Tanacetum vulgare

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a perennial herbaceous plant with yellow flowers and finely cut foliage. Easy to grow in pots or in the ground, this fragrant plant is very useful in the vegetable garden where it will repel many insects and has fungicidal properties to help fight against mildew, rust, and cabbage fly. Plant in spring or autumn.

Tansy is a robust perennial plant that grows in the wild along country paths. It is decorative and useful in the vegetable garden, orchard, and ornamental garden. Its upright stems bear finely cut, dark green foliage. Belonging to the Asteraceae family (formerly Compositae), Tansy produces small tubular, bright yellow heads of flowers in summer.

Its leaves and flowers are particularly fragrant and repel many insects (flies, ladybugs, ants, mosquitoes, etc.). Its repellent effect can be used by placing Tansy near sensitive plants or by spraying plants with a Tansy infusion. Tandy also has fungicidal properties, helping to fight against powdery mildew in particular. Different preparations can be made from fresh or dried leaves or flowers.

The repellent effect of Tansy is also useful in the home. You can prepare small dried bouquets to put in a wardrobe to repel moths. Dried leaves can also be placed in the lining of pet baskets (without being in contact with the animal) to repel fleas and ticks.

Let's not forget the decorative aspect of Tansy, whose fresh or dried flowers will brighten up your bouquets.

In the vegetable garden, Tansy spreads quite rapidly thanks to its trailing rhizomes. You can grow it in pots to control its spread or cut off the shoots if grown in the ground. It is a hardy plant down to -15°C (5°F) and requires little maintenance.

Harvesting: Harvest the leaves as needed, before flowering, by cutting the stems to promote new shoots. Pick the flowers in September.

Storage: Tansy can be used fresh or dried. For drying, hang the bunches of stems upside down in a dry, dark, and well-ventilated place, then store them in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: Tansy infusion is used to fight against mildew, rust, and cabbage fly. In a non-metallic container, put 2 kg of chopped fresh whole plant in 10L of rainwater. Cover and stir daily. After several days, when small bubbles disappear, filter the liquid. Dilute at 10% and spray.