This was our bonus plant we spotted on the Long Man walk.
It was right at the end of the walk when the dog had run into the field adjacent to the path.
The fumitory was growing in the unploughed edge of the field alongside other “weeds”.
I do not use fumitory in my clinic but it is one of the plants I get very excited to see because it is so pretty. It has feathery little leaves and tiny trumpet like purple flowers. Its French name translates as Earth Smoke
It is used as a gentle diuretic and has antispasmodic properties so is an excellent herb for cystitis as it washes the kidneys and bladder out at the same time as relaxing the muscle walls of the bladder which go into spasm if you have cystitis which causes people to have a feeling of being constantly desperate to wee even if they have just been to the toilet.
Fumitory has other properties and the books say it is used as a spring tonic and as a cleanser for eczema.
As I said I do not use it as I have other herbs such as red clover and heartsease which I prefer to use, but I do love to see it growing in the wild.
Linda Bostock
Medical Herbalist
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