SWEET WOODRUFF - UNASSUMING LITTLE HERB: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SWEET WOODRUFF

SWEET WOODRUFF, GALIUM ODORATA

As you might expect from its name, Sweet Woodruff is a sweet-smelling herb which was used in the Middle Ages as a strewing herb to sweeten the air with its aroma of new-mown hay and vanilla undertones. It was hung in garlands in churches as well as being strewn on the floor as it sweetened the air. It has been used in white wine for May Day celebrations particularly in Rhine wine in Germany, where it is called Waldmeister or master of the woods. It grows naturally in woods, particularly seeming to grow in beech forests.

  It has been used in sachets to keep moths and other insects away from clothes and linen, in much the same way as lavender is used. It is useful dried and added to pot-pourris too with rose petals and cinnamon. Sweet woodruff has been used in pillows as well as to stuff mattresses as it is thought to promote peaceful slumber and cure insomnia. It is thought to have mild sedative actions and was tucked into the helmets of Mediaeval soldiers in the belief that it would bring victory in battle. This is rather like the broom of the British Plantagenet kings who adopted it as their emblem. The woodruff may have been used also because it was thought that it could lift the spirits, and it has mild anaesthetic properties.

  Culpeper believed that it helped with consumption, and could unblock obstructions in the liver and spleen, but remarked that it was “provocative to venery” which I suppose means that he considered it to be an aphrodisiac; this may explain another name for this plant ”Kiss Me Quick.”

  It is native to Europe, including Britain, North Africa and temperate Asia, and can grow to between 30 and 50 centimetres high. The leaves can be used as a natural light brown dye and a light red one can be obtained from the roots with alum as a mordant.

  The plant is said to have anti-coagulant properties, so can prevent blood clotting, and is used as a tonic tea and as a diuretic. However in large doses it can cause internal bleeding, so it is best used externally in compresses for varicose veins and phlebitis. In small quantities the tisane or infusion can ease stomach cramps, headaches and migraines, and soothes the digestive system, as it is believed to have anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. The whole plant can be harvested before it flowers and dried for later use.

  Gerard, the 16^th century herbalist wrote “It is reported to be put into wine to make a man merry, and to be good for the heart and liver; it prevaileth in wounds…” (another reason for soldiers having it in their helmets). The bruised leaves are said to be good to heal wounds, reduce swelling and cure boils.

   The Physicians of Myddfai recommended this mixture to be prepared after pneumonia had been “removed from the lungs”: -

“…let a medicine be prepared, by digesting the following herbs in wheat ale or red wine: madder, sharp dock, anise, agrimony, daisy, round birthwort, meadowsweet, yellow goat's beard, heath, water avens, woodruff, crake berry, the corn cockle, caraway, and such other herbs as will seem good to the physician.”

Then they had this remedy for fevers

  The mugwort, madder, meadow sweet, milfoil, hemp, red cabbage, and the tutsan, all these seven herbs enter into the composition of the medicine required. Whosoever obtains them all, will not languish long from a wounded lung, or need fear for his life. Any of the following herbs may be added thereto, butcher'sbroom, agrimony, dwarf elder, amphibious persicaria, centaury, round birth wort, field scabious, pepper mint, daisy, knap weed, roots of the red nettle, crake berry, St. John's wort, privet, wood betony, the roots of the yellow goat's beard, heath, water avens, woodruff, leaves of the earth nut, agrimony, wormwood, the bastard balm, small burdock, and the orpine.

  Clearly the sweet woodruff has been used for centuries, but care should be taken with it as it can irritate sensitive skin, and it is better not to use it internally. If you do, don’t take too much of it as it can be harmful.

DITTANY - AS USED BY HARRY POTTER: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF DITTANY HERB

WHITE, FALSE OR BASTARD DITTANY, DICTAMNUS ALBUS

This dittany is native to south and central Europe, North Africa and southern and central Asia. It is “false” or “bastard” dittany because it is not what is considered the true dittany which is the Cretan dittany. This dittany is a member of the Rutaceae or rue family and is distinguished by its tall pyramidal shaped flower head. The flowers may be pink, pink-purple or white. It is known as the Gas plant because in hot summer nights an inflorescence can be seen around the flowers and if you put a flame to this it will burn, giving it another common name, Burning Bush (which has Biblical associations with Moses and the receiving of the 10 Commandments). This is caused by the volatile oil contained in the plant and was first (it is said) noticed by Linnaeus’ daughter.

  It was only grown in Britain in apothecaries gardens for its medicinal uses as this reference shows from the Physicians of Myddfai: -

 “An antidote for pain: seek the dittany, which may be obtained from cunning men; it is the best in all complaints.”

(The ‘cunning men’ are the apothecaries)

 Powdered leaves of this dittany were combined with those of peppermint for epilepsy and Culpeper the 17^th century herbalist says “The root is a sure cure for epilepsies and other diseases of the head…” He also points out “It only grows here in gardens, not being hardy enough to bear the severity of our climate abroad.” He clearly thought highly of this plant as he goes on to write: -

   “The roots…are the only parts used, and are useful in malignant and pestilential distempers; in fevers and hysteric cases: however an infusion of the tops of the plant is a pleasant and efficacious medicine in the gravel; it works powerfully by urine…”

   The powdered leaves were used with peppermint for epilepsy.

  In folk medicine the infusion has been used to hasten delivery in childbirth and to bring on a woman’s periods, although it must not be used at all during pregnancy. The tisane has a taste of lemons and the pink dittany tastes also faintly of almonds and vanilla. The oil has anti-inflammatory properties but is not much used because of its tendency to be highly inflammable. A tincture of the leaves and flowers is sometimes used to relieve the pains associated with rheumatism.

  Harry Potter used dittany in potion-making classes and the inhabitants of Hogwarts used dittany to promote wound healing. However it doesn’t have this property in real life.

  The tisane made with flowering tops has been used as a general tonic and to treat urinary tract problems as well as to get rid of intestinal worms. It can be used as a skin wash for problems such as eczema and to soothe the digestive system. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for at least 1,500 years, and there the root bark is used for fungal and bacterial skin problems as well as for its action on the uterine muscles and to promote a woman’s menses.

  In Elizabethan times the flowers and leaves were used in salads, and it was grown in mediaeval gardens in the UK. It was first called Dictamnus fraxinella because it was thought that the leaves resembled those of the ash tree. Now it is generally cultivated for its flowers and the fact that it is an attractive plant, growing to heights of between 2 and 3 feet.

BOX MYRTLE - EVERGREEN TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BOX MYRTLE TREE

BOX MYRTLE, MYRICA NAGI-THUNB OR MYRICA ESCULEN    Box myrtle is and evergreen tree, native to the Indian subcontinent and the Himalayas, as well as to the Malaysian islands, China, Singapore and Japan. It is used for its edible fruit which have a lot of seeds and are red, about 13 millimetres in diameter, as well as for medicine. The fruit are offered to Druga, one of the Hindu gods and the tree is sacred to both Shiva and Sakti. The tree is mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic texts and the bark and fruit are mainly used in medicines. It is thought the tree is harmful for the liver and spleen, but it is used for bronchial problems such as coughs and catarrh, asthma, to reduce fevers, to help patients with diabetes, for cancerous tumours and halitosis (bad breath).The powdered bark is put on external wounds and has astringent properties. It is also used as snuff to get rid of nasal mucous and to stop headaches. A decoction of the bark, ginger root and cinnamon is used for coughs and lung congestion as well as to stop diarrhoea and dysentery as this has astringent properties. It is thought that the fruit is good to regulate a woman’s period and the wax from the fruit is put on skin ulcers to heal them. The juice from unripe fruit is though to be good to get rid of internal worms.

  The flowers, which are catkins (similar to the flowers of the willows, birch, oak, alder and beech trees), contain an oil which is used for earache and as a general tonic. The flowers can be seen through February until April and the fruit ripens in May. Unfortunately it only has a short shelf-life or two to three days, so can only be sold in local markets.

   The fruit is coated in wax, which has to be boiled and skimmed to make sweet smelling candles which are brittle, but don’t melt in hot summers. This wax can also be used as soap, like the soapwort and soapnut. The wood is used for fuel and poles in the construction industry.

  When mixed with ginger, the bark juice is used as a counter-irritant for rheumatism and gout. When the bark is boiled to get a jelly-like mass, this is used as a poultice for sprains like mallow poultices are.

  The fruit contains small amounts of vitamin C, the minerals calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium, as well as flavonoids which have potent antioxidant properties to fight free radicals according to a research paper, “Antioxidant Activity of Some Wild Edible Fruits of Meghalaya State in India” published in the journal, Advances in Biological Research Volume 5 (3) pages 155-160, 2011 by Tapan Seal.

  It would seem that this is yet another plant which could be beneficial for our health.

   

THE HORNBEAM - LITTLE-KNOWN, BUT COMMON, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

COMMON OR EUROPEAN HORNBEAM, CARPINUS BETULUS

The Common or European hornbeam is native to Europe including the British Isles, with a range from the Pyrenees through to Iran in Western Asia and north to Scandinavia. In Britain it is native to southern and eastern England although it has been planted a hedge in many other parts, as it seems to appreciate pruning. These trees are often confused with the common beech, which might be why a lot of Brits don’t recognize this tree as a native species. In fact they are members of the birch family of trees, the Betulaceae and grow in oak (Common English oak, Quercus robur and Holm oak) and beech forests. In autumn the leaves turn yellow or brilliant orange and are quite spectacular. The tree has catkins, (which appear on the trees listed above as well as on the Box Myrtle), which flower in April through to May and the fruit is the winged seeds or keys.

  Hornbeams are moderate growing trees which generally reach heights of 25 metres or 82 feet, although the largest on record comes from the Castle of Enghien in Belgium and this is a monster at 33 metres high. Next is one in Poland in the National Park of Bialowieza, and a slightly smaller one has been recorded in the Netherlands at Landgoed Oostbrock, De Bilt which is 32.20 metres tall.

hornbeam seeds

   The hornbeam is used in the Bach Flower remedies for people who procrastinate and are fatigued while the leaves are used as compresses to stop bleeding and heal wounds. The distilled water from the leaves is used as eye lotion. The leaves should be harvested in autumn and dried then ground to a powder to put on wounds. You can also make a tisane with the leaves, either fresh or dried, or a decoction for skin problems which uses 2 tsps of dried leaves, powdered, to 250 mls water, boiled for 10 minutes. Alternatively the powder can be fried in lard and left to cool to make an ointment for the skin, which should be applied in a thin layer twice a day. For itchy skin, the powdered leaves can be steeped in vinegar (50 grams per 500 mls vinegar) and left for 8 days at room temperature. These remedies are said to be good for promoting hair growth, and the vinegar recipe can be used as a gargle if you have a sore throat.

hornbeam catkins

  The tisane can staunch the blood flow in a particularly heavy period and help with stomach cramps, it is believed. It is also used for headaches and colds.

  The bark produces a yellow dye, and the wood is very hard, so generally only used for agricultural implements, mallets and before for butcher’s blocks. It is too hard to work with generally. ”Horn” means hard and the name presumably refers to the use of the wood for beams in buildings at some time in the past.

Hornbeam in autumn

  So next time you think you see a beech tree, have a closer look!

SOAPWORT - SOAP PRODUCER WITH HEALTH BENEFITS TOO

SOAPWORT, SAPONARIA OFFICINALIS

Soapwort can grow to around five feet tall and has a spread of about a foot, with pinky-white flowers which bloom from July to September. These look a little like the garden flowers Sweet William which is why it is sometimes called wild Sweet William. It is a member of the Carnation family of plants; Caryophyllaceae, so is related to cloves. Like the soapnut (reetha), it produces a lather; or rather the leaves, stem and root do, when they are swished around in water. This gives rise to another name for the plant, latherwort. It is also sometimes called Fuller’s herb, and this is because it was used in the process of fulling textiles. The plant used to be used in woollen mills to gently wash newly made cloth to make it thicker, this was the fulling process. It can still be seen in Europe growing around sites of old woollen mills. It has also been used in the past  to wash sheep’s wool before shearing.

   Other names for the plant include Bouncing Bet which is a curious name with dubious origins. It has been suggested that country bar-maids in Britain were often called Bet or Betsy and they used the leaves and stems of soapwort plants to scour tankards and beer bottles to get them clean and this is how the plant got its name.

  As far back as the 8^th century BC the Assyrians were using this plant or a similar one to wash clothes and cloth, just as the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent used the soapnut.

   Soapwort is native to Europe, including the British Isles, Scandinavia and temperate North Africa. It is sometimes known as Lychnis saponana. The word ‘sapo’ comes from the Latin meaning soap and this plant contains saponins which are toxic, so it is better not to use it to make shampoo with as it irritates the eyes. You can leach the saponins from the plant by soaking it in water but this is a time-consuming process. To make soap for washing clothes you can simply boil the whole chopped plant (especially the root) to make a gentle, effective cleaner which will not harm antique fabrics or delicate ones. If you use it for delicate laundry you can add a few drops of essential oil such as lavender or rose oil to improve the smell of the clothes as soapwort is virtually odourless.

  The plant has been used in traditional medicine for a number of ailments, including for T.B., jaundice and other liver problems, as well as for syphilis. As regards the latter disease, Culpeper the 17^th century herbalist states that soapwort is especially effective when mercury treatment fails.( It was customary to use mercury to cure syphilis.) However it is unwise to take any infusion or decoction of this plant internally as it irritates the digestive system. It can also destroy red blood cells and paralyze the part of the central nervous system that controls the dilation of blood vessels. It is however useful for skin problems and itching. The juice from the leaves and/or the root can be applied to the skin for acne, eczema and any other skin problem. It is said that a decoction of the root can take away discoloration from a black eye, but you have to be careful not to get any juice in your eye. It’s better to use mallow!

  In clinical trials both in vitro and in animals it has been found that saporin –S6 extracted from the seeds has had some anti-cancer properties, but more research is needed.(June 2011 L Polito).

  The flowers are edible and can be used as garnishes and in salads, just as you can use borage, violet and marigold flowers. I haven’t eaten soapwort flowers so can’t vouch for them, but the others mentioned taste just fine!

BLACK NIGHTSHADE - TOXIC OR EDIBLE? HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BLACK NIGHTSHADE

BLACK NIGHTSHADE, SOLANUM NIGRUM

Depending on where you live Black nightshade may be highly poisonous or edible. In Europe the varieties are poisonous, but in Africa, Asia and Indonesia, the plant is used like a leafy green vegetable, such as kale or Swiss chard. The fruit is also eaten and the plant is used as medicine. It is a member of the Solonaceae family of plants so is related to Belladonna, Spiny or Yellow-berried Nightshade, aubergines, Nipple fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, Cape gooseberries, tomatillos and red and green chillies to name but a few other plants in the family.

  In Europe and North America the black nightshade is a troublesome weed which is bad news for livestock, but in Asia and Africa it is a minor food crop and scientists are actively encouraging its growth and use as it contains the minerals calcium, iron and phosphorous as well as some of the B-complex vitamins, (B1, 2, 3), and vitamins A and C.  The unripe fruit contains the toxin solanine, but the ripe fruit is made into jams, preserves and pies; like sloes, the taste improves after a frost.

  The juice from the plant was used by the ancient Arab physicians for burns and ulcers, and the fresh, bruised leaves eased the pain of inflammation in such ailments as gout, and rheumatism. The juice has been used for ringworm, gout and with vinegar for earache.

  The plant grows to about 2 feet tall and can have a foot spread, with the flowers appearing from July to September, giving way to berries in autumn which begin green and then turn black when ripe. The whole plant is harvested in autumn and dried for later use.

  In Asia the plant has been used to treat intermittent fevers such as malaria, and to reduce inflammation. It promotes sweating too and is used as a diuretic and to moisture and soften the roughest of skin. It also has sedative and narcotic properties and is a purgative.

  The leaves, stems and roots can be applied externally as a poultice or used as a wash for skin problems. Extracts from the plant have been shown to have anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. The juice of the fruit has been used to stop the pain of toothache, and analgesic ointments are made from the plant which are applied locally. In Ayurvedic medicine it is used in combination with other herbs for heart diseases. In Iran it has been used for centuries as a diuretic, while the ancient Greeks used it to reduce inflammation, externally. It has also been used in remedies for cirrhosis of the liver as an antiseptic (juice from the leaves and fruit) and as a laxative- but don’t be tempted to use it- try senna instead! The plant IS poisonous except in Asia, parts of Africa and Indonesia where it is used as food.

CRETAN DITTANY - APHRODITE'S HERB: HISTORY,USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF CRETAN DITTANY

DITTANY OF CRETE, ORIGANUM DICTAMNUS

As the name of this herb suggests, it grows wild only in Crete, and there it grows in gorges and mountainsides. It has a reputation as being an aphrodisiac and throughout the centuries young men have risked life and limb to collect this herb. Many have reportedly died in their attempts to collect the plant as it grows in inaccessible places. In Greek mythology it is said to have been given to the island of Crete by the father of the gods, Zeus, particularly to grow on his birthplace, Mount Dikti where even today it grows abundantly. Thamnus is the Greek word for bush so we have the name diktamnus. It was used by the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology) both for beauty and as an aphrodisiac. However dittany has been known as a miracle herb since the times of Hippocrates, and Theophrastus, in ancient times and was also known to the earlier Minoans on Crete. Hippocrates used it for stomach problems, prescribing a poultice of it to be put over the painful area.

  Virgil wrote this of its healing powers in his Aeneid (book 12: lines 411-431): -

  “A branch of healing dittany she brought,

   Which in the Cretan fields with care she sought: 
   Rough is the stem, which woolly leafs surround; 
   The leafs with flow'rs, the flow'rs with purple crown'd, 

  Well known to wounded goats; a sure relief 
  To draw the pointed steel, and ease the grief. 
  This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd, and brews 
  Th' extracted liquor with ambrosian dews, 

  And od'rous panacee. Unseen she stands, 
  Temp'ring the mixture with her heav'nly hands, 
  And pours it in a bowl, already crown'd 
  With juice of med'c'nal herbs prepar'd to bathe the wound. 

Mt.Ida Crete

   The leech, unknowing of superior art 
   Which aids the cure, with this foments the part; 
   And in a moment ceas'd the raging smart. 
   Staunch'd is the blood, and in the bottom stands: 

   The steel, but scarcely touch'd with tender hands, 
   Moves up, and follows of its own accord, 
   And health and vigor are at once restor'd.” 

   The Roman author Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) in his work De Natura (2.126) states:

        "In Crete, the wild goats, when they are wounded with poisoned arrows, seek

         for an herb called dittany, which, when they have tasted, the arrows (they say)

        drop from their bodies."

  While Pliny the Elder (c.23-79 AD), the naturalist in his Natural History wrote that stags, like the Cretan mountain goats chewed on dittany to remove arrows and sure their wounds.

   In Greek mythology Artemis, the huntress hunted with poisoned arrows, and the Cretan mountain goats (according to Aristotle) would seek out dittany, chew it and place it on their wounds. The poisoned arrow would fall to the ground and the wounds would heal.

   Previously this herb had the botanical name Amaracus dictamnus Benth and Amaracus tomentosus Moerch.

  It grows to a height of 0.3 metres, and has pink to purple flowers in summer and velvety grey –green leaves, a little like those of sage. It is a relative of oregano and marjoram as its botanical name suggests. It is a member of the Lamiaceae family of plants which include mint, thyme, basil, rosemary, lemon balm and lavender among many others. Its essential oil consists mainly of carvacrol and thymol along with p-cymene and γ-terpinene. Carvacrol is known to have antibacterial properties, and smells of oregano. Thymol is a fungicide and has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

   A tisane can be made from the flowers and leaves and this is said to relieve period pains, headaches and neuralgia. It is also thought to relieve the pains of childbirth and is said to have been used for this reason by Aphrodite when she was in labour on Mount Ida on Crete. No doubt it is still used on Crete as an aphrodisiac, and today it can be cultivated in gardens and pots.