Wood Betony – Stachys officinales

Description

Historically, wood betony was planted in church cemeteries to deter ghosts and tucked under pillows to prevent nightmares. Today, the dried herb is used to make teas and tinctures. Wood betony is also used to make a strong infusion for use as natural mouthwash and gargle.
Apply as a poultice to insect bites, cuts and other minor skin irritations.
Prepare as tea or add to herbal tea blends.
Do not use during pregnancy due to the risk of stimulating uterine contractions.
Wood betony is traditionally served as tea ?for the head? and as a nerve tonic. The leaves have a fairly high tannin content, which give infusions an astringent quality when applied to the skin. A whiff of the powdered herb usually incites a sneeze.