Medical herbalist Gabriella Clarke introduces lavender – an aromatic herb well known for its calming, soothing properties.
Finding it hard to drop off as summer nights warm up? Slipping a sprig of lavender under your pillow or sprinkling a few drops of lavender oil on your pillowcase could help you sleep better. Native to France and the Western Mediterranean, this hardy shrub has been popular for its fragrant, healing properties for thousands of years.
HISTORY
The Egyptians included lavender in the mummification process, as did the Arabs and the Phoenicians. It was also used to scent water for bathing by the Romans and Greeks hence its name: the Latin word lavare means to wash. It was also used widely in the First World War to make washes for bathing soldiers’ wounds.
In medieval times herbalists used lavender to prevent head lice, ease stiff joints and relieve fatigue; ‘ Who will buy my lavender ‘ was a famous cry among London street vendors. In Europe it was strewed on the floor of churches and houses on festive occasions and used to make bonfires on St John’s Day to ward off evil spirits. Planting lavender around the house was also believed to help keep out evil and protect the household.
TODAY
These days apart from being a popular ingredient in perfumes, soaps and so on, lavender oil is mainly used to relieve nervous tension, pain, restlessness and insomnia, while the plant with its purple-blue scented flowers is a firm favourite in UK gardens.
To find out everything you need to know about lavender visit the Lavender Herb Fact File.
