Prince’s feather or Prince of Wales feather, Amaranthus hypondriachus (syn. Amaranthus hybridus erythrostachys and A.h. hypondriachus) is also known as lady bleeding, lovely bleeding, Mercado grain amaranth, pilewort, red coxscomb, spleen amaranth and sometimes just amaranth – but many other members of this genus are sometimes referred to in this way, so it’s a remarkably useless designation if you’re looking for a herbal medicine (but anybody who reads this blog regularly will probably realize that I regard common names more as pitfalls than any indication of medicinal value).

It shares the name Prince’s feather with a close relative, Amaranthus cruentus, which is not medicinally active. Another close relative is A. caudatus, more commonly known as love lies bleeding, also not useful medicinally. All three plants are used for the production of grain in many parts of the world including Mexico. In fact, virtually all members of this genus are edible, some more than others. and the plant we are discussing here is one of the most useful for food. The only other medicinally useful member is the spiny amaranth. The unrelated lesser celandine is also sometimes known as pilewort.

NB. Although all amaranths are edible, it’s also known that they tend to concentrate nitrates in their foliage. As yet there’s no proof that they are the culprit, but nitrates are implicated in various health problems in children and stomach cancer. This isn’t a problem in most areas where they are grown, as the ground tends to be poor and chemical fertilizers are too expensive to be used unless absolutely necessary. In the developed world, it’s important to grow amaranth organically if it’s intended to use it for food or medicine. Medicinally, organic growing is important in any case, but particularly for members of the Amaranth genus because of this tendency.

Prince’s feather is a half hardy annual which reaches a height of around 2 feet (60cm). It is not fussy as to soil so long as it is moist but well drained and not in full shade. Propagation is by sowing seed into warm soil, either in late spring or earlier under cover, transplanting when all risk of frost has passed. It also takes well from cuttings. Harvest the main part of the crop in July as it comes into flower and dry for later use.

All parts of the plant are used in medicine for various purposes.

To make a standard infusion use 15g (a half ounce) of dried or 1-2 handfuls of fresh leaves to 560ml (2.5 US cups, 1 UK pint) boiling water, allowing to stand for between 15 minutes and 4 hours before straining off and discarding the herb. Dosage is up to 500ml (2 US cups, 16 fl oz) per day, taken cold. This is an astringent which can be used internally for diarrhea,  internal bleeding and menorrhagia (heavy periods). It’s also been used for snake bite, but my advice is to “get thee to a doctor post haste” in this situation! Externally, astringents are useful for wounds, nosebleeds and as a douche to treat vaginal discharge.

To make a poultice crush seeds lightly or roots more thoroughly and mix with water as hot as can be borne. Wrap in a piece of bandage and apply to the area to be affected, refreshing in the hot water when it cools. A seed poultice is used as a topical treatment for broken bones. For a herb to speed up healing of broken bones, see comfrey. A root poultice can be used to treat boils and similar eruptions.

In Nepal, the juice extracted from the roots is used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, fever and urinary problems. It can also be used to treat indigestion and vomiting.

As I’ve already mentioned it’s vital to ensure that Prince’s feather is grown organically to avoid corruption of its properties by the presence of foreign chemicals and excessive nitrates. To find out more about growing organic Prince’s feather visit the Gardenzone.

Related Posts

1. Spiny Amaranth
2. Gay Feather
3. Woad

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