Common Name: Knotted Figwort

General Information

Scrophularia nodosa is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a tuberous rootstock; it can grow around 50 - 125cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Eurasia - Spain to Britain and Norway, east through the Caucasua and Russia to Mongolia and western Siberia

Habitat

Damp ground in woods, hedgebanks, by streams etc[]. Coniferous and mixed forests, among shrubs, in mixed-fodder grasslands and in damp and dry valleys; also on mountains; at elevations up to 2,200 metres[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, wasps
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[].
Succeeds in most moist to wet soils in full sun or partial shade[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[]. It smells and tastes unpleasant, but has been used in times of famine[, ]. There must be some doubts about the edibility of this root[].

Medicinal

Knotted figwort is a plant that supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders[].

The whole plant is alterative, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, mildly purgative and stimulant[, , , ]. It is harvested as the plant comes into flower in the summer and can be dried for later use[].
A decoction is applied externally to sprains, swellings, burns, inflammations etc, and is said to be useful in treating chronic skin diseases, scrofulous sores and gangrene[, ]. The leaves can also be applied fresh or be made into an ointment[].
Taken internally, the plant is used in the treatment of chronic skin diseases (such as eczema, psoriasis and pruritis), mastitis, swollen lymph nodes and poor circulation[]. It should not be prescribed for patients with heart conditions[].

The root is anthelmintic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar[].

Other Uses

None known

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 in the summer.
If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the autumn or the spring.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.