medicinal herbs
Knotted Figwort
Scrophularia nodosa

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Knotted Figwort

Latin name: Scrophularia nodosa

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Medicinal use of Knotted Figwort:

Knotted figwort is a plant that supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders. The whole plant is alterative, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, mildly purgative and stimulant. It is harvested as the plant comes into flower in the summer and can be dried for later use. A decoction is applied externally to sprains, swellings, burns, inflammations etc, and is said to be useful in treating chronic skin diseases, scrofulous sores and gangrene. The leaves can also be applied fresh or be made into an ointment. Internally, the plant is used in the treatment of chronic skin diseases (such as eczema, psoriasis and pruritis), mastitis, swollen lymph nodes and poor circulation. It should not be prescribed for patients with heart conditions. The root is anthelmintic.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Damp ground in woods, hedgebanks, by streams etc. An occasional garden weed.

Edible parts of Knotted Figwort:

Root - cooked. It smells and tastes unpleasant, but has been used in times of famine. There must be some doubts about the edibility of this root.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation of Knotted Figwort:

Damp ground in woods, hedgebanks, by streams etc. An occasional garden weed.

Known hazards of Scrophularia nodosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.