(Menyanthes trifoliata)
Buckbean (Bogbean or Bog Buckbean) is a green, glabrous plant with creeping rootstock and a ground-hugging stem. The stem varies in length according to the situation. The leaves grow out of these, and the leaflets are about 5 cm long and 2.5 cm broad.
It blooms from June to August on Mount Washington, Vancouver Island. The flowers reside on the tops of long stalks, up to 45 cm high, longer than the leaves, and clustered together in a thick, short spike, rendering them very conspicuous. The corollas, 2 cm across, are a rose colour towards the edge but white and hairy towards the center, and the stamens are reddish in colour. Buckbean flowers grow out of rhizomes that can be seen in high country bogs, just at the water’s edge.
Buckbean is one of the prettiest wildflowers in our mountain bogs, where it grows and thrives well; all in all, a very beautiful plant.
The Leaves are used to make tea, which was used locally to treat several medical conditions. It is best to pick and dry the leaves for use, as the fresh leaves can cause vomiting. The dried leaf or root tea was traditionally used as a digestive tonic and was also used to treat fevers. It also works well on rheumatism, liver ailments, worms, and skin diseases, as an astringent to stop bleeding.
The plant contains various anti-inflammatory compounds and works well for treating rheumatism. Dry the picked leaves and add 1 tbsp of dried leaves to 1 cup of hot water, steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and only drink 1 cup per day. To stimulate appetite, drink 1/2 cup about 30 minutes before eating. You can, if needed, sweeten the drink with honey to get past the bitter taste. You can make a cold treatment by letting 2 tsp of dried leaves stand in 1 cup of cold water for 8 hours, then use it like cough medicine.