If there is one plant we would particularly recommend to the fairer half of humanity, it would be yellow-green alchemilla , which is also known as the ‘women’s cloak’ due to its effects . It has long been used to treat the menopause and period pain, as well as to strengthen the uterus during pregnancy. Do not use it during the first trimester; it is recommended for use only in the second half of pregnancy. Its name derives from the Arabic word al-kīmiya. Alchemists attempted to produce gold by transforming various metals, but also incredibly ordinary objects. One of the secret ingredients in the production of gold was water, trapped in the leaves of this little plant. As far as we know, it didn’t work... What will certainly help, however, is tea made from this plant. Here, we recognise three types of alchemilla: common, yellow-green and soft. All have medicinal properties. In the wild, droplets of water often appear on the leaves of alchemilla – this is known as the ‘lotus effect’. Its leaves are hydrophobic – they prevent water