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Herb to Know: Wood Betony

By Paul Whitmer
December/January 2010

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Wood betony’s bright blooms attract bees,

butterflies and birds to the garden in mid to
late summer.

Photo by Jerry Pavia

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Growing Wood Content Tools

Betony
An attractive addition to the  Print (/print?printid={75BA4D99-DD60-4F9D-9C28-13B98A3076C7})
cottage or woodland garden,
betony grows easily from seed, ✉ Email (/email?emailid={75BA4D99-DD60-4F9D-9C28-13B98A3076C7})
root divisions or cuttings. The
plant prefers fertile,
well-drained soil in a site that
receives full sun to partial shade. Once established, betony plants require little care, other than division every
three to four years when the crowns begin to decline. (For more about division, search “division” at
www.herbcompanion.com (http://www.motherearthliving.com/).)

You can begin to harvest the herb as soon as the plant is established. For best quality, collect the aerial parts
(leaves, stems and buds) just before the plant flowers. Dry on screens in a cool, dry place, then store in tightly
sealed containers. 

Wood Betony Poultice

Try a wood betony poultice or compress for skin ulcers, cuts, sores and insect bites. To make a poultice, boil the
chopped fresh or dried leaves in a small amount of water for 2 to 5 minutes. Strain off the excess liquid, then
apply the warm herb to the skin, using a cloth to hold it in place. To make a compress, discard the herb and
apply the extracted water to the affected area with a clean cloth or cotton ball and secure the compress with
athletic tape.

Where to Buy:
• J. L. Hudson, Seedsman (seeds): www.jlhudsonseeds.net (http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/)
• Lazy S’s Farm Nursery (plants): www.lazyssfarm.com (http://www.lazyssfarm.com/)  
• Mountain Rose Herbs (seeds, dried herb, extract): www.mountainroseherbs.com
(http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/) 
• Penn Herb Co. (dried herb, capsules):  www.pennherb.com (http://www.pennherb.com/)
• Sandy Mush Herb Nursery (seeds): www.sandymushherbs.com (http://www.sandymushherbs.com/) 

Herbalist and writer Paul Whitmer lives and gardens in Pennsylvania. 

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