It was believed that a healer could heal a patient by pulling up nettle roots and speaking the patients name and that of their parents. Associated with the Norse God Thor, Nettles were also thrown on the fire to avert thunderstorms.
Medicinal Herbs Growing at Redacre
A dictionary of medicinal plants and herbs growing at Redacre curated and catalogued by Redacre member Kath Baker.
Nettle
Nettle was the Anglo-Saxon sacred herb wergula, and in medieval times nettle beer was drunk for rheumatism. Nettle’s high vitamin C content made it a valuable spring tonic for our ancestors after a winter of living on grain and salted meat, with hardly any green vegetables.
Ox-eye Daisy
It was believed that if you put your shoes outside and daisy roots under your pillow that you would dream of your lover.
Peppermint
In English folklore, finding a flowering mint plant on Midsummer’s day brought eternal happiness.
Plantain
In Devon it was referred to as Cuckoo Bread and it was believed that once every 7 years it changed into a cuckoo and flew away.
Ragwort
In the Isle of Man it is considered a magical plant. If you pull it up you have to apologise to it or else the fairies might get you.