(Medicago sativa) Family: Fabaceae
Also known as: Hay (Most often) or Buffalo Herb, Lucerne, Purple Medic and Sanfoin
Also included in “The Medicinal Jungle, Volume II”
Origin: South-central Asia
Well, we can “hit the hay,” “roll in the hay” and “make hay while the sun shines,” but eat – let alone medicate from – hay? And, rather irreverently, what was Groucho Marx’s acerbic observation – terribly sexist and socially inappropriate for some these days, I’m sure – “Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse!”
Regardless of the manner about which it is euphemistically or jokingly spoken, in all reality, Hay (Read: Alfalfa) is recognized as a very valuable, domesticated, forage crop.
The earliest clear reference to Alfalfa is its use over 6,000 years ago in Iran. Later, Turkish writings dating from 1300 B.C. were uncovered discussing its employment.
Appropriately, by the way, its name comes from Arabic words meaning “best forage,” “best horse fodder,” or “horsepower” – it depends upon one’s translator, apparently!
It was important to the Babylonian, Greek, Persian, and Roman empires due to its role in supporting horse-drawn chariots. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors brought it to the Americas, where it soon came to thrive in Mexico and Peru.
Later, Catholic missionaries introduced it to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California. Interestingly, during the Gold Rush, in that latter State, Alfalfa became a more lucrative enterprise for many than did panning for gold!
But more than being a simple food source, the plant itself serves a multitude of valuable services, such as: A symbiotic relationship with bacteria in its root nodules, allowing it to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and enrich the soil (This is why farmers often rotate their field crops with it every three or four years).
However, it’s more than fodder, food, and fuel for cows, goats, horses, and sheep, along with guinea pigs and rabbits, as well as some zoo residents like giraffes and tapirs. Just stop and think – the very species of mammal biped reading this information, right now, eats it as well!
Alfalfa sprouts are considered by many to be a superfood as they are high in protein and contain all the essential amino acids needed by humans. They’re also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, and K, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Fresh Alfalfa sprouts are commonly added to our salads, sandwiches, soups, and toasts, or ingested as a tea. (Though, those with autoimmune conditions, hormone-sensitive cancers, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should probably not consume it.)
But what about its ethnobotanical applications? In actuality, there are several. Over a great many years, it has traditionally been consumed by humans for its various medicinal properties, such as for the treatment of asthma, bladder misbehavior, boils, cancer, diabetes, fever, high cholesterol, indigestion, kidney difficulties, and upset stomach. Traditional Chinese medicine uses Alfalfa for sinus-clearing during allergy season, while other cultures use it in salves and balms for wound healing.
It’s been used for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and an excessive bleeding or bruising disorder called thrombocytopenic purpura – A condition in which platelets (blood cells that cause blood clots to form) are destroyed by the immune system.
The leaves are used to lower cholesterol while its seeds may be taken as well – for an array of kidney, prostate, and urinary tract ailments.
Nifty Nuggets of Alfalfa Knowledge: In Victorian England, its coiled seed pods were sometimes pickled and added to salads as “snails.”
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew a few acres of Alfalfa on their farms, but it wasn’t widely grown in the United States until 1849.
Growing up to thirty-six inches tall, the other direction, their roots often reach downward from 15 to 20 feet; a legume, like beans, peanuts, and peas, its deep root system helps prevent soil erosion and improves soil structure; its flowers are bees’ favorite for making honey; well-managed Alfalfa fields can typically produce three to five good crop cuttings in a single growing season, continuing growth for 25 years; its fields provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife, including – I’ve read – over 130 bird species; and, Alfalfa sprouts are very easy to grow at home, requiring minimal attention, effort, and equipment.
“When next you pass a hay bale stack, give it an appreciative nod of respect!”
