Common Name: Hairy Agrimony

General Information

Agrimonia pilosa is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing one or more, erect, branched stems 30 - 120cm tall from a short, usually tuberous rootstock[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe - Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, east through Russian Asia to China, Japan, Korea, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam

Habitat

Meadows and roadsides in lowland and mountains all over Japan[]. Forest undergrowth and shady places by the sides of roads at elevations of 1,000 - 3,000 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Agrimonia pilosa has a very wide range from northern and eastern Europe, through northern Asia to Japan and south to the mountains of Indo-China. It should succeed in most regions of the temperate zone and also at higher elevations in the subtropics and tropics.
Succeeds in most soils, preferring a calcareous soil[]. Prefers a sunny position[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[].

Seed - dried and ground into a meal[]. Mixed with noodles[]. Harvesting and preparing the seeds (the burrs need to be removed) is time-consuming and so the seeds would probably have been seen mainly as a famine food[].

Medicinal

The stems and the leaves are analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, astringent, cardiotonic, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic, taenicide and vasoconstrictor[, , , ]. The plant is used in the treatment of abdominal pain, sore throat, headaches, bloody and mucoid dysentery, bloody and white discharge and heat-stroke[, ]. It is used in Korea to treat parasitic worms, bois and ezema[].

The leaves are rich in vitamin K and are used to promote blood clotting and control bleeding[].

The root ia astringent, diuretic and tonic[]. It is used in the treatment of coughs, colds, tuberculosis and diarrhoea[]. The root juice is used in the treatment of peptic ulcer[]. A paste of the root is used to treat stomach ache[].
Plants are harvested as they come into flower and can be dried for later use[].

The plant contains agrimonin, this is haemostatic, cardiotonic and lowers blood sugar, though it can also produce palpitations and congestion of the blood in the face[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - can be sown in spring or autumn, either in pots in a cold frame or in situ. It usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 13°c[], though germination rates can be low, especially if the seed has been stored[]. A period of cold stratification helps but is not essential. When grown in pots, prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Division in autumn[]. Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions.