Tansy

Tanacetum vulgare

Grown on Ophidian Farms - always organic!

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a perennial growing up to 4 feet. Also known as "Bitter Buttons" and "Golden Buttons", it is fern-like with aromatic leaves and a fragrance reminiscent of camphor and rosemary. Mature plants produce heads of attractive yellow button-like flowers, interesting when grown at the back of an herb border.

Dried tansy has historically been used to repel insects like moths and ants, the plant also yields a traditional green dye. This herb is great as a strewing herb to repel fleas and ticks as well as a much to repel pests from various vegetables. Tansy can be used as in companion planting and for biological pest control. It is planted alongside potatoes to repel the Colorado potato beetle, with one study finding tansy reduced the beetle population by 60 to 100%. Also repels Squash Vine Borers, as a mulch or by planting nearby.  In England tansy is placed on window sills to repel flies; sprigs are placed in bed linen to drive away pests, and it has been used as an ant repellent. In the 1940s, distilled tansy oil mixed with fleabane, pennyroyal and diluted alcohol was a well known mosquito repellent

Tansy has also been cultivated and used for its insect repellent and in the worm warding type of embalming. It was packed into coffins, wrapped in funeral winding sheets, and tansy wreaths were sometimes placed on the dead. During the American colonial period, meat was frequently rubbed with or packed in tansy leaves to repel insects and delay spoilage.

Not recommended for culinary use.

Tansy requires natures natural seasonal cycles to germinate, so planting in Fall is best. This way the seeds will go through a long cold-moist period to break the seed dormancy. To simulate this out of season, place in the fridge in a decently moist (not soaking wet) medium like soil or sand for at least four weeks before setting out in warm weather to germinate. In addition, Tansy seeds need light to germinate, so pressing firmly into the top of good soil is recommended. Germination is in 2-3 weeks. Tansy transplants fine if you are starting the seeds in pots – which we do by leaving the seeds out in pots all winter.

Tansy is a hardy perennial that spreads by underground rhizomes as well as seed. It likes full sun, but also tolerates woods-edge and fields quite well, often outpacing other grasses and weeds.

1 gr = 8000 seeds

Auction is for 0.1 grams, 800 seeds

Germination rate = 78 %

Harvested fresh in fall of 2021, for sale through 2022!

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