Effect:
anti-inflammatory
Areas of application:
Hemorrhoids, boils, gout, rheumatism, (back then: for broken bones)
Plant parts used:
the herb
Collection time:
April to June
To find:
In open, herb-rich deciduous and mixed forests, hedges and bushes.
Ingredients:
Saponins, flavonoids
Miscellaneous:
The greater stitchwort is an evergreen plant that can reach a height of 15 to 60 cm. It has thin, creeping rhizomes, but no root tuber. The square stems have short hairs in the upper area. The leaves on the stems are arranged opposite each other. The leaves are narrow-lanceolate with a round and stem-encompassing base and a pointed upper end with a rough, hairy edge and they are 3 to 9 cm long and 2 to 10 mm wide. The flowers are 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, radially symmetrical and fivefold with a double perianth. The flowering period is from April to around June.
In the kitchen you can eat the young shoots and flowers and use them in wild herb salads. It tastes mild and fresh and can also be used in soups.
The greater stitchwort can be used as a ground cover in the garden.