Tanecetum vulgare

A hardy perennial with aromatic green leaves and clusters of yellow flowers, which have given it its common name of "buttons". It has a hot, bitter, though not unpleasant, taste. It is one of the taller herbs, reaching a height of 3-4 ft. It will thrive in most types of soil and grows wild in many places. If growing wild, tansy will be eaten by cows and sheep, but horses and goats will not touch it.

Uses: Although an essential ingredient in many recipes dating from Elizatethan times, tansy is no longer widely used in cooking and is now grown mainly for decorative purposes. Its name is derived from the Greek for "immortal", probably because its flowers last for so long. In Finland tansy is used to produce green dye.

Legends: Tansy has an old connection with Easter, when tansy cakes were made from the young leaves and were eaten to sweeten body odors resulting from the limited food eaten during Lent. Tansy was one of the herbs used for strewing in the sixteenth century.

"In their blooming season, he liked a few marigold heads in his mutton broth, and tansy glowers in his rice pudding."
Still Glides The Stream - Flora Thompson