The plant commonly known as the tansy plant (Tanacetum vulgare) can offer many benefits to your garden once you know how to grow and care for this perennial flower. The yellow button-like flowers are simple yet lovely as it attracts pollinators while also being an insect repellent with a history of medicinal uses.
You can find Tanacetum vulgare growing in the wild in many places in North America. Some areas have labeled it as a noxious weed, but once you know how to prevent it from spreading, it really is an easy-to-grow perennial plant.
The derivation of the scientific name Tanacetum vulgare is interesting. Tanacetum comes from the Greek word athanasia, which means “no death” or immortal. This is because once you dry the flowers, they last for many years, and the plant can last a long time as well.
The tansy has a few negative aspects, as it’s sometimes considered an invasive weed and is potentially risky medically, but we can easily overcome these small hurdles with some knowledge and care. We hope to provide plenty of information and more within this common tansy guide while inspiring you to give this beautiful plant a home in your garden.
Good Products at Amazon for Growing Tansy Plant:
The tansy plant is an excellent attractor of pollinators. It is also known as common tansy, bitter buttons, golden buttons, or cow bitter, with the scientific name Tanacetum vulgare and belongs to the Asteraceae family. This plant can grow up to 3 to 5 feet tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, thriving in full sun and well-drained and fertile soil. Tansy is also drought-tolerant, making it a low-maintenance choice for gardening. However, it may be susceptible to pests such as aphids and spider mites, as well as diseases like leaf spot and powdery mildew.
Tanacetum vulgare boasts stunning flowers set against deep green foliage, as seen in the photo from n͏z_wi͏l͏l͏o͏wh͏e͏r͏b͏. If you’re growing tansy in a container, it should be repotted annually using an all-purpose potting soil with good drainage. While tansy can grow in poor soil, providing an ideal growing environment will ensure the healthiest plants.
You can start tansy seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, or sow them directly into the soil in the fall to allow the seed to cold stratify. If you let common tansy flower go to seed, it will self-seed aggressively, and you won’t need to worry about having enough of these flowers in your garden. However, remember that it will gradually spread and could easily take over. Also, remember that it spreads by underground rhizomes, so these plant clusters are easily divided in the fall.
Cut the plant back every spring to keep the tansy cluster full and compact. Harvest flowers throughout the season and deadhead the plant when flowers fade to prevent seeds from spreading. Dead-heading also encourages more flowers to bloom later in the season. To delay or prevent blooming and spreading, cut back the foliage clusters in late summer. The seed heads will last through the winter, so if you don’t want it to become invasive, cut the dead flowers before the cold season.
Take precautions when pruning tansy, always wear gloves when working with it. It contains a naturally occurring compound called thujone that can cause contact dermatitis in those sensitive to it.
These tansies have fully opened and matured into beautiful, fluffy flowers. Source: Dendroica cerulea
Question: What is tansy used for?
Answer: Tansy is primarily used as an ornamental plant to attract beneficial insects to your garden, repel flies, and accumulate potassium in the soil which can benefit surrounding plants. You can even bring fresh-cut or dried flowers into your home to keep bugs away.
Question: Are tansy flowers edible?
Answer: Historically, the yellow button-like flowers and fern-like leaves were used medicinally and as a culinary herb, even though they have a bitter flavor. Nevertheless, this plant contains a toxic oil that can cause convulsions, liver damage, and brain damage as well as contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. In the United States, this compound (thujone) is not allowed in food or alcoholic beverages, although tansy itself is sometimes used in alcohol as long as it is thujone-free. If consumed in large quantities, the flowers and leaves can be toxic and as such, we do not recommend eating it.