Medieval herb garden blog 63: Lesser celandine

The petals are green on the underside. When the flowers close, they are no longer clearly visible.

The flowers are nyctinastic. This means they open in the sunshine and close when the sun becomes obscured or at night. They also close their petals before rainfall or in wet, cold weather.

Lesser celandine can grow to a height of 10 inches (25 cm). Its spread is impossible to contain due to its root system. It has two types of roots. Dense clusters of thick, pale-coloured elongated tubers are surrounded by patches of short, fibrous roots. Some clumps have long stolons (runners), up to 4 inches (10 cm) long. This allows the plant to spread, producing large 'carpets' of plants. The plants are also easily spread if the tubers are scattered by being dug up by animals or humans.

Lesser celandine is also called 'pilewort', due to its tubers' resemblance to piles!

Lesser celandine's young leaves, stems, and flower buds are edible when cooked. They add a mild, spinach-like flavour. They are used in dishes like stir-fries, soups and sauces.

The buds can be used as a subtitute for capers, or lightly fried until crispy.

The starchy root tubers resemble small potatoes. These can be boiled, roasted, or mashed.

All parts of the plant must be thoroughly cooked to destroy the toxin protoanemonin. This can cause mouth / skin irritation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, spasms, paralysis and potentially liver damage.

Lesser celandine can be used to produce a yellow dye. However, it often fades quickly, especially with sun exposure. It also washes out quickly.

During production, the yellow juice can stain skin and cause irritation.

In Celtic the lesser celandine was known as Grian, meaning 'sun'. It was linked to sunrise and sunset. In Welsh it is known as 'Lygad ebrill', meaning 'the eye of April'.

Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in Europe ate the roots. They provided a source of carbohydrates.

Farmers in Wales used to determine when to sow cereal crops by waiting for lesser celandine to flower.

On the Western Isles of Scotland, it was believed that the tubers resemble cow udders. People used to hang them in cow byres to ensure high milk yields. The Irish did the same. It was believed that this would prevent the fairies from stealing the milk.

It was said that swallows used the sap from the stem to strengthen the eyesight of their nestlings.

In the language of flowers, lesser celandine represents 'joy to come'. It denotes happiness, protection and new beginnings.

In 2014 in the USA, the species was reported to be “invasive and established” in 25 states. The plant is resistant to many types of weedkillers.

Lesser celandine is pollinated by bees, small beetles and flies. These include the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), the black gnat (Bibio johannis), scuttle flies (Phora) and pollen beetles (Meligethes).

The larvae of the white barred tortrix (Olindia schumacherana) feed on the leaves. The leaves are also parasitised by the chytrid fungus (Synchytrium anomalum); the various rust fungi Schroeteriaster alpinus, Uromyces ficariae, Uromyces poae, and Uromyces rumicis; the smut fungi Entyloma ficariae and Urocystis ficariae; the leaf spot fungi Septoria ficariae and Colletotrichum dematium; and the downy mildew Peronospora ficariae. The roots are parasitised by the fungi Botryotinia ficariarum and Dumontinia tuberosa.

Fortunately, ours have not been attacked by any of the above so far.

In 1310, it was said that an infusion of lesser celandine with honey could be used as an eye salve. By 1597, John Gerard’s ‘Herbal’ declared that “it cleanseth and consumeth awaie slimie things that cleave about the ball of the eye”.

It was also thought to help remove damaged or infected nails. When sniffed as a solution, it “purgeth the head of foul and filthy humours”.

Its main use was in the treatment of piles or haemorrhoids. These were bathed with the plant's juice mixed with wine, or with the sick person's urine.

It was also used as a cure for the 'King’s Evil' (scrofula). This disease was thought to be curable by the reigning monarch laying their hands upon the infected person.

There were very strong beliefs about lesser celandine's healing powers. Some said that “the very herb borne about one’s body next the skin helps in such diseases, though it never touches the place grieved”.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.