleptic in nature, that is, a substance which modifies the mood, therefore making it useful for anxiety and depression. It is also diaphoretic, making you feel present and connected, less closed in and contracted. It promotes the flow of bile from the gallbladder, must be avoided by pregnant women because of it effectiveness in inducing labor.
