Tansy, Common tansy, Golden Buttons, Curly Leaf Tansy
Tanacetum vulgare
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer, Mid fall. Form: Rounded.
Tanacetum vulgare is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
A common plant of waste ground, hedgerows etc.
Most of Europe, including Britain, to the Caucasus, Armenia and Siberia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young leaflets - raw or cooked. They can be added in small quantities to salads. The plant is also used as a flavouring, it is a substitute for nutmeg and cinnamon. This plant is not recommended for internal use. The flowers have a unique flavour and are eaten or used as a garnish. A bitter, somewhat lemon-flavoured tea is made from the leaves and flowering stems.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Tansy is a commonly grown domestic remedy, useful in treating a wide range of complaints, though it is little used in modern herbalism. Its main value is as a vermifuge to expel intestinal worms and, to a lesser degree, to help stimulate menstrual bleeding. Tansy should be used with caution, however, it is possibly unsafe for internal use, especially if you are pregnant. The essential oil in the leaves is toxic and as little as ½oz can kill an adult. The leaves and flowering tops are anthelmintic, antispasmodic, bitter, carminative, emmenagogue, stimulant and tonic. An infusion of the leaves or whole plant is used to treat menstrual irregularities and as an anthelmintic, especially for children. It is also valuable in treating hysteria, kidney weaknesses, stomach problems, fevers and also as an emmenagogue. In larger doses the plant can procure an abortion, though these doses can be poisonous. Externally, tansy is used as a poultice on swellings and some eruptive skin diseases. It is also used externally to kill lice, fleas and scabies, though even external use of the plant carries the risk of toxicity. The plant is harvested as it is coming into flower and is dried for later use. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Appetizer: Improves the appetite
Bitter: Increases the appetite and stimulates digestion by acting on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Also increases the flow of bile, stimulates repair of the gut wall lining and regulates the secretion of insulin and glucogen.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Emmenagogue: Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
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.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 4
A green dye is obtained from the young shoots. The leaves and flowers can also be used and a yellow can also be obtained. The plant is used as a strewing herb in cellars, churches etc in order to repel insects. Both the growing and the dried plant are said to repel flies, ants and fleas, especially if they are mixed with elder leaves (Sambucus spp.). The leaves and the flowering shoots contain 0.15% of an essential oil that contains camphor, borneol and thujone. Both the leaves and the oil and they have been used to kill fleas and lice. Thujone is an effective insecticide, but it is highly toxic to mammals when taken in excess. The plant is a good addition to the compost heap, being valued for its mineral content. Attractive flowers. Attracts wildlife. Landscape Uses:Container. Dynamic accumulator.
Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Strewing: Plants, usually aromatic, that are strewn on the floor to give a nice smell, repel insects etc.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Plants thrive in almost any soil. Tansy is occasionally grown in the herb garden, though a site for growing this plant should be selected with care since it usually spreads very aggressively at the roots. There are some named varieties. 'Fernleaf' is a more decorative compact form to about 75cm, it does not spread so quickly. A good plant to grow in the orchard, when grown under fruit trees, raspberries, roses etc it repels insects from them. The flowering plant attracts hoverflies and butterflies. Special Features: Edible, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Invasive, Naturalizing, Suitable for cut flowers, Suitable for dried flowers, Fragrant flowers. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length .
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the pot to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant out in the summer. Division is very simple at almost any time in the growing season, though spring is probably best. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Best place to grow: Meadow; Hedgerow; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
The plant is poisonous if large quantities are ingested. There have been cases of death in N. America from drinking strong brews of the tea, presumably as an abortifacient.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
T. aubiderti. Chrysanthemum vulgare. C. tanacetum.