Hoary Vervain, Verbena stricta, has been used for over 3,000 years throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

Also known by such names as common verbena, wild verbena, simpler’s joy, holy herb, enchanter’s plant, mosquito plant, wild hyssop, Indian hyssop, blue vervain, juno’s tears, pigeon’s grass, pigeonweed, and herb of the cross, vervain answers to many names. The significance of vervain as a cultural symbol and healing plant is partly how it acquired its many names.

Hoary Vervain helps with:

• tension headaches
• migraines
• IBS
• UTI
• gout
• jaundice
• anxiety and depression
• general pain relief
• insomnia

I forage for this plant in central MN.

I use the folk method for making all my tinctures, which uses no measurements except sizing things up with your eyes. So I put the plant material in a jar and then fill with alcohol.

Dosages -

Dosages for children are not provided in most herbals. To determine the correct dose you need to consider the size of the child, the ailment, the power of the herb you intend to use, and the adult dosage.

Young's Rule for determining dosage uses the child's age divided by twelve plus the age. The dosage for a 4 year old: 4/12+4 = 4/16 = 1/4 of the adult dose.