Melilot

History and Uses:
Melilot is widely used as animal forage, ground cover and herbal medicine. These leguminous herbs are indigenous to Europe, Asia and North Africa, but they now are widely naturalized in North America. This plant was brought to the United States by early settlers, probably sometime in the 1600s. There are both annual and biennial types of Melilot. Yellow Melilot and White Melilot attract bees to their fragrant blossoms and are thus known as honey plants, and the plant is a principal flavoring ingredient in a particular greenish variety of Swiss cheese. The leaves of White Melilot have a vanilla-like fragrance when crushed and can be used as a flavoring agent. The seeds are eaten by upland gamebirds such as grouse. In folk medicine, Melilot has been used as a diuretic, and homeopathic practitioners recommend it for the relief of headaches. The part of this herb used medicinally is the flowering above-ground portion. It contains trace amounts of coumarin, the active ingredient in blood-thinning prescription drugs. Melilot is said to reduce inflammation and swelling by increasing the amount of blood that flows through the veins back toward the heart. Its wound-healing properties have been confirmed in animal experiments, and it is considered a good alternative when treating bruises (externally), hemorrhoids and poor circulation in the veins, particularly when accompanied by pain, heaviness, night cramps, itching and swelling in the legs. It has also been used as a tea for congestion of the lymph system.