ELECAMPANE

Elecampane ( Inula helenium) has a long history of medicinal uses. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it as a virtual cure-all for ailments, including asthma, bronchitis, dropsy, melancholy, menstrual disorders and digestive upsets. Early veterinarians used it to treat pulmonary disorders in horses and scabs on sheep. Pliny wrote: “Let no day pass without eating some of the roots condited (pickled or preserved), to help digestion, to expel melancholy and sorrow, and to cause mirth.”

These days elecampane is used primarily as a respiratory tonic, its mucilaginous roots useful in alleviating bronchitis and whooping cough. It helps to ease non-productive, hacking coughs by loosening stubborn phlegm.

Elecampane is a large herbaceous perennial that grows anywhere from 1.5m-2.4m high. In summer to early autumn, its stout, branching stems produce bright yellow shaggy flowers that resemble small sunflowers.

Dig up the roots in autumn after flowering finishes and use fresh or dried in teas or decoctions. Can be used as a cough syrup.