Daisy Fleabane
Olde-Time Uses for : Daisy Fleabane
Daisy fleabane derived it’s common name from a reputation for repelling fleas. It, or a related species, was said to have been used to protect both man and beast during the Middle Ages. Supposedly, flower heads could be dried and placed in a room or near a bed to drive away fleas.
In early medicine, a tea of the blossoms was used as an expectorant. An astringent rectal injection for hemorrhoids was brewed from the entire plant.
Daisy fleabane is one of the few American weeds to be naturalized into Europe. Sheep like this weed and may eliminate it from a pasture by choosing it in their grazing.
Varieties of daisy fleabane have been developed for horticultural uses. Their flowers are bright colored – violet, rose, purple, or orange.
This information was provided by the book Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands. I am compiling posts like this under a tab on my home page titled “Early Uses for Plants.” If you are interested in this kind of thing, please make a visit to that page and have a look at other plant species. You never know – we may need this information again someday!
