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Have you ever looked ahead at your life and wished you had someone to hold your hand through the upcoming days or weeks? As a mother of two small children, this feeling has certainly come up for me — for example, the week they both had the chicken pox and the time Hailey's lower lip was damaged in a sledding accident. Well, now I've discovered something I can do for myself at times like these

My mentor, Sally King at RavenCroft Garden, says to reach for motherwort "when the mother needs mothering." My friend Shari remembers a time when she was dealing with a very stressful situation at work, feeling unsure if she should stay at her job. She began taking a tincture of motherwort, one dropper-full two or three times a day. She says she felt like someone was holding her hand. Another woman described her experience with motherwort as a mother's hug, gentle and soothing.

Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca, is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family. It has a thick square stem and opposite-branching maple-shaped leaves, both of which are covered with tiny soft hairs. When viewed from the top, the leaves create a pattern that reminds me of fireworks. Between late June and August, viewing motherwort from above becomes less possible, as it grows to its full height — sometimes five feet or more — and small pink flowers appear on the upper parts of the stalks. As motherwort grows, it develops hard, sharp seed balls below the flowering stems.

Like most members of the mint family, motherwort spreads easily in the garden, preferring full sun and light, well-drained soil. I found several new motherwort plants growing happily in my garden this year. I won't be surprised if my neighbors begin to see motherwort in their gardens as well.

Harvest motherwort when the plant is in full bloom, cutting entire flower stalks at ground level. Leave one or two to reseed for the following year. You can make a motherwort tincture in alcohol or infuse the plant in vinegar or honey (see box). You can also dry some for tea; but the tea is very bitter, so you may want to use your dried plant as a mix in a tea blend.

Easing transitions. One friend says her mother enjoys the bitter taste and adds a bit of motherwort to her daily herbal infusion (see box). She finds that motherwort is helping to ease her transition through menopause, reducing hot flashes and evening out emotional ups and downs.

Another friend takes a couple of teaspoons of motherwort tincture in her tea a few times a day when she's premenstrual, finding that it calms her and eases her cramping and headaches. Motherwort tincture can also ease a girl's transition through puberty into womanhood.

My friend J.T., CCH (Community Centered Herbalist), says that when she was in labor with her second child, she took a few drops of motherwort tincture in water. It soothed her, and she had more confidence while she went through the contractions. She says, "Occasionally I reach for the motherwort tincture when I feel panicky, or overwhelmed by the many challenges of being a mother. The same soothing reassurance and support that motherwort provided during labor helps calm and center me during those other times as well."

Motherwort provides strength and comfort. The word itself derives from the Old English words meaning "mother's plant." Another name for motherwort is heartwort. This and its species name, cardiaca, speak to motherwort's usefulness as a gentle tonic that strengthens the heart. So next time you sense your heart sinking and feel you can't possibly make it through the days or weeks ahead, reach for motherwort. I certainly plan to do just that.

Kimberly Gallagher, M.Ed. and her husband, John, run a family business that helps people learn about herbs. Along with an Herbal Medicine Making Kit, they created "Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game," a cooperative board game that teaches about edible and medicinal plants. See www.learningherbs.com. Kimberly is an herbal apprentice at RavenCroft Garden in Monroe, Washington. See www.familyherbalremedies.com for more of her herbal-remedy articles.

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