Avens

Geum urbanum

A perennial plant with a single round stem divided into 3 branches that become petioles for yellow and pale pink flowers. The leaves are smaller towards the top. The thick, brown root smells of cloves

Other names

• Chocolate Root
• City Avens
• Clove Root
• Colewort
• Goldy Star
• Herb Bennet
• Way Bennet
• Wild Rye

Parts used

Aerial parts, uncovered roots.

Uses

Avens is an astringent herb, used principally for problems affecting the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract. It tightens up soft gums, heals canker sores, makes a good gargle for infections of the pharynx and larynx, and reduces irritation of the stomach and gut. It may be taken for peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and dysentery. Avens has been used in a lotion or ointment as a soothing remedy for hemorrhoids. The herb may also be used as a douche for treating excessive vaginal discharge. Avens reputedly has a mild quinine-type action in lowering fever.

Habitat & cultivation

Native to Europe and central Asia, avens is a common roadside plant. The root is dug up in spring the aerial parts are picked in summer.

Constituents

Glucosides, lactones, tannins, essential oil, gum, minerals (calcium, sodium, iron), trace elements.

How much to take

Decoction: place one teaspoonful of the root in a cup of cold water, bring it to the boil and let it simmer for five minutes. Take one cup three times daily.
Tincture: take 1 - 3ml of the tincture three times a day.

Applications

The flowers and leaves are used in a mother tincture or dried in an herbal tea to treat minor infections of the mucous membranes.
Tincture: 20 g in 1 cup (250 ml) alcohol, and strained: 20 drops, 3 times a day.
Herbal tea or decoction: 1 plant in 1 cup (250 ml) water.
In a skin compress: boil 2 plants in 1 cup (250 ml) water. Strain and apply. Excellent against weeping eczema and topical allergies.
The mother tincture in vinegar is good for making the tannins and minerals more soluble; a tincture prepared in alcohol enhances the essential oil.
The root is chosen mostly for its concentrated medicinal virtues. Scald and macerate it for a few hours before using: 1 t (5 g) in 2 cups (500 ml) water. It acts against food and other types of poisoning, for example, from alkaloids and heavy metals, and diarrhea.

Collection & harvesting

The roots are collected in the spring when they are richest in volatile oils. The aerial parts are collected in July when the flowers are at their best.

Combinations

It is often combined with agrimony in the treatment of digestive troubles such as colitis.

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