Seed - cooked[105]. Small and fiddly to use. It almost certainly does not contain coumarin and should be safe to use. An essential oil from the leaves is used as a food flavouring in sweets and soft drinks. It has a strong vanilla-like flavour[183]. The leaves are added to vodka as a flavouring[238]. The plant is said to be used as a colouring agent[183] but no more details are given.

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of fevers, coughs, sore throats, chafing and venereal infections[222, 257]. It is also used to stop vaginal bleeding and to expel afterbirth[222]. The stems can be soaked in water and used to treat windburn and chapping and as an eyewash[257]. Some caution is advised when using this plant internally, see the notes above on toxicity[222]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[238]. Smoke from the burning leaves has been inhaled in the treatment of colds[257].

The dried leaves are used as an incense[46, 61, 99], they were formerly also used as a strewing herb[1, 46, 238] and have been used as a stuffing in pillows and mattresses[257]. They have also been used as an insect repellent in the clothes cupboard where they impart a nice smell to the clothes[99, 238]. The leaves are used to make aromatic baskets[46, 61, 99, 169, 171]. The wet leaves can be sewn together, dried until they are tight and then resin used over the stitches to make a waterproof container[257]. The leaves can be soaked in water to make a tonic hair wash[257]. An essential oil distilled from the leaves is used in perfumery where it acts as an excitant and fixative for other aromas[238]. The plant has a very aggressive root system and has been planted to stabilize banks[74].

Special Uses