Blue Vervain: The Herbalist’s Remedy for Tension & Anxiety

Blue Vervain has a long tradition of use in European herbal medicine and was considered a sacred plant by the Druids. This plant has unique psycho-spiritual indications that help address planetary and elemental imbalances that manifest in the body and mind. It is one of the best relaxant remedies in the Western Materia Medica, and as you’ll learn, this property translates into nearly every aspect of the way it works in your body and mind. 

Common name: Blue Vervain 

Latin name: Verbena hastata 

Family: Verbenaceae

Tastes: Bitter, Acrid

Affinities: Nervous, musculoskeletal, and female reproductive systems, febrile mechanism, liver, neck region 

Actions: Nervine sedative, antispasmodic, bitter tonic, relaxant diaphoretic, emmenagogue

Energetics: Relaxant, cooling, drying

Blue Vervain’s Tastes

Blue Vervain tastes bitter. In fact, it is so bitter it can induce nausea in larger quantities. For this reason, an infusion of Blue Vervain is extremely difficult to drink. Like many bitter plants, Blue Vervain sends a shiver down your spine, giving a clue to its grounding effects on the vital force. This downward bearing action corresponds to many of Blue Vervain’s medicinal properties. 

The second taste associated with Blue Vervain is acrid. Although I think of this flavor as the combination of bitter and sour, Matthew Wood succinctly describes it as “the sensation of bile in your throat.” If you’re unfamiliar with this flavor, think of other acrid plants like Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), Kava-Kava (Piper methysticum), and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). This taste indicates that a medicinal plant is spasmolytic, aka antispasmodic. This action calms excess physiological tension, ultimately leading to affinities in the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. 

Blue Vervain’s Affinities

Blue Vervain acts as a mediator between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. By decreasing excess psychological tension, this plant softens musculoskeletal tension, which is often exacerbated by stress and anxiety. The opposite is true as well: when we are physically relaxed, our minds tend to calm down. 

Blue Vervain has a unique affinity for the shoulders and up, including the back of the neck. This makes it a valuable remedy for stiff shoulders, TMJ, and a sore neck. Blue Vervain relaxes tension in the liver, making it useful for headaches (check out this article for more on liver heat and headaches). Specifically, it works well for tension headaches that start in the back of the neck and radiate to the forehead, as it supports the liver and head, thereby addressing the root cause while alleviating painful symptoms. 

Illustrating another affinity for the head, Blue Vervain was traditionally used for epileptic seizures that started at the nape of the neck and moved downward. These days, it’s a good idea to seek professional care in the case of a seizure, but the historical usage of Blue Vervain is consistent in its application for conditions of the head. 

With its relaxant quality, Blue Vervain is an excellent herb for the female reproductive system and is used for many menstrual-related complaints, such as amenorrhea, cramping, and anxiety. It can alleviate physical and psychological tension just before and during the first few days of menses. Although this application is less common, you can use Blue Vervain for spasms and pain that accompany kidney stones and similar conditions.

Because of its relaxant properties, Blue Vervain is a valuable remedy for the febrile system, which circulates blood to the periphery and opens the pores to induce sweating during a fever. As mentioned before, Blue Vervain affects the liver because of its bitterness. It also impacts the gallbladder and the entire digestive system by stimulating gastric secretions and bile to support the healthy assimilation of fats and oils, while encouraging elimination.

Blue Vervain’s Actions

The root of Blue Vervain’s medicinal virtue is as a nervine sedative. Herbs in this group differ from nervine hypnotics in that you can comfortably use them throughout the day without feeling tired. In fact, Blue Vervain can support you at school or work by regulating your nervous system and helping you feel calm enough to sit and focus for long periods. Just as it relaxes tension in the mind, Blue Vervain eases constriction and tightness in the musculature. As an antispasmodic, it relaxes the smooth muscle that surrounds organs and the skeletal muscle that comprises most of the body’s musculature. 

It’s quite common that plants with sedative properties for the nervous system will also relax the musculature, because nerves innervate muscle fibers, so when the nervous system “fires” excessively, the muscles can tense and cramp. Relax the nerves, and you’re relaxing the muscles as well. 

Another way Blue Vervain’s relaxant effects translate to its medicinal properties is through its relaxant diaphoretic action. Diaphoretics are herbs we use during a fever, and there are two types: stimulant and relaxant. Stimulant diaphoretics are hot and pungent and work by directing blood flow to the skin surface to relieve internal heat. These are most useful in the beginning stages of a fever or when someone is pale and feeling cold. 

On the other hand, relaxant herbs are used when someone is feverish, hot, and tense, but unable to produce a sweat because the pores and capillary beds are contracted. People who need relaxant diaphoretics experience pain, can’t sleep, and may thrash around in irritability as the psychological and physical tension couple. This depiction is the perfect illustration of when to use Blue Vervain. With its relaxant, diaphoretic properties, it relaxes the pores of the skin and the capillary beds beneath the skin, allowing circulation to rise to the surface and produce sweat, thereby relieving the internal heat of a fever. Blue Vervain is a specific for fevers that will not break and is the choice herb when other diaphoretics don’t work. 

As mentioned earlier, Blue Vervain is a strong bitter herb. Because of this, it improves digestion through increasing gastric secretions and bile, thereby enhancing the assimilation of fats and oils and encouraging elimination. By supporting the liver in its detoxification process, Blue Vervain prevents a “hot liver” pattern from developing and prevents tension headaches from occurring at the very core. Blue Vervain’s bitter tonic action also lends it emmenagogue properties that can promote healthy menstruation and alleviate menopausal symptoms. Blue Vervain is a specific remedy for hot flashes and one of the best ways to relieve them — it cools down a hot liver, relaxes the pores and capillary beds, and calms psychological tension.

Blue Vervain’s Energetics

Blue Vervain is relaxant, cooling, and drying. You can see Blue Vervain’s relaxant property in virtually every aspect of its medicinal actions — from its ability to ease tense muscles to its ability to calm an irritable mind. Since it’s bitter in taste and action, it has a particularly cooling energetic effect. 

Finally, because the bitterness of Blue Vervain increases secretions which ultimately leave the body, it has a net drying effect. Although Blue Vervain is considered a drying plant in the Western model, the Chinese model states that it protects fluids when “the yin is not holding down the yang.” This pattern describes a scenario in which internal heat is raging out of control due to insufficient fluid or moisture to contain it. 

In the Ayurvedic model, Blue Vervain is a specific remedy for vāta since this dosha is prone to tension in the body and mind. If you look at Blue Vervain, you might notice that the plant itself looks tense. This thin, spindly plant has narrow flower heads that point upward, which is a very vāta look. Blue Vervain’s relaxant and antispasmodic properties help balance vāta. However, its cooling and drying nature can aggravate this dosha over time. For this reason, it’s best to pair Blue Vervain with warming and/or moistening herbs to balance its energetics for longer-term administration.

Blue Vervain is very helpful for pitta dosha as well, as this dosha’s heat can also lead to burnout. This herb’s bitterness helps cool pitta’s excited system, while its relaxant properties soothe pitta’s agitated mind. Blue Vervain is a specific remedy for when the fire and wind elements combine to create a negative feedback loop or when “there is a fire beneath the wind.” This can look like nervousness and anxiety leading to a high drive, burnout, and exhaustion. 

From the physiomedicalist perspective, Blue Vervain balances the wind/tension tissue state. This pattern can be boiled down to two words: elevated vāta. When there is wind/tension, there is psychological and mental tension combined with cramping and pain. Through its relaxant effects, Blue Vervain balances this tissue state.

Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Blue Vervain

Although modern herbalists make flower essences using all sorts of herbs, Blue Vervain was one of the original Bach flower essence remedies. This herb has a specific indication for people with mental excess who get stuck in their heads, think too much, and are extremely driven. Despite feeling burned out and exhausted, the Blue Vervain archetype keeps pushing forward. In the words of Matthew Wood, “Blue Vervain is for the avid listmaker.” This person always has their to-do list and is adding yet another item to it. They tend to be really hard on themselves, and because they have such high ideals, they end up being hard on others since they expect to live up to the nearly impossible standards they set for themselves. This pattern commonly leads to conflict in relationships. “Rest” is an unspoken word, and the burnout they feel leads to psychological and physical tension with patterns of nervousness, anxiety, and exhaustion. 

I like to think of the Blue Vervain person as someone with an excess of wind and fire. Their minds are running a million miles a second with all the stuff they have to do, all of which is striving towards some lofty goal or accomplishment. They don’t take care of themselves and might push themselves past their limits… perhaps fueled by an excess of caffeine, which surely doesn’t help their situation. That excess of wind fuels the fire, and the fire whirls the winds, and a vicious cycle begins until they just completely burn themselves out. In this way, it is the perfect remedy for the overworked and burned-out. 

Blue Vervain’s Alchemical Correspondences

Astrologically, I place Blue Vervain under the domain of Venus. You can view this correspondence as having a dainty, graceful morphology, relaxant effects on the wind/tension tissue state, affinity for the female reproductive system, and an overall softening influence on the mind and body. 

Venus is known as “the great relaxant” in medical astrology. When you have an excess of Venus in your chart or constitution, your tissues may be overly lax and leak fluids, tending towards the damp/relaxation tissue state. Alternatively, your muscles may be tight and contracted if you have a Venus deficiency. With its antispasmodic actions, Blue Vervain works as a sympathetic Venusian remedy to ease tension in the body and mind. 

Because the Blue Vervain archetype is so rigid, they can struggle quite a bit in their relationships, as they tend to project unrealistic ideals onto the people in their lives. Additionally, they can have difficulty accepting people for who they are rather than for how they want them to be. Since Venus, the planet of relationships, rules Blue Vervain, it can introduce a sense of ease and relaxation into the way you relate to others. 

Lastly, Blue Vervain is a specific remedy for the female anatomical reproductive system and supports menstrual and menopausal complaints. In a way, you can see that Blue Vervain is a Venusian remedy that balances an excess Mars. This is exemplified by its cooling and relaxant effects on fevers, psychological irritation, hot flashes, and its ability to mellow fiery, driven dispositions prone to exhaustion. 

The Air Element rules Blue Vervain, as evidenced by its morphology, herbal actions, energetics, and tissue-state affinities. Morphologically, Blue Vervain is tall, skinny, and spindly. Its upward movement indicates its psychological application for mental excesses: overthinking, rumination, and mental stress. 

Blue Vervain is a nervine sedative with a clear effect on the mental and psychospiritual faculties. An interesting doctrine of signatures that allude to this property is Blue Vervain’s purple flowers, which are associated with the top of the head, crown chakra, brain, mind, and general higher centers. You can also see its correlations to the Air Element through its ability to modulate excess Wind (vāta) in the body and mind through its relaxant and antispasmodic effects, as well as its affinity for the nervous system.

Growing Blue Vervain

Blue Vervain is in the Verbenaceae family and is native to North America. This medicinal herb grows well in cool climates and can be found in parts of the United States and Canada. Verbena officinalis is native to Europe and has a longstanding history there as well. Blue Vervain has a thin square stem and flowers that gather into a narrow cone-like shape at the top. This plant is beautiful, hardy, and easy to grow, making it the perfect medicinal herb to add to your garden. 

You can grow Blue Vervain from root cuttings or seeds. If you prefer to use the root, wait until the fall to cut the plant back and divide the roots for future propagation. If you would rather grow Blue Vervain from seed, sow them in early spring so they can undergo cold stratification. This helps “wake” the seeds up and prime them for healthy growth later in the season. Because Blue Vervain self-seeds, you will likely find flowers popping up around your garden the following year. 

The medicinal parts of Blue Vervain are the aerial parts, the leaves and flowers. To prepare a plant medicine using Blue Vervain, simply pick the leaves and flowers, then proceed with your preparation. 

How to Prepare Blue Vervain

Because Blue Vervain tastes so bitter, it is best prepared as a fresh or dry tincture. However, if you choose to dry the plant, ensure it doesn’t get too hot, as the medicinal compounds will degrade and lose their potency. 

To prepare a tincture of fresh Blue Vervain, use 60% alcohol. For a dry tincture, use 40-50% alcohol. Because it is so incredibly bitter, it can upset the stomach in large doses. If this occurs, simply lower the dosage. Blue Vervain is an emmenagogue herb and is thus contraindicated during pregnancy. 

From its tall, rigid stance in the garden to its acrid taste and spasmolytic action, Blue Vervain is incredibly useful for tension. Whether you struggle with mental rumination, a tense, frozen neck, or an inability to slow down and rest, Blue Vervain teaches you that you do not have to work until your tank is empty. Rather, it is with a full cup that you can experience the daily joy and peace life has to offer, all while reaching your goals. 

A Formula for Overwork and Stress

20% Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) 

20% Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

20%  Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

20% Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) 

20% Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) 

This formula combines mild adaptogenic plants that help restore vital force with specific nervines that regulate the nervous system to promote calm and relaxation. 

Blue Vervain, Chamomile, and Agrimony settle tension and nervousness, while Ashwagandha and Shatavari replenish the endocrine system and strengthen vitality. This formula is indicated when you feel burned out, exhausted, and tired from a busy mind and busy life. Take 30 drops 3 times a day and adjust dosage as needed. 

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FAQ for Blue Vervain

What is Blue Vervain used for?

Blue Vervain is traditionally used to ease nervous and muscular tension, especially when stress, overwork, or rumination play a strong role.

Who may benefit most from Blue Vervain?
It is especially suited to driven, exhausted people who struggle to slow down, rest, or release physical tension.

Can Blue Vervain help with neck tension and headaches?

Yes. Traditionally, it is used for stiff shoulders, neck tension, TMJ, and tension headaches that begin at the nape of the neck.

Is Blue Vervain sedating?

No. It is considered a nervine sedative, yet it may be used during the day to support calm focus without necessarily causing drowsiness.

What does Blue Vervain taste like?

It is strongly bitter and acrid, which translates into its medicinal actions. However, large amounts may cause nausea or mild stomach upset.

What is the best way to prepare Blue Vervain?

A tincture is often preferred because the tea is intensely bitter. Fresh plant tinctures are commonly made with 60% alcohol.

Can Blue Vervain be used during pregnancy?

No. Blue vervain is an emmenagogue and is contraindicated during pregnancy.

Can I grow Blue Vervain at home?

Yes. This hardy North American herb grows well in cool climates and can be propagated from seed or root divisions.