Plant · P-738

Agrimony

Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony is a slender herbaceous perennial of sunny, disturbed ground across Europe and western Asia, grown mainly for the tannin-rich leaves and flowers brewed into an astringent tea. That same tannin content has made it a traditional remedy for diarrhea and liver complaints, and a yellow dye comes from its root. Its seed heads are hooked burrs that catch on fur and clothing - the plant's own dispersal mechanism, and reportedly how it first crossed the Atlantic on imported sheep wool. It self-sows freely wherever the ground stays open and sunny.