Feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium

herb

Feverfew is a bushy, short-lived perennial herb covered in small white daisy flowers with yellow centers above aromatic, citrus-scented, lacy foliage. Long grown in medicinal and cottage gardens - traditionally for headaches and migraines - it reaches 1 to 3 ft, blooms from early summer, and self-seeds freely to return year after year in zones 5 to 9.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Tomato — Aromatic foliage is traditionally used to help repel aphids and other soft-bodied pests
• Cabbage — Its strong scent helps mask brassicas from egg-laying pests
• Yarrow — Shares lean soil and draws hoverflies and parasitic wasps that hunt aphids

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Feverfew is seldom bothered and even helps deter them; rinse off any clusters and support beneficials

• Self-seeding

  Deadhead spent flowers before the seed ripens to keep volunteers under control

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest leaves and flowering tops once the daisy-like flowers are in full bloom in summer, cutting on a dry morning. Hang the stems in small bundles to dry in the shade. Deadhead and cut back after flowering to tidy the plant and limit its enthusiastic self-seeding.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Feverfew has a long traditional use for headache and migraine relief, attributed to the compound parthenolide in its leaves. It is a folk remedy, not a substitute for medical care, and is not recommended during pregnancy. In the garden its small daisies draw hoverflies and other beneficial insects.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Use with caution. Avoid feverfew during pregnancy (it may trigger contractions) and while breastfeeding. Chewing the fresh leaves can cause mouth sores, and people allergic to ragweed and other daisy-family plants may react to it. It may also slow blood clotting.