Motherwort
Leonurus cardiaca L.
Botanical family: Lamiaceae
An upright perennial of wasteland, with a revealing name ('cardiaca'): herbal tradition links it to the heart and to nervous tension.
Sun to partial shade
Ordinary, well-drained
Moderate, prefers moist, fertile soil
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A hardy perennial of the mint family, very nectar-bearing (bees love it, hence the name 'bee heart' in some languages). A traditional medicinal of the nervous heart and the female sphere.
Companions
No companion planting is documented for this plant: no recommended neighbour, no neighbour to avoid.
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Flowering tops cut in summer, then dried.
Available: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- Plants For A Future, « Leonurus cardiaca » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Leonurus+cardiaca)
- Tela Botanica, « Leonurus cardiaca L. » (tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-75216-description)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Uterotonic: to be avoided during pregnancy. Reserved for adults (not studied in children or adolescents, EMA). Do not exceed 4 weeks without medical advice; in case of palpitations, a cardiac cause must first be ruled out by a doctor. Caution in case of heart-rhythm treatment.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find motherwort in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Infusions & herbal teas
Family behaviour: Lamiaceae
In general, Lamiaceae are aromatics (basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon balm, savory). Their essential oils are reputed to bother some insects, but in a trial cited by Parker et al. (2013), sage, thyme and mint planted near cabbages did not reduce their pests. Their flowers are much visited by pollinators.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Nicholas Culpeper (English astrologer-herbalist) · England, 1652
In his 1652 herbal, the English astrologer-herbalist Nicholas Culpeper writes that there is no better herb to drive the melancholy vapours from the heart, to strengthen it, and to make the soul cheerful and blithe. He reports that it is called in Latin Cardiaca and, in English, Motherwort, because it is said to make women joyful mothers of children and to put their womb back in place. The scholarly name Leonurus cardiaca carries the same double vocation: leon and oura, 'lion's tail', for the bristly silhouette of the leaves, and cardiaca, 'of the heart'. These connections belong to the 17th-century doctrine of signatures and to etymology, not to a validated therapeutic indication.
Nicholas Culpeper, The Complete Herbal (1652, d'abord paru sous le titre The English Physician), entrée « Motherwort » ; étymologie de Leonurus cardiaca.
A quotation from a named and verifiable author, a testimony of the 17th-century doctrine of signatures, and not a validated therapeutic indication. The double reading 'heart' and 'mother' is etymological and documented: it does not amount to a promise of care. No medicinal effect is presented here as a fact.
Before you forage
This plant is often gathered from the wild. Only pick what is abundant, never a protected species, and never uproot a whole plant (roots) without the landowner's permission. Rules vary by country and region, check locally.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: ordinary, well-drained.