Effect:
blood-forming, calming, strengthening, metabolism-stimulating, appetite-stimulating, diuretic
Areas of application:
Summer flu, colds, coughs, bronchitis, asthma, cramps, rheumatism, pain, stimulates kidney and liver
Plant parts used:
Herb before flowering, but with flower buds
Collection time:
March April
To find:
The plant grows in wet, open areas near bodies of water, abandoned fields, meadows or pastures and clearings in forests.
Ingredients:
Bitter substances, mustard oil glycosides, minerals, vitamins
Miscellaneous:
Cuckoo flower is a perennial plant and can grow to a height of 8 to 80 cm. It has a relatively short, cylindrical, tuberous-thickened rhizome and is a semi-rosette plant. The upright, unbranched stem is round, initially contains pith and later becomes hollow. It is bare or sparsely hairy in the lower part. The thin leaves, which are alternately distributed along the stem, are arranged in basal rosettes. The stalked basal leaves are 30 centimeters long, are simply or odd-pinnate and have two to fifteen pairs of rounded leaflets. The terminal leaflet of the basal leaves is stalked and circular to broadly obovate with a mostly rounded, rarely almost kidney- or wedge-shaped base, wavy edge and a rounded upper end. The basal leaves have two to eight (up to 15 or none) lateral leaflets on each side of their rachis, which are at most the same size as the terminal leaflet; they are stalked or sessile, circular, ovate to broadly obovate with a notched or wavy margin. There are usually two to eighteen glabrous, shortly stalked, pinnately divided stem leaves. The stalked or sessile terminal portion of the stem leaves is linear, oblong, ovate or lanceolate. The stem leaves have two to eight (up to 15 or none) lateral leaflets on each side of their rachis, which are at most the same size as the terminal leaflet; they are stalked or sessile and decurrent, similar in shape to the basal leaves and usually have a smooth or rarely toothed margin. The flowers are borne in a terminal, racemose inflorescence, but additional small, racemose inflorescences often develop on the upper part of the stem. In rainy weather and darkness, the flower stalks bend and the closing flowers take on a nodding position. The flowers are four-parted with the arrangement typical of cruciferous plants. The four upright or spread, green, free sepals have an elongated or egg-shaped shape with a membranous edge and the base of the two lateral sepals is sack-shaped. The four free, nailed petals have an inverted egg-shaped shape and a rounded or ridged upper end. The colors of the petals range from rarely white to mostly whitish and pale pink with darker veins to purple. The flowering period is from April to July. (partly Wikipedia)
🛑 However, because the active ingredients contained in Cuckoo flower can also irritate the stomach and kidneys, it should only be used in moderation.
The Cuckoo flower can be used in the same way as watercress. It stimulates the body's glands to be more active, which is what a spring treatment is supposed to achieve.
The fresh juice works best when taken on an empty stomach during a spring treatment.
In the kitchen, young leaves (before flowering) and sprouts can be used in salads or as vegetables. They taste like cress and are slightly spicy. They can also be used in herbal soups, omelettes, herb butter, soups, as a seasoning for quark and cream cheese, and in sauces.
The essence according to Dr. Bach is a means of getting in touch with your ancestors. Cuckoo flower is an old shamanic plant that facilitates the path to the other world and enables access to other spheres.
The oil of Cuckoo flower is therefore used in dermatology as a care cream for stressed and dry hands.
The plant is used externally rather than internally.