Strange & Lovely: Wood Betony Plant Profile

After well over a decade of writing plant profiles, I’ve written profiles for nearly all of the herbs that I use regularly in my practice. Now I’m starting to turn to those herbs which I use less frequently, but would miss if I didn’t have access to them. A lot of these plants are ones that I was introduced to early on in my studies and are often strongly linked to a particular geographic location. I was lucky to learn (and continue to learn) from teachers throughout North America in a wide range of regional environments.

These days, many of the herbs that I work with are local or have naturalized to the central valley and mountainous west environment where I live, but my student days were shaped by herbs of the northeast, midwest, and southwest (and I hope to learn - beyond books - from southern and southeastern teachers and plants one day!).

So while a plant like Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis) isn’t one that I use often, it was a plant that deeply shaped my relationship to the plant world and plant people in my early student days, which is why I’m excited to finally sharing what I know of their healing gifts with all of you!

image via Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wood Betony
(Betonica officinalis syn. Stachys officinalis)

Common + Folk Names : Common hedgenettle, betony, bishopwort, bishop's wort, purple betony, wild hop, bidney, betónica, bettonica

Element : Air, Fire

Zodiac Signs : Carries the energy Aries and Sagittarius. A remedy for Pisces.

Planets : Jupiter 

Moon Phase : Full Moon

Tarot Cards : Temperance (learn more about the connections between the tarot and herbs)

Parts used : Aerial parts

Habitat : Native perennial throughout Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.

Growing Conditions : Prefers well-drained soil and mostly-shady conditions. 

Collection : Harvest in spring in the morning. Some prefer to harvest before flowering, others prefer before and after flowering - both are fine options. Old folklore advises harvesting the herb in August without the use of iron.¹

Flavor : Bitter

Temperature : Cool

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Stagnation, Tension

Constituents : Calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, choline, tannins, delphinidin, betulinic, rutin, saponins, glucosides, alkaloids, betaine, coffeic acid.

Actions : Alterative, analgesic, antispasmodic, astringent, aromatic, bitter, carminative, cerebral tonic, circulatory stimulant, diuretic, emetic, hepatotonic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, nervine, mild sedative, styptic, vulnerary.

Main Uses : Wood Betony is a plant I heard about from other plant folk before I ever read about in a materia medica. Hearing stories about this lovely member of the Mint family, that I didn't find written down in my herbals, was one of the first times that I remember really feeling the importance of oral tradition and storytelling in herbalism. These oral traditions are one of the reasons I encourage students and practitioners alike to gather in person - because there are stories only called forth by being gathered together, shaping everyone present by the telling and hearing of them. 

Depending on what herbal you're reading, Wood Betony is either a very important plant that can be used for nearly any ailment, or an old-fashioned remedy no longer used much. Culpeper was one of many herbalists who viewed Wood Betony as a prized panacea to always be kept in the house.² Of course, like many plants that have been in an herbal tradition for thousands of years, they are going to shift in their importance and change in their meaning. One of the enduring legacies of Wood Betony, at least since the Middle Ages, is its connection to alleviating nightmares and unwanted visions - an early indicator of the herb's connection to mental health and wellbeing (and something I explore more in the magickal section below). These days, Wood Betony is primarily used for nervous system stress, anxiety, and promoting general wellbeing. 

Wood Betony is a great option for headaches that stem from nervous tension, especially those that are chronic in nature. The herb helps to draw energy down from the head, helping to regulate circulation so that heat and stagnant energy doesn't lead to pain like sciatica, neuralgia, or even mild paralysis. In addition to general pain, Herbalist Anne McIntyre specifically recommends Wood Betony for trigeminal neuralgia or intense facial pain.³ Other indications that Wood Betony might be useful include dizziness, brain fog, memory loss, and nightmares.

Even if you're not experiencing headaches, but are struggling with anxiety, racing and intrusive thoughts, and general fatigue along with any of the other symptoms already listed, Wood Betony may be a useful ally (if you’re wanting to work with Wood Betony for mental health, it’s a good indication that it is time to seek support from mental health practitioners if you’re not already working with one or more). The herb is really helpful for folks whose anxiety has arisen from shock or strange circumstances - part of the root of the anxiety lies in the confusion and discomfort of not knowing why something happened. A tea of Wood Betony can help calm the body and relax nervous tremors generated from excess adrenaline and if your anxiety or tension produces pain of any sort, headaches or otherwise, the herb is a good ally to turn to. 

The herb helps students and other folks who've been engaged in long hours of study or complex mental tasks to slow down, take a break, quiet their thoughts, and rest. Culpeper recommends the herb specifically for those "wearied by traveling" but I find that it's an herb that is good for folks wearied by life in general.⁴ For my highly sensitive people and neurodiverse folks who struggle to feel settled after returning home from being out for any period of time (whether at social gatherings, school, work, running errands, etc.), a few drops of Wood Betony as a tincture or flower essence, can help the nervous system settle. I also really like combining Wood Betony with Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) to help folks who have been stressed and fatigued for an extended period find a way back to feeling connected to and hopeful in their life. 

image via Lee Raye

Another common use for Wood Betony is as a digestive aid, especially if indigestion is connected to a person's mental state of being (i.e. anxiety producing stomachaches and gas). Other digestive indications for Wood Betony include heartburn as well as either diarrhea and constipation or symptoms that alternate between the two. The herb supports liver and gallbladder function, and is useful to take when you've eaten something that isn't sitting well.⁵ If you are struggling with high blood sugar, Wood Betony can help to lower blood sugar levels by strengthening glucose metabolism.⁶

Wood Betony helps to bring on menses and alleviates cramps brought on by congestion in the womb (during menstruation look for signs of dull, intense cramping of the womb and back, blood clots, and dark blood). You can also use Wood Betony for stagnant menopausal conditions such as restless insomnia and depression. The herb can be used to move along a stalled labor, helping to open the womb, strengthen contractions, and reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage, in part, because of its oxytocic effect from the presence of the alkaloid stachydrine in the plant.⁷ 

Though a less common use these days, Wood Betony has historically been used for clearing congestion in the lungs and alleviating varying respiratory conditions including asthma, allergies, and being used in cases of stubborn, painful head colds. If you are sick with an accompanying headache or migraine, try adding Wood Betony to your cold care tea and McIntyre recommends blending the herb with Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) for head colds.⁸

Wood Betony has historical use dating back from the 5th century as a topical treatment for healing damaged or severed nerves - the herb was powdered and applied to the place of injury - while also taking the herb internally.⁹ The powder can also help to draw splinters. Combine with other skin healing plants like Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Plantain (Plantago spp.), and Rose (Rosa spp.) for a lovely salve, compress or wash for cuts, wounds, bruises to promote healing and prevent infection as well as varicose veins, and hemorrhoids. Combine with Sage (Salvia officinalis) for strains and sprains or with Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) for back pain. Use as a mouthwash for toothache and a compress for headache. 

Magickal Uses : I have told all sorts of strange stories about Wood Betony and by strange, I mean leaning into the fantastical and unexplainable, and they are stories that seem to emerge only after a class is over or a gathering of plant folk has gone long into the night or some similarly in-between space. Some modern herbalists tell stories of Wood Betony's ability to bring comfort to those abducted by aliens and I have heard similar tales for those who feel they spent a night or got lost in the otherworld.¹⁰

Wood Betony has been used for hundreds of years to protect against unwanted dreams and visions as well as evil spirits (which we might interpret in a modern lens as describing different forms or symptoms of mental illness or crisis). A distinct period of use for Wood Betony was during the Middle Ages when it was used to protect against nightmares, unwanted visions, and demons, keeping safe the soul when the sun had set and the dark had risen - a precarious time according to the dominant philosophy of medieval Christian Europe.

So, for our modern magickal practices, Wood Betony can be a useful ally in all rituals of protection, including protection against nightmares, the protection of our physical body, and the protection against all forms of baneful magick. If you are bitten by any sort of creature in your dreams, for example, apply freshly bruised leaves of Wood Betony to the place where you were bitten (an herbal oil or flower essence would also work). I think the herb is especially suited for removal of and protection against unwanted hauntings. Since Wood Betony seems to straddle the worlds easily, leading people safely out of strange and disconcerting experiences, the herb lends itself well to rituals of banishing, expulsion, and safe return.

For my paranormal investigators, Wood Betony (especially as a flower essence) is a great ally for those who are experiencing unwanted discomfort and ungroundedness due to the effects of high strangeness. All of this is just saying the same thing in a different tone: Wood Betony is a great ally for those feeling unsettled by something that feels unexplainable or confusing (at least for a particular moment).

I think that there is great use in rituals that help us to banish unwanted energies, including if we experience those energies as being or feeling haunted by some otherworldly presence in our life. Not fear-based rituals that are based on saving souls or damnation or ones that arise from a pressurized scam (you have to purchase this $3k ritual now to reverse the curse!), but somatic, trauma-informed, intersectional rituals that are restorative and empowering. Here is where we can invite in a plant ally like Wood Betony to help us with our work of disentanglement and liberation.

Wood Betony has a connection to deer magick and can be used by those who work with deer as guides or familiars (stags were said to seek out the plant when wounded).¹¹ The herb was planted on sacred ground like churchyards and graveyards, so you might plant Wood Betony (along with other magickal objects and stones) around your home to create an energetic field of protection. Place under your pillow or under your bed to protect against nightmares. Scott Cunningham connects the purifying magick of Wood Betony to the Midsummer bonfire, instructing folk to cast the herb into the fire before jumping over the flames to cleanse yourself from unwanted energy.¹²

image via Hans Simon Holtzbecker

The Wood Betony Personality : The experience of describing their symptoms to a health practitioner or friend or family member to just be met with confused stares or disbelief, is not an unfamiliar experience for many Wood Betony folk. There is an air of ungroundedness that is difficult to manage - feeling disconnected from community, from their sense of self, from their purpose - that only aggravates whatever physical, mental, and emotional symptoms they are experiencing. In other words, Wood Betony folk can feel isolated from instead of drawn into community through their experiences of feeling unwell or uneasy.

For some Wood Betony folk, they'll fall into a pattern of overconsuming information trying to seek out definitive answers to their experiences and easy-to-follow timelines for what they are going through. Other Wood Betony folk might get caught up in seeing signs everywhere, the world so hyper-connected that they begin to lose their connection to the people and places around them. There is a real need for grounding and centering work for Wood Betony folk as well as engaging with the mystery of life not as a puzzle to be solved, but as an energy to be respected, that healing and liberation do not require definitives, just informed wisdom and kindness. When in a state of dynamic balance, the beautiful energy of Wood Betony folk bless communities and relationships with their ability to get deeply rooted in intuitive knowing and the space to allow life to unfold. They aren't afraid of strange stories, because they are able to see the humanity of the person telling them.

Contraindications : Avoid during pregnancy and nursing. Caution with hypotensive and antidiabetic medications. High doses may cause intestinal upset including cramping, gas, nausea, and diarrhea.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage.

🌿

Have you worked with Wood Betony or heard a story about it’s strange and lovely healing ways?

As always, you can find a printable version of this plant profile, along with an ever-expanding collection of every plant profile I’ve written, in The Plant Ally Library.

Since trouble with sleep is an indication for Wood Betony, you might find my post on plant allies for sleep and dreaming to be useful. Or perhaps you’d be interested in a relaxing, end-of-the-day tarot practice to help you ground and center.

I hope that you feel a little bit reassured that healing work can be strange and zig-zagging, but all of us deserve to be held and heard in the process of figuring out where we’re going and what we’ve experienced along the way.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

📚 Footnotes📚

1. Maude Grieve, A Modern Herbal: Volume I (New York: Dover Publications, 1971), 97.

2. Nicholas Culpeper, and J. J. Pursell, Culpeper's Complete Herbal: A Compendium of Herbs and Their Uses, Annotated for Modern Herbalists, Healers, and Witches (Portland, OR: Microcosm Publishing, 2022), 42.

3. Anne McIntyre, The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Ideal Companion for Study and Practice, (London: Octopus Books, 2010), 159.

4. Culpeper, 42.

5. Wood Betony, living up to its reputation of countering the ill dealings of high strangeness, protects these same organs from baneful witchcraft. (Culpeper, 42)

6. Brigitte Mars, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine (Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, 2007), 322.

7. Stephen Taylor, The Humoral Herbal: A practical guide to the Western Energetic system of health, lifestyle and herbs (London: Aeon Books, 2021), 405.

8. McIntyre, 159.

9. Graeme Tobyn, Alison Dunham, Margaret Whitelegg, The Western Herbal Tradition: 2000 Years of Medicinal Plant Knowledge (Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2011), 312.

10. Matthew Wood, The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2008), 137.

11. Grieve, 98.

12. Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 55.