This post is all about one of my top ten plants I couldn’t live without, especially during these stressful times. If you’ve never heard of her it’s one I highly recommend getting to know as she is an ally for these trying times.
The plant of course is Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca, and she’s a wild weed in the northeastern part of the US. Motherwort is in the mint family and has a very distinct look with long stems and leaves that are serrated and look like lion’s paws when the leaves are young. In fact, it’s name, Leonurus cardiaca, means lion hearted referring to not just the shape of the leaves, but also its heart protective qualities.
Motherwort is considered a nervine which is an herbal action known for helping us humans feel calmer amidst the tension of mundane worldly affairs and life in general that can be overwhelming. Nervines are specific for helping you feel more at peace and comfortable within your skin, often helping with heightened levels of stress and anxiety.
This plant is definitely an ally for bringing peace within you but it also has a protective nature as well. It has a fierce quality that protects your heart spirit while also allowing it to relax.
The stems produce these beautiful pinkish purple flowers and are surrounded by a ring of spikes. Plants that have thorns or spikes often tend to act as heart protectors allowing the heart to be comforted and feel safe while it simultaneously allows it to gently open. Rose is another plant with this similar quality as Rose is surrounded by protective thorns. You can read a blog post about Rose here. Herbs that allow the heart to gently open in a safe way are known as heart openers.
Often when you’re burned out, tense, or have been through a lot of trauma, the heart spirit closes up as a protective mechanism. Motherwort allows you to feel safe opening your heart up again by feeling calmer, more in control, and safe to do so making it potent medicine for our times
It’s known as the herb for mothers or those that need mothering as it famously supports mother’s and those that overextend themselves and need someone to take care of them for a change to take a load off. I like to think of Motherwort when you wish you were still a young child being held and supported by a mother or grandmother figure taking care of you and telling you everything is ok.
She brings that relief to the givers of the world, those that often fail to take care of themselves as much as they should. She swoops in and cradles you with blankets providing some relief from the stress, but then slowly helps you learn how to stand tall again amongst the stresses of life, just as she stands tall amongst the stresses from the winds that blow on her.
Motherwort specializes in anxiety where tension is held in the heart space. Often when you hold stress and anxiety in your heart, heart palpitations and chest pain can occur and that’s where motherwort really keys in. It’s also a cardiotonic, acting as a heart strengthener and helps lower high blood pressure, especially caused from anxiety.
This plant is also a great ally for female bodied people helping with almost all reproductive system ailments. Motherwort can be used for helping with anxiety and irritability type PMS as well as menstrual period pain, hormonal regulation, and menopausal support. Motherwort shouldn’t be used in pregnancy or while someone is menstruating though, especially while their flow is heavy, as it can increase the flow and have a downward energy. It also should be avoided with hypothyroidism.
The part of the plant used for medicine is the leaves and flowers and they have a very bitter taste making it hard to take in tea form unless you’re very brave. Because of this it is most often used in tincture form. It’s an amazing plant to get to know and you can find dried Motherwort here from one of my favorite sources if you want to get to know the plant better. If you want to grow the plant yourself and you live locally we often have Motherwort babies for sale in the spring. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletters to stay updated on new postings and receive more herbal goodness.
