Costmary

Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) is an old cottage-garden perennial with long, minty-balsamic scented leaves, historically used as a page-marker in Bibles — earning it the folk name "Bible leaf" for the pleasant scent it left on the pages. Its flavor is a distinctive mix of mint and camphor, rarely encountered in modern kitchens.

Growing Costmary

Costmary is a low-maintenance, spreading perennial that tolerates a range of soil conditions and needs little attention once established. It spreads by rhizomes and benefits from division every few years to keep the clump vigorous, given away readily since it rarely sets much viable seed on its own.

Traditional Uses

Historically, costmary leaves flavored ales before hops became standard, and a leaf tucked into a book was a common, pleasant-smelling bookmark. Its strong, somewhat bitter, minty-camphor flavor has fallen out of favor in modern cooking, though a small amount finely minced can season salads in the old cottage-garden style.