Feverfew

When I first started to plant this garden nearly thirty years ago, one of the first packets of seed I bought was Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), just because I love the fresh meadow look it gives to the garden.  As you can see, I still have it.  It seeds freely, but I almost lost it all during the harsh winter.  Luckily I kept some seedlings that I found and this is the result.  It also has a double form, which I have as well.

The leaves add a bitter tang to food and are found in digestive aperitifs.  They relax blood vessels, reduce inflammation, and are mildly sedative.  Feverfew's importance lies in its success in reducing some migraines.  Chewed daily its accumulative effect is to relax cerebral muscle spasms and inhibit the secretion of a compound implicated in both migraine and arthiritus, infused flowering tops are applied to ease headaches and arthiritic swellings.  Not bad for such a pretty plant.

It also looks really nice picked and put in a vase.  Its local name is Featherfoil.