Three Wild Herbs Our Ancestors Couldn't Be Without

There are forgotten realities of the past; among them, the wild plants our ancestors could not have lived without.

Before antibiotics, a seemingly minor condition could quickly become life threatening. A thorn scratch might become infected and lead to sepsis. Untreated diarrhoea could cause fatal dehydration. Childbirth carried enormous risks for both mother and child. Yet surviving childhood greatly increased the likelihood of reaching old age, and in a world where medicine came largely from the surrounding landscape, it was not uncommon for people to live into their seventies, eighties, or even beyond one hundred years of age.

Among the many medicinal plants once gathered from hedgerow, meadow and wayside, agrimony, mugwort and yarrow stand out as particularly important allies. 

Countless herbs were once regarded as near-universal remedies, but these three are remarkable because modern phytochemical and clinical research has identified properties that help explain why they were so consistently valued in traditional practice.

A closer look at their historical uses suggests that our ancestors were often using them with surprising accuracy. 

These are midsummer herbs, reaching the height of their vitality during July. Native to the British Isles, they thrive in grasslands, hedgerows and field margins, and their habitats deserve careful protection. Together they addressed many of the ailments that most commonly threatened health before modern medicine: bleeding wounds, infections of the mouth and throat, digestive and liver complaints, menstrual pain, and the pains and perils of childbirth.

Agrimony

Historical uses

Tissue healing, digestion, mouth and throat complaints, wounds

Plant actions

Agrimony is rich in tannins, flavonoids and other polyphenols, giving it astringent, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The tannins tighten and tone tissues, which helps explain its traditional use for wounds, mouth ulcers, sore throats and inflamed mucous membranes. Its bitter constituents stimulate digestion and support healthy liver function, while its antioxidant compounds help protect cells from oxidative stress.

Mugwort

Historical uses

Childbirth, women’s health, digestion, nervous and muscular complaints

Plant actions

Mugwort contains bitter compounds, volatile oils and flavonoids that contribute to its digestive, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and nervine actions. Its bitter principles stimulate digestive secretions, while its aromatic oils help relax smooth muscle, helping to explain its traditional use for stomach pains and cramping. Its warming and circulatory qualities also underlie its long association with muscular aches, menstrual discomfort and nervous tension. Mugwort was especially valued for its effects on the reproductive system, although it is unsafe for use during pregnancy

Yarrow

Historical uses

Wounds, fever, circulation, digestio

Plant actions

Yarrow contains tannins, flavonoids, volatile oils and bitter compounds, giving it astringent, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and digestive actions. The tannins help tighten tissues and reduce bleeding, while anti-inflammatory constituents support wound healing, explaining its long reputation as a remedy for cuts, injuries and battlefield wounds. Its bitter compounds stimulate digestion, and its aromatic oils may help relax intestinal muscles, making it a valuable traditional remedy for digestive discomfort.

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The importance of these herbs to our ancestors in the British Isles can hardly be overstated. They addressed precisely the kinds of conditions that most affected survival and quality of life before the development of antibiotics, antiseptics and modern anti-inflammatory medicines. Today they are often dismissed as little more than weeds, yet only a few generations ago they would have been familiar to almost every rural household.

Healing, History & Magic

These three sacred herbs connect us to a time when healing, medicine and magic operated within the same magico-medical field. Plants were believed to carry powers granted by the gods, spirits and living forces of the land. They were gathered at particular hours, prepared at auspicious times, and administered alongside charms, prayers and in rituals.

Although we no longer rely upon them in medical emergencies as our ancestors once did, their virtues have not vanished. They continue to offer valuable support for health, wellbeing and seasonal living, while also providing a tangible connection to ancestral knowledge, the rhythms of the land and the vital energies of midsummer.

In traditional magical practice, agrimony, mugwort and yarrow are all associated with the Sun, under whose influence they reach their greatest potency during the height of summer. For this reason they have long been linked with protection, vitality and the strengthening of life force. 

Gathered during the weeks around midsummer, they are especially suited to the preparation of teas, tinctures, infused oils and salves, as well as protective charms, herb pouches, candle rites and ritual incenses for cleansing and fumigation.

These humble plants remind us that the boundary between practical healing and sacred relationship with the natural world was once far more porous than it is today. To gather them with knowledge and reverence is not merely to practise herbalism; it is to participate in a tradition that has flowed through the history of the land for centuries.