Epilobium Angustifolium: Roadside Weed or Remarkable Healing Herb?

Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium), a member of the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) plant family, is an herbaceous prairie perennial native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. A highly attractive plant, Rosebay Willowherb grows anywhere between 1½ - 8 feet and can easily be identified growing in abundance along roadsides and other open areas of northern United States and Canada.

Another name for Rosebay Willowherb is Canadian Willowherb or ‘Fireweed’, derived from the plant’s tendency to quickly colonize and reclaim disturbed ground in open areas, especially those areas which have been cleared through forest fires.

Though rarely, if at all, used in conventional herbalism – in fact usually considered a 'weed' - this remarkable herb has a long history of use as both a food and a remedial herb. In fact it was used by Native Americans and early settlers as a nutritious vegetable, and externally as a remedy for burns and skin conditions. It was also prescribed for gastric upsets and bronchial complaints.

What makes this plant useful in the world of organic skin care today is its remarkable anti-irritant properties. Indeed, modern scientific research of Rosebay Willowherb extract has shown it to have an unusual chemical make-up, including a compound known as Oenothein-B, which gives the plant very powerful anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties – far greater than other well known plant species, for example, Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis).

In addition, Rosebay Willowherb extracts have shown promising anti-acne properties and analysis is still underway to determine more precisely its potency in the treatment of this skin condition.

Rosebay Willowherb has quite remarkably remained 'under the radar' from today’s phytomedicine communities, yet its active constituents have received positive scientific validation and product manufacturers have been extracting the active constituent for use as a functional anti-inflammatory ingredient in a number of conventional personal care products (eg. baby wipes) and topical pharmaceutical applications.

However, according to Deanna Vazquez, founder of Alchemilla - an organic skin care company in Oregon who grow and use Rosebay Willowherb on their biodynamic herb farm: "Isolating a single active compound from a plant's chemistry and placing it in a product is not harnessing its fullest healing potential."

Herbalists also believe there are higher risks of side effects when isolating a plant's active constituents for remedial application. "As with internal herbal medicine, topical herbal medicine should be prepared using whole plant extracts as a superior, more potent form of healing with less probability of side effects.", explains Deanna.

Alchemilla's Rosebay Willowherb Cream is no exception. The plant extract is kept intact and included in high concentrations to create an effective and organic anti-irritant herbal cream. Alchemilla also reports that their Biodynamic growing methods and gentle, solar-based extraction process enables them to capture and preserve the most potent healing potential of the herb for the benefit of those with irritated, reactive or sensitive skin.

Scientists and herbalists could probably debate the single constituent/whole plant theory until they are blue in the face, however one thing for sure is that Rosebay Willowherb is a powerful anti-irritant and has even been considered as “nature’s alternative to hydrocortisone”.

For more information about Rosebay Willowherb and its applications in organic skin care, take a look at Alchemilla's herbarium or to check out details on Rosebay Willowherb Cream, visit their product pages.

© J Jones, 2008