According to our best friend Culpeper, Motherwort or Lion’s Tail, Leonorus cardiaca, is considered ‘a women’s herb’, The cardiaca part references the main organ that it benefits, the heart. Apparently, the mother part of the name refers to the womb. Traditional herbalists thought of Motherwort as a treatment for nerves, or hysteria, and to brighten the spirits, originally all felt to be heart problems. Today, it’s used for stress, palpitations, arrhythmia, high blood pressure. It is favoured for all menstrual problems and PMS. It is also said to be of great help for hot flushes. Plus, here I quote “Motherwort can ‘take the edge off’ and help a person relax enough to get a grip, so they are better equipped to deal with whatever pressures they are facing.” Sounds like male doctors proscribing Valium in the sixties and seventies to housewives. However, Motherwort is not addictive. Motherwort should not be taken by people with bleeding disorder or who are on blood thinners. People taking sedative medication. Do not take two weeks before any surgery. People with low blood pressure or when pregnant or breastfeeding.
It goes without saying that if you're pregnant (or are under the doctor for anything) caution should be exercised with herbal decoctions.
