Common heather

Description

Evergreen branching shrub. Leaves are small, sessile, short linear-lanceolate, almost trihedral, slightly grooved above, blunt-keeled below and with a deep groove, blunt at the top, arrowed at the base and slightly bent down, arranged opposite, shingled in four rows. The flowers are small, bell-shaped, purple-pink, on short deflected axillary pedicels, arranged in one-sided racemes. The fruit is a ball-shaped box with white bristly hairs. The taste of the plant is bitter, astringent, and has a strong smell. Height 20 – 100 cm.

The part used. Grass (tops of branches with leaves and flowers).

Application

The plant has a diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, slightly hypnotic and calming effect on the nervous system. An infusion of the herb is used for dropsy, colds, nervous exhaustion, and especially for kidney stones. In German folk medicine, Heather is used for inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract, kidney diseases, kidney stones, rheumatism and gout. Heather is part of a mixture of herbs used for stomach catarrh with high acidity.

Method of application

1. 3 teaspoons of Heather herb infused for 4 hours in 2 glasses of cooled boiled water, strain. Take 1/2 glass 4 times a day for rheumatism and gout.

2. 20 g of herbs infuse for 2 hours in 1/2 liter of boiling water, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 4-6 times a day for kidney stones.