Everything about Bog Myrtle totally explained
Myrica gale is a species of
flowering plant in the genus
Myrica, native to northern and western
Europe and parts of northern
North America. It is a
deciduous shrub growing to 1-2 m tall. Common names include
Bog Myrtle and
Sweet Gale. The
leaves are spirally arranged, simple, 2-5 cm long,
oblanceolate with a tapered base and broader tip, and a crinkled or finely toothed margin. The
flowers are
catkins, with male and female catkins on separate plants (
dioecious). The
fruit is a small
drupe.
It typically grows in
acidic
peat bogs, and to cope with these difficult
nitrogen-poor growing conditions, the
roots have
nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria which enable the plants to grow.
Uses
The foliage has a sweet
resinous scent, and is a traditional
insect repellent, used by
campers to keep biting insects out of
tents. It is also a traditional ingredient of Royal Wedding bouquets, and is used variously in
perfumery and as a
condiment.
In northwestern Europe (
Germany,
Belgium and
Great Britain), it was much used in a mixture called
gruit as a flavouring for
beer from the
Middle Ages to the
16th century, but it fell into disuse after
hops had become widely available. Danish brewery Thisted Bryghus produces Porse Guld, a strong beer flavoured with the plant. Beau's All Natural Brewing Company, of Vankleek Hill, ON, Canada, produces 'Bog Water', a seasonal strong ale made with sweet gale from Northern Quebec.
Boots chemist are planning to increase production of the plant in
Scotland for use as an
essential oil for treating sensitive skin and
acne.] It is also marketed by Totally Herby of Scotland as an insect repellent.
In some
native cultures in
Eastern Canada, the plant has been used as a traditional remedy for
stomach aches,
fever,
bronchial ailments and
liver problems. It has also been used to enhance the
lucidity of
dreams.
(External Link
). In
Scotland it has been traditionally used to ward off the dreaded
midge. "The Creole Doctor," an 1886 article by
Lafcadio Hearn, discusses the uses of the plant, known locally as "cirier batard," in Louisiana creole folk remedies.
Sweet Gale can grow in a narrow band in the intertidal zone, especially if it has some logs, washed down into the estuary on which to establish itself. It is a favorite food of beavers and low beaver dams can be found in the intertidal zone if sufficient sweet gale is present. The ponds thus formed are often completely submerged at high tide but retain water at low tide and provide deep enough water to provide a refuge for fish, including juvenile salmon where the water is too deep for predation by wading birds. Thus the presence of Sweet Gale can enhance salmon recruitment.
Cautions
Myrica gale was cited as an
abortifacient in M. Grieve's 1931
A Modern Herbal and, therefore, shouldn't be consumed by women who are, or might be, pregnant.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bog Myrtle'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://myrica_gale.totallyexplained.com">Myrica gale Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
