Herb: Brooklime


Latin name: Veronica beccabunga


Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)



Medicinal use of Brooklime:

The whole plant is alterative, antiscorbutic, very mildly diuretic, emmenagogue and febrifuge. It is of little benefit as a medicinal herb, but has a beneficial laxative effect when included in the diet. The leaves are used in the treatment of scurvy, impurity of the blood etc. The plant is bruised and applied externally as a politic on burns, ulcers, whitlows, etc.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
May to
September

Habitat of the herb:

In streams, ditches, ponds and wet places in meadows, in acid or alkaline soils.

Edible parts of Brooklime:

Leaves - raw or cooked. They can be added to salads, mixed with water cress or cooked with other strongly flavoured greens. A pungent flavour, although the leaves are wholesome they are not very palatable.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow 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, the seed can be sown in situ in the spring or the autumn. Division at almost any time in the growing season. Very easy, even a small part of the plant will root if put in water.

Cultivation of Brooklime:

In streams, ditches, ponds and wet places in meadows, in acid or alkaline soils.

Known hazards of Veronica beccabunga:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.