This herb has been a big part of many esoteric traditions all over Europe for millennia. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used it to either heal, cleanse or offer to divinity. Indigo Herbs brings you this great herb, captured in all its glory, as Vervain Tincture so this ingredient might transfer some of its mythical power over to you.

In England and Ireland Vervain was popularised by the ancient Druidic tradition being burned as an incense for purifying their environment but also used in numerous concoctions for various effects. It seems this herb had manifold properties for the druids with its reputation as a 'cure all' becoming exaggerated over time. Gerard mentions Vervain in his works as being a trick of the devil who made people believe it could do such things as make them immortal. In Christianity it is an herb of manifold contradictions since folklore tells us that Vervain was thought to have been used to staunch the wounds of Christ, but also was associated with witches and the devil. To the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans it was nothing but divine, used in offerings to the gods as well as a medicine. The famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper in the 17th century mentions this plant as being ultimately cooling and useful for brightening up the mood of anyone who’s feeling ‘frantic’ which is more in line with the original ancient use.

Sometimes called a straggly weed, Vervain used to be found in the wild all over the UK. It is less and less seen these days but has many cultivated species being a part of the Verbena family. Generally the plant has opposite leaves that that grow densely before flowering. Then the stalks stretch until many spears of either small blue/purple or pink/white flowers bloom in rocket shapes. According to species the blooming will differ in shape and size with some being more beautiful than others.