LILY OF THE VALLEY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF LILY OF THE VALLEY

LILY OF THE VALLEY, MAY LILY, CONVALLARIA MAJALIS

Lily of the valley is known by many names including Jacob’s Ladder, as the bell shaped flowers form a ladder shape at the top of the stem. They normally flower in May, in the UK which is why they are sometimes called May Lilies, although they have been known to flower earlier than this. Some people rather fancifully, call them Fairy Cups, as the delicate flowers could be used by fairies as cups, and some people call them Our Lady’s Tears. Their red berries are poisonous and should not be ingested. Modern medical science also warns about this plant and it should only be used under the direction of a qualified homoeopathist as an overdose can cause cardiac failure.

   Stems grow to a height of between 15 and 30 centimetres and the leaves can be 10 to 25 centimetres long. There are between 5 and 15 flowers on the stem, and these are pollinated by bees and then develop into red berries. It is native to Europe, North Asia and the eastern US.

  The most potent part of the plant is the leaf, but the flower and root are the parts mostly used especially in tisanes, to relieve fevers, and as a diuretic, a sedative and as an emetic. A root ointment has traditionally been used on burns to prevent scarring. It was used in mediaeval times instead of foxglove as it is less likely to cause poisoning, and has similar properties to digitalis found in those flowers. It is safer for the elderly with heart problems than foxglove remedies, and it has been used for cardiac problems for centuries.

   In aromatherapy the essential oil is used to lift depression and create a feeling of well-being; it is also believed to improve the cognitive processes and can, it is claimed, help counter the effects of ageing of the brain. The substance which is similar to digitalis in its effects is convallamarin, and the asparagin in the plant is responsible for its diuretic action. The bioflavonoids in the plant stimulate the arteries, and are good to lower blood pressure.

   In Culpeper’s time lilies of the valley grew on Hampstead Heath, but I doubt they can be found there now. There is a legend that comes from southern England which states that lilies of the valley grew from the blood of St. Leonard who fought a long, hard battle with a dragon in the woods at Horsham, Surrey. Another legend says that the fragrance of the flowers attracts the nightingale which finds its mate in groves and woods where the flowers bloom.

   Lilies of the valley were known to Apuleius in the 4^th century AD and a Greek myth states that Apollo found the plant and gave it to the physician Aesculapius. The whole plant is gathered when the flowers are blooming and dried together with the flowers on the stalk. The plant was used for soldiers of the First World War who had come into contact with poisonous gas.

   A decoction of the flowers (½ an ounce boiled for 20 mins in a pint water) has been used for obstructions in the urinary tract and is said to be effective. The British herbalists, such as Gerard and Culpeper believed that the distilled water of the flowers, called Aqua aurea (golden water) was a cure all. Coles, writing in 1657 recommended that the flowers be steeped in new wine for a month and then distilled three times, as the ensuing water was “more precious then gold” especially for apoplexy especially if mixed with six “grains of Pepper and a little Lavender water”; this was supposed to be effective for a month.

   Prior to that in 1560 Dodoens said that this same water “doth strengthen the Memorie and comforteth the Harte.” Gerard had yet another way of making lily of the valley water: “a glasse being filled with the flowers of May Lilies and set in an Ant Hill with the mouth close stopped for a month’s space and then taken out, ye shall find a liquor in the glass which being outwardly applied, helps the gout very much.” This was also used externally for rheumatism and sprains. The bruised root was boiled in wine and used in cases of fever.

  Culpeper of course, had something to say about these flowers, and the last word goes to him.

“It without doubt strengthens the brain and renovates a weak memory. The distilled water dropped into the eyes helps inflammation thereof. The spirit of the flowers distilled in wine, restoreth lost speech. Helps the palsy, is extremely good in the apoplexy, comforteth the heart and vital spirits.”

WHAT IS COMMON BARBERRY? RASOUT: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF COMMON BARBERRY

COMMON BARBERRY, EUROPEAN BARBERRY BERBERIS VULGARIS

The common barberry is native to the British Isles, most of Europe and North Africa and temperate Asia, and grows in Pakistan along with Berberis lycicum and has similar properties to it and Berberis aristata. However it has red, not blue black berries, which are oblong and slightly rounded. In Urdu it is called Rasout and Kwarai in Pashto. The Common Barberry grows to a height of about 8 to10 feet, and has a woody stem the colour of ash, the outer covering of which is shaved off and dried, either on trays in the sun outdoors or threaded and strung across a room which is airy and gets direct sunlight.

   It is a sensitive plant, though not in the same way as Tickle Me or Wood Sorrel, its stamens move away from the petals and close to the pistil. When bees try to get their nectar, they trigger the mechanism and the anther strikes the stigma which releases pollen. In the UK it was common to see the Common Barberry in copses and hedges, but farmers didn’t like it because it is sometimes host to the rust fungus, and they believed that it would infect their crops, particularly wheat. It used to be cultivated for its fruit, which has a pleasant, acidic taste, and in the 16^th century, Gerard tells is that its leaves were used “to season meat with and instead of salad.” Birds, pigs and horses tend to avoid it because of its acidity, but it’s a bee and butterfly plant. In this respect it is rather like tamarind or imli.

  The fruit was used in sweet dishes and Rouen in France was renowned for its Confiture d’ epine vinette. The Victorian cook, Mrs. Beeton recommends the berries as garnishes “The berries arranged on bunches of nice curled parsley, make an exceedingly pretty garnish for supper dishes particularly for white meats…”

   The roots, when boiled with lye make a yellow dye used in Poland for colouring leather and elsewhere for dying wool. If you chew the stem bark it will turn your saliva yellow, as does turmeric. In fact it has similar medicinal properties to turmeric (haldi). In Italy it is called Holy Thorn as it is believed that it was the Crown of thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion. Other trees also have the same thorns on their branches and have been given similar names, for example, the hawthorn.

   It has been used in medicine for at least 2,500 years in all countries where it grows, and the leaves are used to treat jaundice, and in Iran it is valued for its effects on the gallbladder. The berries contain malic acid and vitamin C and so far 22 alkaloids have been identified in these plants which are thought to be of medical importance, but they are still being investigated. So far it has been suggested that it may help with erectile dysfunctions as it has potent antioxidant properties because of the flavonoids it contains, and it is beneficial to the veins and arteries in general.

   You can make a jelly with the fruit using the same quantity of sugar as fruit and as it contains pectin it doesn’t need any to be added. (See recipe for plum jam and when it has cooled a little, strain through muslin or cheesecloth into sterile glass jars.) This aids digestion and helps relieve sore throats, although a gargle made from a syrup made from the berries can be diluted and also used in this way. It contains berbamine, which has positive effects on the cardio-vascular system, and is deemed to be good for arrhythmia, angina pectoris and other heart problems. Berberine is also found in this plant and this is has anti-bacterial properties and may be helpful in boosting the functions of the immune system and could aid digestion and prevent epileptic fits and convulsions. It may also be effective against candida and inflammation in the urinary tract.

  The Common barberry also regulates blood pressure and is used in Pakistan for morning sickness during pregnancy. In traditional medicine it is used on the skin to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis, and it is believed that it can help reduce the effects of aging on the brain. In homeopathy it is sometimes used for gall stones and other gall bladder problems. Like the Indian Barberry and the berberry it is also known to assist the liver and is given in cases of jaundice. The infusion of the leaves is used to relieve bronchial problems including asthma and coughs, and a tincture made from them has been used for snake bites, rheumatism and sciatica.

    In Europe the powdered root bark has traditionally been used to cure dyspepsia and aid digestion, as well as to stop sickness and diarrhoea. It is thought that the daily dose for jaundice and general debility and sickness is ¼ tsp of powdered bark taken 3 or 4 times a day. The tisane from the bark or leaves may be used as an antiseptic, as can the fruit as it has astringent properties.

   It can also be used in the same ways as the Indian Berberry.

MORELLO CHERRIES OR SOUR CHERRIES: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF MORELLO CHERRIES: CHERRIES JUBILEE RECIPE

MORELLO CHERRIES, SOUR CHERRIES, PRUNUS CERASUS

There are many varieties of morello cherries or sour cherries and some of the most famous are the English morello cherries. The other variety of sour cherry is the amarelle but these are a paler colour than morellos which are black, with dark red flesh. They have a tart flavour in comparison to the red sweet cherries, Prunus avium (meaning bird’s plums). They are soft, succulent and used in preserves, tarts, Black Forest gateau and kirsch, among other things. It is thought that the word, kirsch comes from the Mesopotamian word “ karshu” where the first cultivated cherries grew in the 8^th century BC.  Like the sweet cherry they are members of the rose family and a relation of the plum.

   The name, cerasus, shows the origin of these cherries, which was Cerasus on the black Sea coast in what is now Turkey, and the name has changed to Gireson. Cerasus was famous for its cherries in ancient Greece, but it is believed that the Romans took cherries to Britain from Persia in the first century AD. Legend has it that you can trace the old Roman roads by the wild cherry trees, as soldiers in the Roman legions spat out the cherry stones as they marched.  

   The sour cherry tree is much hardier than the red cherry tree as it can withstand extremes in temperatures and as it flowers later the fruit is less likely to be harmed by frost.

  In the Middle Ages cherries were widely grown in monastery and private gardens and it is only in recent years that the cherry trees have suffered a decline in Britain which now imports the majority of cherries consumed there.

   Cherry juice is extremely beneficial for us and tastes good, unlike beetroot juice which is something of an acquired taste. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and a rich in B-complex vitamins and vitamin C and also contain vitamin A and are rich in the minerals phosphorous and calcium. They also contain iron and if you drink a glass of morello cherry juice every day you will ensure the healthy functioning of the gall bladder and liver. The anthocyans they contain can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours and can slow cardiovascular disease.

   The poet A.E. Housman (1859-1936) was born in Worcestershire and would have seen many flowering morello cherry trees. He wrote these lines: -

     Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Morello-Cherry-Flower

     Is hung with bloom along the bough

     And stands about the woodland ride

     Wearing white for Eastertide.”

Cherries were the inspiration for Robert Herrick (1591-1674) the poet who wrote the lines which were set to music in the 19^th century.

    “Cherry ripe! Cherry Ripe,

     Cherry ripe I cry,

     Come fools and fair ones, come and buy.”                                                            The cherry was seen as a symbol for the hymen and virginity, so this particular poem has a double meaning which it would seem the staid Victorians had not realized, as the song became very popular - or maybe they weren’t as prudish as we believe. Cherry trees have also been seen as symbols of fertility and at one time there was a superstition that if a woman who had just given birth ate the first cherry from a tree, the tree would yield a very good crop for its owner. In Elizabethan times and later, the stones from cherries were heated and put in bed pans to warm beds. As the tree bark and stems of cherries smell faintly of almonds, the stones would probably also have had this aroma which was left on warm bed sheets.

   Of course Anton Chekhov wrote a play called “The Cherry Orchard” which used the symbolism of the cherry.

   The recipe below was created by the famous chef, Escoffier on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.

CHERRIES JUBILEE

Ingredients

2 lbs morello cherries, pitted

¼ pint morello cherry juice

½ cup sugar

3 tbsps butter

½ cup kirsch or cherry brandy

grated zest of ½ an orange (optional)

grated zest of  1 lemon (optional)

Method

Put the cherries, juice and sugar in a pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. (3-5mins)

Add the butter and stir until it has melted and is thoroughly mixed into the liquid.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the kirsch then return to a medium heat and bring to the boil.

Put ice cream into bowls and top with the cherry mixture and serve immediately.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

ASH TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS , USES AND HISTORY OF ASH TREE

THE ASH TREE, FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR

The ash tree is the fourth most common tree in Britain and can sometimes be the most prevalent species in a wood. It grows across Europe from the Arctic Circle to Turkey and also grows in the Himalayas. It is Yggdrasil of Scandinavian mythology, the Tree of the World which has its roots in Hell and touches Heaven, and is also known as Tree of Rebirth and Healing. It was one of the three sacred trees of the Druids, along with the oak and the hawthorn. Despite the similarity of names, the ash tree is a relative of the olive tree, but not of the Mountain ash or rowan.

   The fruit of the ash tree comes in the form of seeds which are encased and hang from the trees; these are called keys in the UK and children often call them aeroplanes because they fly well on a breeze. The bark is pale grey with lattice-like ridges and fissures. When cut it exudes a sap which the ancient Greeks called “meli” or honey as it is sweet, being made up of natural sugars. This was sold for medicinal purposes under the name of Manna until the start of the 20^th century. (This species of ash tree is Fraxinus ornus and grows on mountains in Greece.) In times past in Britain, newborn babies were given a spoonful of this substance and after that they and the ash tree from which the sap came were thought to be related. The health of the ash tree and the human relative were thought to be identical, so the person whose tree it was would protect it so that no harm came to him or her.

Ash keys

   The Anglo-Saxons, ancient Greeks and Romans used the ash for their spears (the Anglo-Saxon name for the tree, aesc means spear) and handles of their shields, as it is shock resistant. For this reason it was used to make the chassis frame of classic Morgan cars in Britain, and during World War II wings of the De Haviland Mosquito plane were made from this wood. It has also been used to make walking sticks and is still used to make furniture. The Romans and Anglo-Saxons used the wood for tool handles and to make agricultural implements. It is used to make oars and sports equipment such as hockey sticks, and it is thought that the Druids used it to make their wands.

   There have been many medicinal uses of the ash tree, and some involved using the whole tree; for example a child with rickets or a broken limb would be passed through a cloven tree, naked, in a ritual ceremony, to heal the affliction. Ash trees seem prone to lightning strikes, so trees can be found struck in two. They were thought to be good to plant outside houses to protect them from lightning. The tree can live for over a hundred years and although they usually have a girth of 5 to 6 feet, can be as big as 20 feet in diameter. They are usually between 30 and 50 feet tall, but sometimes grow to around 70 or 90 feet. Some have achieved a dizzying 135 feet. They kill most vegetation growing under them though, rather as does the banyan tree among others.

Ash flower

   William Gilpin (1724-1804) called the ash tree “the Venus of the Woods” and the English poet Spenser says the ash is “for nothing ill.” Indeed it was believed to have many medicinal properties, as the bark and bark of the root have astringent properties, and have been used in decoctions to help in fevers, to remove obstructions in the liver and spleen and for rheumatism and arthritis. The leaves (which according to tradition should be gathered in June and dried then powdered and kept in an air tight container to last for a year as will the seeds) are diuretic and diaphoretic, so promote sweating, and have been used for their purgative qualities and as a cure for jaundice. An infusion can be made from 1 ounce of the bark to 1 pint of boiling water, leave this to stand for 20 minutes and then strain, and use as a diuretic or to promote sweat. Distilled water made with the leaves was used for weight loss and given in cases of obesity, and “dropsy” and with white wine were thought to dissolve kidney stones.

Ash keys

  Culpeper recommends that the seeds should be extracted from the seeds: “the kernels within the husks commonly called keys…prevaileth against stitches in the side.” The keys were said to relieve flatulence and John Evelyn (1620-1706) recommended them as a substitute for capers in salads and sauces if they were preserved in salt and vinegar: - “Ashen keys have the virtue of capers.”

    Gerard says this of the ash: -

     “The juice of the leaves or the leaves themselves being applied or taken with wine cure the bitings of  vipers, as Dioscorides saith ‘The leaves of this tree are of so greate virtue against serpents so that they dare not so much as touch the morning and evening shadows of the tree, but shun them afar off as Pliny reports.’”

    The Physicians of Myddfai had this recipe to cure deafness:

      “Take a ram’s urine, and eel’s bile and the juice of ash, expressing the same into the ear and about the tooth. The actual cautery should be applied behind the ear and angle of the jaw, a nut being inserted therein. This is a good plan.”

 That, of course is for you to decide!

     Traditionally the ash tree’s bark, roots and leaves have been used to treat cancerous growths that are external, as pain killers, anti-inflammatory for gout, rheumatism and arthritis, and to get rid of intestinal worms.

     Modern medical research has shown that the seed extract can be used in the future to help in the treatment of diabetes, as well as to regulate uric acid in the blood so it can be used in the treatment of gout. Fraxtin, a bioflavonoid found in the tree has strong antioxidant properties, and a secoiridoid glycoside in the tree, Excelsioside, has exhibited free radical scavenging activities, so will combat the growth of cancer cells. It also contains quercetin, another bioflavonoid with antioxidant properties, and oleuropein which is also present in olive oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties, is cardio-protective and also has anti-cancer, antimicrobial anti-artherogenic, and antiviral qualities.

   There is an old saying about the oak and the ash trees:

    “Oak before Ash, in for a splash

    Ash before Oak, in for a soak,”

This means that if the oak flowers before the ash tree it won’t be a wet summer, but if the ash flowers before the oak then it will be wet.

  There are several songs about the ash tree, including the traditional Welsh song, The Ash Grove, (Llwyn Onnan) which is about a grieving lover roaming the ash grove where his love is buried. The first verse goes like this:

Ash flower

  “Down yonder green valley where streamlets meander

   When twilight is fading I pensively rove,

   Or at the bright noontide in solitude wander

   Amid the dark shade of the lonely ash grove.”

Then there is the more cheerful, although still nostalgic traditional song,

   “The Oak and the Ash and the Ivy tree

     Oh, they flourished best at hame in the north countrie.”

  It is also said that you will have prophetic or psychic dreams if you sleep with a handful of Ash leaves under your pillow.