churchsteeples, Agrimonia eupatoria

The Shakers came to America in 1776 to found a society free of crime, poverty and misery, and were devoted to living by natural principles. They brought with them, and continued to develop a wealth of beliefs about herbal treatments. Churchsteeples was an Old World remedy they brought along. Also called agrimony, it was used for bowel complaints, asthma, gravel, coughs, and other maladies. Also used as a gargle for mouth and throat irritations, it was prepared as a tea, sometimes flavored with licorice. Churchsteeples became naturalized here, but never as common or persistent as our native species. The natives soon became as much used as the introduction. Churchsteeples has been found wild in CA, IA, MA, MN, NC, NY, OH, PA, and WY. Beal Garden MSU, 6/30/15. Rose family, Rosaceae.