Knotted Figwort, Woodland figwort
Scrophularia nodosa
Family: Scrophulariaceae
What it is like
Scrophularia nodosa is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, wasps. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Damp ground in woods, hedgebanks, by streams etc. An occasional garden weed.
Europe, incl Britain, south and east from Norway to Spain and temperate Asia to the Yensei region.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Root - cooked. It smells and tastes unpleasant, but has been used in times of famine. There must be some doubts about the edibility of this root.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Knotted figwort is a plant that supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders. The whole plant is alterative, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, mildly purgative and stimulant. It is harvested as the plant comes into flower in the summer and can be dried for later use. A decoction is applied externally to sprains, swellings, burns, inflammations etc, and is said to be useful in treating chronic skin diseases, scrofulous sores and gangrene. The leaves can also be applied fresh or be made into an ointment. Internally, the plant is used in the treatment of chronic skin diseases (such as eczema, psoriasis and pruritis), mastitis, swollen lymph nodes and poor circulation. It should not be prescribed for patients with heart conditions. The root is anthelmintic.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in most moist to wet soils in full sun or partial shade. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c.
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 in the summer. If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedgerow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Avoid in patients with ventricular tachycardia (increased heart rate). Lack of toxicological data excludes use during pregnancy .