Fever Few

May I introduce you to the tiniest, daintiest, sweetest little daisy: Tanacetum parthenium, or in English, feverfew. 

From the daisy family, feverfew is a herbaceous perennial that grows into a small bush up to about 28 inches high. The leaves are light yellowish green and strongly scented. The petite white daisies themselves only grow to around 3/4 inches across. 

This hardy plant spreads quickly by seed, growing on stony hills and river beds. It is even considered a weed in some areas with how large of an area it can cover in a short amount of time. 

If you google feverfew you will probably come across many different supplements and herbal treatments from the flower, which in traditional herbal medicine is known to treat headache. The name itself comes from the Latin words meaning “fever reducer.” The plant does contain the chemical parthenolide which can be used as a dietary supplement, but there is little to no evidence to support these medical uses. Though the “medieval aspirin” shouldn’t have a place in your medicine cabinet, this beautiful little bush should definitely have a place in your garden.