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Common Name: Annual Mercury

General Information

Mercurialis annua is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

The plant is poisonous, but less so than the perennial M. perennis[, , , ].

Botanical References

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Mediterranean. Azores.

Habitat

Waste places[]. A common weed of cultivated soils, but it avoids acid soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A common garden weed in Britain, it should need little encouragement. When well suited, it tends to spread itself around too freely for most people's tastes[]. It dislikes growing in shady positions.
Plants are normally dioecious, though monoecious plants are sometimes found[]. Male and female plants must normally be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[, , , ]. They were at one time quite popular, being used like spinach[]. The acrid principle is said to be destroyed by thoroughly boiling the leaves[]. The raw leaves are poisonous[]. It is probably wise not to eat the leaves of this plant[].

Medicinal

The whole plant, and especially the juice, is emetic, emollient and purgative. It is used externally to treat women's complaints, ear and eye problems, warts and sores[, ].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, dropsy, diarrhoea and disorders of the gall bladder and liver[].

Other Uses

This species is a potential source of a very good drying oil[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ.