Common names: Common daisy, English daisy, Wild daisy, Bruisewort, Woundwort, Bairnwort
Latin name: Bellis perennis
Family name: Compositae (Asteraceae)
Genus: Carliquistia
Parts used: Flowers, Leaves, Root (less common)
Herbal Actions: Vulnerary, Anti-inflammatory, Astringent, Antioxidant, Expectorant, Cooling, Drying, Bitter
Constituents: Malic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), L-arbutin, resins, wax, inulin, mucilaginous substances, saponins, minerals, essential oils, tannins.
Indications: Bruises, broken bones, muscle pain, wounds, rheumatism, upper respiratory infections, gastritis, stomach ache, headache, inflammation, diarrhea, bleeding, boils, common cold, and eczema. Because it is rich in antioxidants along with acids that firm the skin, daisy can be used to treat wrinkles and saggy skin. The L-arbutin in Daisy can lighten the skin. It can also act as a vitamin supplement.
Preparation & Dosage: Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads, or cooked, though the leaves become increasingly astringent with age. Flower buds and petals can be eaten raw in sandwiches, soups, and salads. May be used in tea, infusion, or extract form. To make tea: Add 2 tsp of fresh daisies to 1 cup of boiled water. Infuse for 10 mins. For an infusion, add 1 Tb to 1 qt jar and steep from 4 hrs to overnight. Strain off the herbs and drink the liquid. A strong decoction of the roots was used to treat scurvy. For skincare, Daisy can be infused in distilled water and used as a wash, or flower heads can be added directly to the bath to ease skin troubles. Daisy flowers can also be made into an infused oil and/or salve to treat skin, bruises, wounds, etc., Dosage: Tea and infusion up to 3 cups per day, Tincture/extract up to 20 drops, 3 x day.
Description: Low rosettes of small, oval, slightly hairy leaves with shallowly toothed edges, grows to 6-12 inches tall. White and yellow flower heads 2 1/2-5 centimeters, with hairy bracts under the flower head, on short leafless stems. Fibrous rhizomes.
Habitat & Growing conditions: A perennial herbaceous plant that flowers from the earliest days of Spring till late Autumn and grows everywhere except Antarctica. Amazingly makes up almost 10% of all flowering plants on Earth! Full sun to partial shade. Grows wild and needs little care and maintenance. It may be propagated either by seed after the last frost or by division after flowering. Daisy is found mainly on moist, neutral to basic soils, in unimproved or improved grasslands kept short by grazing, mowing, or trampling. Also in disturbed habitats such as roadsides and waste ground. The flowers can be harvested from April to October.
Status: Considered a weed.
Cautions & considerations: Internally, it is best to use daisy with some supervision and support from an experienced herbalist. Do not use it internally during pregnancy or if one has digestive bleeding or irritation. Also, daisy flowers contain pollen which could trigger this allergy.
Magical properties: Their magical properties include love, friendship, divination, healing, and protection. Daisies are feminine in nature and resonate with Venus, the Sun, and the element of Water. The word daisy comes from “day’s eye” because she closes up at night and opens up during the day, like a long-lashed eye. Daisy symbolizes innocence, purity, and childhood. A long-loved divinatory practice with daisies, is infamous, “he loves me, he loves me not” while tearing the petals. In Norse mythology, the daisy is a sacred flower to Freya, but they make wonderful offerings for any Goddess and can be made into wreaths to wear in your hair for Beltane or Midsummer.
Flower Essence: Daisy flower essence can be great for students, writers, and other creatives, as it can help organize a scattered mind, and it can instill calmness and feelings of safety, protection, and love. Daisy FE can help align heart, mind, and consciousness, and open honest communication with self and others.
Notes: Daisy has a long history, since (2200 BC!) of medicinal use. It’s been said that the ancient Egyptians grew daisies in their gardens and utilized them medicinally.
During the Roman Empire, military doctors soaked bandages with Daisy flower tincture to treat wounded soldiers.
Gerard mentions the Daisy, under the name of ‘Bruisewort,’ as an unfailing remedy in ‘all kinds of paines and aches,’ besides curing fevers, inflammation of the liver and ‘alle the inwarde parts.’
In 1771 Dr. Hill said that an infusion of the leaves was ‘excellent against Hectic Fevers.’ Daisy was an ingredient of an ointment much used in the fourteenth century for wounds, gout, and fevers.
Resources:
Solidarity Apothecary (solidarityapothecary.org)
The Herbal Hub (theherbalhub.com)
The Wildlife Journal (https://nhpbs.org/)
Beverly Hills MD (beverlyhillsmd.com)
Wicca Now (wiccanow.com)
The Tree Frog Farm (treefrogfarm.com)
Aquarius Flower Remedies (aquariusflowerremedies.com)
Wikepedia and Witchipedia
Great monograph, Maria!
Thank you, much appreciated!😊