Wood Avens, or herb bennet, is a woodland member of the rose family (Rosaceae).
Curiously, the plant’s Latin name urbanum means ‘city dweller’ which is where this wild flower of hedges and woods was also once found.
The generic name Geum derives from the Greek geno meaning an agreeable fragrance.
Scientific name
Geum urbanum
Family
Rosaceae
Botanical description
A plant with upright, hairy, branching stems bearing small, five-petalled, yellow flowers with three-lobed, greyish leaves. The round, brown seeds are spiky and the roots are aromatic and spicy.
Status
Perennial. Native
Habitat and distribution
Shaded areas, woodlands, scrub, hedgerow, roadsides, gardens
Parts used for food
Leaves and roots.
Harvest time
Spring and Autumn
Food uses
The roots and rhizomes are aromatic with the spicy scent of cloves. Add to flavour soups, broths, stews, sauces, fruit pies and stewed fruit.
Combine the root with orange peel and add to wine or other mulled drinks, gin and beer. Alternatively, boil in milk to make an Indian-style chai tea.
The leaves can also be infused to make a hot, mildly spicy cordial. The dried plant can be used as seasoning and the leaves added to spicy salads.
Nutritional profile
There is little data on the nutritional value of Wood Avens, however, the aromatic roots do contain eugenol – the main chemical constituent of clove oil, the essential oil distilled from cloves (Syzygium aromaticum).
Recipes
Herbal medicine uses
The roots and rhizomes have been used in traditional herbal medicine for treating various problems: gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhoea, dyspepsia, constipation, indigestion, stomach upsets, and appetite loss; oral disease, such as throat and mouth infections; skin complaints, such as chilblains and haemorrhoids.
Other uses
The herb’s aromatic roots were traditionally dried and used as a flea repellent or placed among clothes to deter moths.
Safety note
Because of its high tannin content, some texts recommend that the herb is not used in large quantities. It may be safest to avoid during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
References
Wyse Jackson, P. (2013) Ireland’s generous nature: the past and present uses of wild plants in Ireland. St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Richard Le Strange (1977) A history of herbal plants. London: Angus and Robertson.
Grieve, M. (1971) A modern herbal vol 1 (a-h): the medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folk-lore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs, & trees with all their modern scientific uses. New York: Dover Publications.
Eland, S. C. & Lucas, G. (2013) Plant biographies.
Simkova, K. & Polesny, Z. (2015) Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants used in the Czech Republic. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality. 88 (1).
Couplan, F. (1998) The encyclopedia of edible plants of North America. New Canaan: Keats Pub.
Newall, C. A. et al. (1996) Herbal medicines: a guide for health-care professionals. London: Pharmaceutical Press.