Effect:
expectorant, stone-dissolving, healing, uric acid-dissolving, lung-active, stomach-active, metabolism-stimulating, appetite-stimulating
Areas of application:
Metabolism, urinary retention, weak menstruation, bladder problems, liver swelling, bladder and kidney diseases, purulent urine, chronic colds and coughs, tinnitus, strengthens the nerves, festering wounds, poorly healing wounds, burns, bronchial diseases, convalescence, general weakness, diarrhea, cough, loss of appetite, jaundice
Plant parts used:
the whole herb
Collection time:
Flowering period from April to June
To find:
Grows everywhere in meadows, field edges, along hedges and bushes and in open forests along paths.
Ingredients:
Tannins, essential oil, bitter substances, resin, wax, sugar, acid, vitamin C, potassium, saponins
Other:
☕ Tea: 2 teaspoons of Ground-ivy are poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water and steeped for 5 minutes. 3 cups per day are sufficient.
Ground ivy is an evergreen, perennial plant and can grow to a height of 10 to 30 cm. The hairs on the plant parts are often almost bare, but they can also be densely softly hairy. The stems and the undersides of the leaves are often purple. The non-flowering shoots creep along the ground as runners; they have a square cross-section and are rooted at many nodes. Due to their very rapid growth and their rich branching, they ensure vegetative reproduction; the main shoot can reach a length of up to 2 meters. The plant has shallow roots; the flower shoots are ascending to upright and also have a square cross-section. The leaves are arranged decussately. The leaf stalks vary in length, ranging from around one centimeter to twenty centimeters in dense vegetation. The leaf blades are kidney-shaped to roundish-heart-shaped with a blunt or pointed leaf tip. The leaf edge is coarsely notched. The two to five-flowered inflorescences arise from the axils of leaves. The bracts of the individual flowers are hairy. The flowers are the typical zygomorphic lip flowers. The calyx is tubular to bell-shaped, slightly two-lipped and has 15 nerves. The corolla is usually blue-violet in color with purple spots on the lower lip, rarely it is pink or white. The upper lip of the corolla is flat and has three triangular teeth, the lower lip has two teeth. The corolla tube is narrow, conical, straight and hairy. There are two long and two short stamens. They are located on the underside of the upper lip. The flowering period is between April and June or July.
Ground ivy is an old Germanic magical plant.
A good plant spirit lives in ground ivy, which keeps evil spells away.
Ground ivy leaves are available all year round, even under snow.
In the kitchen, ground ivy is used as a spice, for example in salads, vegetables or in herb butter. The smell and taste are described as resinous-aromatic, mint-like and licorice-like. The flowers are an edible decoration.
Before hops were cultivated, ground ivy was used to preserve beer due to its bitter substances. In cheese production, ground ivy was used as a substitute for animal rennet. As a food additive, ground ivy also has an antioxidant effect.
Horses do not tolerate the plant. The glechomine causes them to break out in sweats, tremble, discharge mucus and have breathing problems.
Hildegard of Bingen: She is more warm than cold, and she has dye powers because her green is useful. If a person washes his head frequently with its lye, it will drive away disease and prevent him from getting sick in the first place. You can eat the gundel vine in puree or soups, and eat it with meat or other dishes. If your ears sound like the sound of rushing water, let Gundelrebe boil in hot water and, after squeezing the water, tie it warmly around your head. This makes hearing clear in your ears again.