Fumitory, Fumaria officinalis, is also called common or hedge fumitory, earth smoke and wax dolls. The name fumitory is believed to be a corruption of the old latin name fumus terrae which means smoke of the earth and is said to refer to the feathery grayish green leaves (though according to the Roman Pliny and the ancient Greek Dioscorides it was so called because the juice was sharp enough to make your eyes water, like smoke getting in your eyes). If anybody knows why the name wax dolls was coined, please let me know!
Fumitory is found across the United States and southern Canada, as well as most of Europe including Britain. Flowers appear from May to September; their color can range from yellowish white to reddish purple, but all have a distinctive reddish black spot at the tip. It’s a hardy wild annual about 30cm (12 inches) tall, and requires no special care to grow it from seed, in fact reports indicate that giving it too much attention can be counter-productive. If you don’t already have it growing somewhere in the garden, you can sow the seed anywhere except in full shade, in early or late Spring or Autumn and expect good results, and as it self-seeds readily you shouldn’t need to sow it again.
Fumitory used as described here is safe enough, but it’s important not to exceed the stated dose (as with all medicines, really), because otherwise it can cause diarrhea and stomach ache. As fumitory has been used without gaining a bad reputation for centuries, I do not place any credence in Michael Howard’s assertion that it is “poisonous”, though almost anything will cause bad effects if you consume too much of it at one time – including water!
The whole herb above ground is the part used medicinally. It should be gathered and finely chopped and can then be used in a standard infusion (pour 600ml/2.5 US cups/1 UK pint boiling water over 30g/1 ounce of dried herb or 3 handfuls of fresh and steep for 15 minutes to 4 hours). The dosage is up to 1 cup a day, split into 3 doses. It can also be dried by laying it in a single layer in a cool airy place out of the sun, turning regularly until crisp and then storing in an airtight dark colored container.
According to David Conway in The Magic of Herbs, fumitory is traditionally infused in wine, though I don’t advise this, especially if you’re using it to treat liver conditions.
The standard infusion can be used as a liver tonic, mild diuretic and laxative, and as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also taken internally or used externally as a treatment for skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, acne and also scabies, and externally to treat conjunctivitis.
The juice is sometimes mixed with that of another plant, sorrel, and used to treat itchy skin and ringworm.
I hope it’s not too boring to point out that, as with all herbs grown for medicinal use, fumitory must be grown organically to avoid the corruption of its active constituents by the presence of foreign chemicals. To find out more about growing organic herbs visit the Gardenzone.
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