Costmary

Costmary (i.e. costus or aromatic plant of the Virgin Mary), or ALE-COST (Balsamita vulgaris), is a herbaceous perennial composite of southern Europe. It was introduced from Italy in 1568, and is cultivated in gardens (as in Britain, and in the United States) for the fragrance of the leaves. The leaves were formerly put into ale and negus, and are still occasionally used by the French in salads.