Feverfew

Growing Conditions

Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Zones 5 - 9

Companion Planting

When to Plant

• Start Indoors

  8 - 10 weeks before last frost; sow on surface as seeds need light to germinate

• Direct Sow

  Direct sow after last frost; surface sow and press lightly, do not cover

• Harvest

  Harvest fresh leaves as needed throughout the growing season; harvest flowering stems when flowers are fully open for drying. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom unless self-seeding is desired

Organic Growing Tips

• Grow in lean, well-draining soil; rich or heavily amended soil produces lush but less aromatic, less medicinally active foliage.

• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to extend the blooming period and prevent excessive self-seeding if not desired.

• Use as a companion plant around susceptible vegetables; the pungent volatile oils in feverfew foliage deter aphids, spider mites, and some whiteflies.

• Divide congested clumps every 2-3 years in spring to maintain vigour; old central growth becomes woody and less productive.

Common Pests

• Aphids
• Leaf Miners
• Chrysanthemum Nematode

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Daisy family (Asteraceae)

Genus

Tanacetum

Species

Tanacetum parthenium

Natural History

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is native to the Balkan Peninsula and eastern Mediterranean, growing wild on rocky slopes, roadsides, and disturbed ground from Greece and Turkey through the Caucasus. It was introduced to Britain in the early medieval period and naturalised so thoroughly that it became regarded as a native plant; it now grows as a garden escape along roadsides and walls across much of temperate Europe and North America. The name "feverfew" is a corruption of the Latin febrifugia, meaning fever-reducer - reflecting its centuries-old reputation as a herb for fevers, headaches, and inflammatory conditions. Its modern scientific interest began in 1978 when a British medical newsletter reported that a cardiologist's wife had successfully used daily feverfew consumption to control her migraines. This anecdotal report prompted formal clinical investigation, and several randomised controlled trials in the 1980s-1990s found that daily consumption of fresh feverfew leaves reduced migraine frequency. The active compound parthenolide was identified as the likely mediator, inhibiting platelet aggregation and serotonin release.

Traditional Use

Feverfew has a continuous recorded use in European herbal medicine stretching back to ancient Greece, primarily for fevers, headache, arthritis, and menstrual regulation. Its modern clinical validation for migraine prophylaxis represents one of the better-supported examples of a traditional plant remedy gaining scientific confirmation.

• Ancient Greek and Roman medicine - Whole herb

  Dioscorides described feverfew (as parthenion) in his De Materia Medica (1st century AD) for use in fevers, headaches, and inflammatory conditions. He also noted its use for women's health applications and as an herb for difficulty breathing. The name parthenium may refer to the Virgin (parthenos) or may indicate it was used in the treatment of women (the parthenius condition). Pliny the Elder mentioned it similarly in his Naturalis Historia.

• British Herbal Tradition - Leaves and flowering tops

  John Gerard's Herball (1597) describes feverfew as useful "against such as be melancholike, sad, pensive, and without speech" and for head pains. Nicholas Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1652) called it "a general strengthener of the womb" and also recommended it for headache, vertigo, and as a remedy for melancholy. By the 18th century, John Hill's British Herbal (1756) described it specifically for "violent pains in the head" - an association with headache and migraine that persisted into the modern scientific investigations.

• Modern clinical investigation (1978 onwards) - Fresh leaves

  The contemporary medicinal interest in feverfew was sparked by a 1978 report in the British Medical Journal newsletter about a cardiologist's wife who eliminated her migraines by eating 3 fresh leaves daily. Subsequent randomised controlled trials at the London Migraine Clinic and Nottingham City Hospital in the 1980s demonstrated statistically significant reductions in migraine frequency in patients consuming feverfew compared to placebo. The active parthenolide inhibits prostaglandin synthesis and platelet aggregation, providing a plausible mechanism. The German Commission E approved feverfew for migraine prophylaxis, and it remains one of the more scientifically supported herbal preventive treatments for migraine.

Feverfew should not be used during pregnancy as it may stimulate uterine contractions. Daily fresh leaf consumption causes mouth ulcers in a significant minority of users - the most common side effect. Abrupt cessation after long-term use can cause a discontinuation syndrome with rebound headache, anxiety, and joint pain. Feverfew inhibits platelet aggregation and may enhance the effects of blood-thinning medications. People with ragweed allergy may cross-react.

This information is provided for historical and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to your health.

Morphology (Plant Structure & Identification)

• Root System

  Fibrous, shallow root system; plants spread slowly by root and spread more widely by prolific self-seeding. Division every 2-3 years maintains plant health.

• Stem

  Upright, branching, slightly hairy stems 12-30 inches tall; stems are brittle and snap easily in storms, which is why staking in wind-exposed positions improves longevity. The whole plant has a strong, distinctive pungent-aromatic scent when touched.

• Leaves

  Pinnately lobed, pale-to-mid green leaves with a somewhat ferny texture; strongly aromatic and intensely bitter when chewed. Leaves are yellow-green in most forms; a golden-leaved cultivar (Aureum) is grown primarily as an ornamental.

• Flowers

  Dense masses of small daisy-like flowers with white ray petals and prominent yellow button centres; blooms prolifically from early summer through autumn. The button-type double form (Flore Pleno) lacks the ray petals and is grown purely as an ornamental.

• Fruit

  Small, dry achenes with a short corona; shed prolifically to produce abundant self-sown seedlings.

Known Varieties

Common cultivars worth knowing

• Single White

  The standard medicinal form with classic daisy flowers; highest parthenolide content and strongest effect for traditional uses.

  Best for: Medicinal use; companion planting; pollinator support

• Golden Feverfew (Aureum)

  Bright golden-yellow foliage form grown primarily as an ornamental; still has the characteristic scent and some medicinal activity but is less potent than the standard form.

  Best for: Ornamental use in mixed borders; foliage contrast

• Flore Pleno

  Double-flowered pompon form with button-like white flowers and no ray petals; striking in the garden but less valuable for pollinators and medicinal use.

  Best for: Ornamental cutting gardens; novelty

• Tetra White Wonder

  Compact, larger-flowered selection with particularly vigorous growth; bred for ornamental rather than medicinal use.

  Best for: Mixed borders; cut flowers