Content
- Heather - an old medicinal plant with healing properties
- Ingredients and used plant components
- Healing effect for internal and external use
- Recipe: heather infusion
- Tips
Heather can be applied both internally and externally
Heather - an old medicinal plant with healing properties
The heather, in this case above all the species known as broom heather (Calluna vulgaris), has been used in folk medicine for centuries as a medicinal plant used both internally and externally. Other heather species, such as Erica arborea, the tree heather, can be used for medical purposes.
Ingredients and used plant components
Between August and September you can harvest the delicate shoot tips, the leaves and the flowers of the broom heath. The very sugar-rich flowers not only serve as bee's heather (the dark, very aromatic heather honey is considered a specialty of the Lüneburg Heath), but can also be used for infusions. The medicinal plant contains tannins and minerals, various enzymes, various minerals and saponins and flavone glycosides, as well as hydroquinone and arbutin.
Healing effect for internal and external use
Both the flowers and the herb can be an infusion, which is used internally for infections of the urinary tract and the bladder and kidneys, for gout, rheumatism and respiratory diseases (especially for coughing and strong mucilage). Externally applied to the heather tea to help against eczema, rashes and redness. Especially the broom heath are attributed the following effects:
Recipe: heather infusion
The classic, very versatile heather tea is made as follows:
If you like it sweeter, you can also sweeten the infusion with a teaspoon of honey.
Tips
You can also use the flowers of heather and the infusion for a full bath, which is traditionally recommended for rheumatism and gout.