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Asteraceae
Feverfew
Tanacetum parthenium
Protection, healing, warmth.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Tanacetum
- Native to
- Balkans, Caucasus
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 30–60 cm (12–24 in)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 5–10
- Lifespan
- Short-lived perennial
Did you know
- Used since ancient Greece to treat fevers (hence the name, from Latin 'febrifugia,' fever-driver), feverfew is now scientifically validated as a migraine preventative.
- Modern clinical studies confirm that chewing two fresh leaves a day can significantly reduce migraine frequency—the active compound parthenolide blocks blood-vessel inflammation in the brain.
- The cheerful daisy-like flowers are the model for many embroidered medieval herbals, where feverfew was called 'featherfew' or 'midsummer daisy.'
- Bees famously avoid feverfew—its strong, slightly bitter scent repels them, making it one of the few flowering perennials that won't attract stinging insects to outdoor seating areas.
- It self-seeds prolifically and 'walks' across cottage gardens by the year, popping up in cracks between paving stones with daisy persistence.
Color meanings
0
protection
1
healing
2
domestic comfort