A Winter Botanical: Elecampane (Inula helenium)

During my herbal studies with the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, I remember studying Elecampane (one of Juliet Blankespoor’s self-proclaimed favourites) and excitedly reading about its virtues as a herb for the respiratory system with many impressive actions. It did, however, take me a while before I got to know this plant intimately and now having grown Elecampane for the last few years in my garden it has now become one of my wintertime botanical allies for myself and my family. It has a long history of use as a respiratory and digestive herb among others and is one of my essential herbs for coughs in my apothecary. Read on to hear why I think you should also add this herb to your winter essentials!

A perennial in the Asteraceae, Elecampane is an easy to grow medicinal that our pollinator friends love and visit on a regular basis. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized in North America. Elecampane can be grown from seed (it is a light-dependent germinator and should be surface sown) or can easily be propagated through root division when you are harvesting the root.

In its first year of growth, the large leaves form basal rosettes that can look similar to other medicinals such as Comfrey and Mullein and grows well in full sun to part shade (my plants receive morning shade and afternoon sun and thrive!). In its second year the plants will shoot up tall, elegant flowers that are vaguely sunflower-like and like most Asteraceae plants, contain both disc and ray florets. Elecampane grows well in drier climates but does like fertile soil, I recommend adding composted manure to the soil in early spring and adding a herbal fertilizer such as nettles or comfrey as a fertilizer side dressing throughout the growing season.

Elecampane roots are best harvested in the Fall of their second year of growth. The roots should be scrubbed and cut into small slices to dry, either in a dehydrator or laid in a single layer on a drying screen.

Medicinal Actions & Energetics

Matthew Wood 1 states that Elecampane is a warming, stimulating, pungent, aromatic bitter and is specific for yellow to green mucous, indicating bacterial infection and helping to banish any lingering infections in the respiratory system.  Elecampane acts as an expectorant, helping a person cough up stuck mucous in the lungs as well as soothing any irritation to the respiratory tract at the same time. As an aromatic bitter and carminative, Elecampane has been used as a digestive stimulant since Roman times to alleviate indigestion, bloating and poor nutrient assimilation.

Elecampane, also known as Elfwort or affectionately as Scabwort, can be used acutely as a tea, tincture, or syrup where it can be especially helpful for children who tend to get an upset stomach from swallowing copious amounts of mucous during a cold or flu. It can also be used as a tonic throughout the colder months and is a wonderful remedy for folks who have a constitution on the colder side as well as for those folks who seem to frequently acquire respiratory infections due to its circulatory stimulating and antibacterial properties.

According to Jill Stansbury 2, Elecampane is useful in the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis and is active against MRSA, various yeasts, parasites and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is attributed to the constituents alantolactone and isoaltantolactone. 

Like St. John’s Wort, Elecampane is the botanical epitome of summer and as a flower essence Elecampane’s energetic properties are helpful for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder “with its ability to help us assimilate greater light even when it is not apparent that it is available to us.” 3 Combining Elecampane flower essence with St. John’s Wort tincture can provide relief from the short days and long nights of winter, bringing in the essence of summer into our energetic and physical bodies.

How to Work With Elecampane

Elecampane can be used as a tincture (1:5, 40% alcohol), as a decoction as well as an infused honey or syrup. My personal preference is as a honey – the sweetness combines amazingly with Elecampane’s bitter/sweetness.

Elecampane Honey Recipe

1. Fill a mason jar halfway with dried elecampane root
2. Add honey to fill the jar (local and raw is best here!)
3. Gently heat in a double boiler, for 4-6 hours on a super low heat
4. Strain while the honey is still warm (straining is very difficult when the honey is cold and thick!) and pour into a fresh jar.
5. Label your honey and store in a cool, dry spot. Herbal honeys do not need refrigeration.

Herbal honeys have a long shelf life and will most likely stay good for a few years if your herbs were fully dried when infusing.  Note that it is normal for herbal honey to crystallize somewhat.

Is Elecampane a favourite winter botanical or yours? Tell us how you like to work with Elecampane!

Bibliography

1. Wood, M. (2008) The Earthwise Herbal Vol. 1 A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. North Atlantic Books

2. Stansbury, J. (2018) Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals Vol. 2. Chelsea Green Publishing

3. Green Hope Farm (n.d.) Elecampane, Inula helenium. Retrieved December 27, 2021 from https://www.greenhopeessences.com/essences/elecampane