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Common Name: Great Burnet

General Information

Sanguisorba officinalis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe, including Britain, from celand south and east to Spain, temperate Asia to Iran, China, Japan

Habitat

Meadows and wet grassy places by streams[]. Moist shady sites in grassland, on siliceous soils[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[]. Prefers a good moist soil that does not dry out in the summer, in sun or partial shade[, ]. Plants grow tolerably well in very poor soils and likes a dry chalky soil[].
This species is hardy to about -25°c[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[, , ]. They should be harvested in the spring before the plant comes into flower[]. A cucumber flavour[, ], they can be added to salads or used as a potherb[].
The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[].

Medicinal

Great burnet is employed mainly for its astringent action, being used to slow or arrest blood flow. It is taken both internally and externally internally and is a safe and effective treatment. Modern research in China has shown that the whole herb heals burns more effectively than the extracted tannins (the astringent component of the plant)[]. Patients suffering from eczema showed marked improvement when treated with an ointment made from the root and petroleum jelly[].
The leaves are astringent, refrigerant, styptic and tonic[, , ]. They are used in the treatment of fevers and bleeding[, ]. The plant is prevented from flowering and then the leaves are harvested in July and dried for later use[, ].
The root is anodyne, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, haemostatic, tonic and vulnerary[, , , , , , , , ]. It is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, haematuria, menorrhagia, bloody stool, dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and burns[]. The root is harvested in the autumn as the leaves die down and dried for later use[, ].
All parts of the plant are astringent, but the root is most active[]. Great burnet is an excellent internal treatment for all sorts of abnormal discharges including diarrhoea, dysentery and leucorrhoea[]. It is used externally in the treatment of burns, scalds, sores and skin diseases[].
This species was ranked 19th in a Chinese survey of 250 potential anti-fertility plants[].

Other Uses

The roots contain tannin[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out as soon as they have reached a reasonable size.
The seed can also be sown in situ in early spring[].
Division in the spring or in autumn[].