Great Burnet
Sanguisorba officinalis

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Sanguisorba officinalis is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Meadows and wet grassy places by streams. Moist shady sites in grassland, on siliceous soils.

Europe, including Britain, from celand south and east to Spain, temperate Asia to Iran, China, Japan

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. They should be harvested in the spring before the plant comes into flower. A cucumber flavour, they can be added to salads or used as a potherb. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Great burnet is employed mainly for its astringent action, being used to slow or arrest blood flow. It is taken both internally and externally internally and is a safe and effective treatment. Modern research in China has shown that the whole herb heals burns more effectively than the extracted tannins (the astringent component of the plant). Patients suffering from eczema showed marked improvement when treated with an ointment made from the root and petroleum jelly. The leaves are astringent, refrigerant, styptic and tonic. They are used in the treatment of fevers and bleeding. The plant is prevented from flowering and then the leaves are harvested in July and dried for later use. The root is anodyne, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, haemostatic, tonic and vulnerary. It is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, haematuria, menorrhagia, bloody stool, dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and burns. The root is harvested in the autumn as the leaves die down and dried for later use. All parts of the plant are astringent, but the root is most active. Great burnet is an excellent internal treatment for all sorts of abnormal discharges including diarrhoea, dysentery and leucorrhoea. It is used externally in the treatment of burns, scalds, sores and skin diseases. This species was ranked 19th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential anti-fertility plants.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Contraceptive: Prevents fertilization occurring in females.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.

Other

Rating: 2

The roots contain tannin.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade. Plants grow tolerably well in very poor soils and likes a dry chalky soil. This species is hardy to about -25°c. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out as soon as they have reached a reasonable size. The seed can also be sown in situ in early spring. Division in the spring or in autumn.

Best place to grow: Meadow; Bog Garden;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Best avoided during pregnancy in view of the lack of information about toxicity. Suggested that the herb may interact with the group of allopathic medications known as fluoroquinolones .

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Poterium officinale. Sanguisorba microcephala. Sanguisorba officinalis ssp. microcephala. Sanguisor