Leechcrafts

One of my favourite plants is totally flourishing by our river.

Sweet cicely (Scottish Gaelic-seanas or cos-uisge which means quick water or wreathed or curled water- or mirr for myrrh). It’s also known as the Roman plant. I think it’s related to water in Gaelic as it grows near rivers and wet places but also maybe because it is a bit of a diuretic - hence swift water maybe and helps with gout. I’m only guessing here …

Myrrhis odorata is it’s latin name with common names cicely , sweet cicely, myrrh, garden myrrh, and sweet chervil is found primarily in the north and it’s a beautiful plant and smells incredible.

The cicely part is due to the Greeks calling it ‘seselis’ or ‘seseli’ and the ‘sweet’ part could have been derived from this also.

Culpeper believed the roots of the plant could act as a natural vaccine against the plague but John Gerard in the 16th Century thought the roots when boiled in water would be a cure for dull people!

People take sweet cicely as a tea or tonic for asthma and other breathing problems, cough, digestion problems, chest and throat complaints, and urinary tract disorders. It is also used as a “blood purifier.”

Bees also love it 🐝 speaking of which you can infuse beeswax with this herb to use as a polish in your house or on wooden tools :)