Vervain is a widely distributed herbaceous plant with small blue, white, or purple flowers and a long history of use as a magical and holy herb. It is a perennial herb with numerous health benefits. Scientifically known as Verbena officinalisthis plant has been traditionally used to fight infections, reduce fever, relieve stress, improve sleep, and soothe depression.

In today’s world, bacterial resistance to the most common conventional antibiotics is a major healthcare concern worldwide. In this context, vervain is showing amazing results so far: Vervain is anti-bacterial and Vervain leaves show antibacterial activity against S. aureus, and Citrobacter freundii and  P. aeruginosa, which are a type of bacteria (germ) that is found commonly in the environment, like in soil, water, and freqyuently found in hospitals. Of the many different types of Pseudomonas, the one that most often causes infections in humans is called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause infections in the blood, lungs (pneumonia), or other parts of the body after surgery. (1) In 2017, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused an estimated 32,600 infections among hospitalized patients and 2,700 estimated deaths in the United States. (2) All mentioned bacteria are extremely dangerous, especially in hospital environments.

Vervain has been widely used as a calming herb that may help fight stress and anxiety, and scientific evidence speaks in favor of this. Animal studies reported that vervain reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures, reduces anxiety, and acts as a natural sedative. (3) In traditional system of medicine, Verbena officinalis has been used for treatment of melancholia, hysteria, seizures, jaundice, fever, cholecystaliga, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and menstrual disorders. (4)

One animal study found that vervain was almost as effective as cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, in inhibiting tumor growth in rats. The effectiveness of the herb was as high as 38.78% compared to the 42.94% inhibition rate of cisplatin. (5)

Vervain has been shown to contain verbenalin or cornin, a naturally occurring plant glycoside.  A 2016 study isolated this cornin from the fruit of the plant to look at the possible protective effects against myocardial ischemia, which is when blood flow is reduced to the heart due to a partial or complete blockage of the heart’s arteries. Researchers believe that the cornin found in Verbena officinalis has cardioprotective effects due to the fact that it increases the expression of compounds in the body that play a key role in cellular survival pathways. (6)

Vervain is considered a popular conventional antibiotic, anti-spasmodic, and anti-inflammatory (7) and is often used for the following conditions: digestive issues, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, gout & jaundice, headaches, insomnia, anxiety and depression, may help improve insufficient lactation, ease painful menstruation, and offers general pain relief, especially joint pain.



Botanical Name: Verbena officinalis

Common Names: European Vervain, Pigeon’s Grass, Holy Herb, Enchanter’s Herb, American Blue Vervain

Additional information

Weight N/A
Dimensions N/A

4oz, 1lb


Cut&Sifted, Powder