6 Best Feverfew Bushes For Migraine Relief Gardens Old Herbalists Swear By

You’ve felt that familiar, unwelcome throb behind your eyes and thought, "There has to be something in the garden for this." For generations, old-timers have walked out to a specific, unassuming bush, plucked a few leaves, and found relief. That plant is feverfew, a humble but powerful ally against migraines that deserves a spot in any serious apothecary garden.

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Choosing Feverfew for Your Apothecary Garden

Not all feverfew is created equal, and that’s the first thing you need to know. The plant’s power lies in a compound called parthenolide, and its concentration can vary wildly between cultivars. Some varieties have been bred for showy flowers, while others retain the potent, almost bitter, medicinal qualities of the wild plant.

Your primary decision is a classic tradeoff: potency versus aesthetics. Are you planting feverfew strictly for its medicinal benefits, or do you also need it to pull its weight in an ornamental border? A variety with fluffy double flowers might look stunning, but it often sacrifices the potent components found in the simple, daisy-like blooms of its wilder cousins.

Don’t overlook its growth habit, either. Feverfew is a notorious self-seeder. For a hobby farmer with limited time, this can be a blessing (free plants!) or a curse (a weedy takeover). Choosing a less aggressive or even sterile variety might save you hours of weeding down the road, a practical consideration for any low-maintenance garden plan.

Classic Tanacetum parthenium for Potency

When herbalists talk about feverfew, this is the one they mean. The straight species, Tanacetum parthenium, is the unadorned, no-frills workhorse of the apothecary garden. It features simple, single-petaled, daisy-like flowers with a bright yellow center and finely cut, aromatic green leaves.

This isn’t the showiest plant in the garden. It can look a bit rangy and even weedy if you don’t keep it in check. But what it lacks in refined beauty, it makes up for in sheer reliability and medicinal value. This is the variety most often cited in traditional use and scientific studies for its high concentration of parthenolide.

Be prepared for its vigor. A single plant can quickly become a colony as it self-seeds with abandon. The trick is to either deadhead the flowers before they set seed or plant it in a spot where you don’t mind it naturalizing. If maximum potency is your only goal, this is your plant.

T. parthenium ‘Aureum’: The Golden Foliage Pick

If you want medicinal value with a serious ornamental punch, ‘Aureum’ is a top contender. Its defining feature is its brilliant chartreuse-yellow foliage, which is especially vibrant in the cool weather of spring. It provides a stunning pop of color that can brighten up any garden bed long before its classic white-and-yellow flowers appear.

The tradeoff here is a potential slight dip in potency. While ‘Aureum’ is still medicinally active, some herbalists maintain that the common green-leafed species is a bit more powerful. It’s a choice you have to make: are you willing to sacrifice a little medicinal punch for a plant that serves double duty as a beautiful landscape feature?

From a design perspective, this variety is incredibly useful. Use it as a contrasting foil for plants with dark purple or blue foliage. It looks fantastic planted in drifts and helps illuminate shadier parts of the garden, though it will produce the best flowers and maintain its brightest color in full sun.

T. parthenium ‘Plenum’ for Ornamental Double Blooms

Here’s where the balance tips firmly toward the ornamental. ‘Plenum’ is a popular variety known for its charming double flowers. Instead of a single ring of petals around a yellow disc, it produces fluffy, button-like white blooms that resemble tiny pom-poms.

This structural change is the key consideration for medicinal use. The valuable compounds in feverfew are concentrated in the yellow disc florets of the flower. In a double-flowered variety like ‘Plenum’, those disc florets are largely replaced by extra petals, which significantly reduces the flower’s medicinal value. You can still use the leaves, but you lose a key component.

On the plus side, ‘Plenum’ is often less aggressive in the garden. The modifications that create the double flowers can sometimes render the plant sterile or greatly reduce its ability to produce viable seed. For a gardener who dreads the rampant self-seeding of the classic species, this is a major benefit. It’s a beautiful, well-behaved plant, but think of it as an ornamental first and a medicinal herb second.

‘White Bonnet’: A Prolific Double-Flowered Bush

‘White Bonnet’ takes the double-flowered form and dials it up. It produces larger, fuller blooms than ‘Plenum’, with a distinct yellow center peeking through, giving it the look of a miniature anemone or shasta daisy. The plant itself is known for forming a dense, uniform, and incredibly prolific bush, often covered in a "bonnet" of white flowers.

This variety is an absolute powerhouse in a cottage garden or perennial border. Its tidy, mounding habit and sheer flower power make it a reliable performer that provides blooms for weeks on end. It’s a fantastic choice for cut flower arrangements, adding a delicate, airy texture.

However, the same caveat for all double-flowered types applies here. While beautiful, the focus is on petals, not the medicinally rich disc florets. If you’re building a garden where every plant must earn its keep with multiple uses, ‘White Bonnet’ is a beautiful but less potent choice for migraine relief. It’s the perfect pick if you want the look of feverfew with a more refined, less weedy presentation.

‘Snowball’: Compact and Button-Like Flowers

If you’re working with containers or need a neat, tidy plant for the front of a border, ‘Snowball’ (Schneeball) is an excellent choice. This is another double-flowered variety, but it’s prized for its compact, dwarf habit and perfectly round, button-like white flowers. It typically stays much shorter and more contained than the species.

Its small stature is a huge practical advantage. Classic feverfew can get leggy and flop over, requiring staking or support from neighboring plants. ‘Snowball’ remains a tight, tidy mound, making it a low-maintenance option for structured garden designs or for tucking into small spaces.

You’re making the same trade-off as with other doubles—sacrificing medicinal potency for ornamental form. But if space is your primary constraint, ‘Snowball’ allows you to enjoy the beauty and aroma of feverfew without it overwhelming a small bed or container. It’s a perfect example of choosing the right plant for the right spot.

‘Tetra White’: A Hardy, Single-Petal Variety

For the hobby farmer who wants the best of both worlds, ‘Tetra White’ is a standout. It maintains the simple, single-petal flower structure that is ideal for medicinal use, but it’s been bred for improved garden performance. It’s a robust, vigorous plant that’s a clear step up from the wild species.

The "Tetra" in its name refers to it being a tetraploid, meaning it has four sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two. In practical terms, this often results in a sturdier plant with thicker stems, larger leaves, and bigger flowers. This added vigor can make it more resilient to pests and weather, and more productive overall.

Think of ‘Tetra White’ as a refined workhorse. It delivers the high-potency profile of a single-flowered variety with the improved garden presence of a modern cultivar. It self-seeds less aggressively than the wild species but still provides a bountiful harvest. For a practical apothecary garden, this is arguably one of the best and most balanced choices you can make.

Harvesting and Drying Your Feverfew Leaves

Timing is the most critical factor in harvesting feverfew for medicinal use. You want to capture the leaves when the parthenolide content is at its highest. The best time is right as the flower buds are forming, just before they open.

The process itself is simple. Using clean snips, harvest the top third of the plant—leaves, stems, and unopened flower buds. Harvesting in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun gets too hot is ideal. Handle the cuttings gently to avoid bruising the leaves.

For drying, the old way is still the best way. Gather the stems into small, loose bundles and hang them upside down in a dark, dry place with good air circulation, like an attic or a shed. You can also lay them on a screen or use a food dehydrator on its lowest setting (below 100°F / 38°C). You’re aiming for "crispy dry," not "cooked."

Once the leaves crumble easily between your fingers, they’re ready. Strip the leaves and flower heads from the stems and store them in a labeled, airtight glass jar. Keep it in a dark cupboard away from heat and moisture. Properly dried and stored, your feverfew will retain its potency for a year, ready for whenever a headache looms.

Ultimately, the best feverfew for your garden depends on your priorities. Whether you choose the potent but wild classic, a showy but less medicinal double, or a balanced cultivar like ‘Tetra White’, you’re adding a historically significant and powerful plant to your personal apothecary. Pick the one that fits your space and your needs, and you’ll have a reliable herbal ally just a few steps from your door.