Herb of the Month

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Related articles: Health > Other Ways of Healing

One of my favorite plants for eating and healing has a masculine and feminine name in German: Gundelrebe and Gundermann (in English it’s also known as Gill-over-the-ground, or ground ivy). The botanical name is Glechoma hederacea. Both German references have the old high German prefix “Gund,” meaning pus. The name is fitting, because the plant is efficacious to treat infections accompanied with pus. The botanical name identifies the plant’s habitat—creeping like ivy does, along the ground or dangling from walls.
 
The round, kidney-shaped leaves can be found all year along hedges and shrubbery. The plant also looks nice in a pot during the summer when it sports long tendrils. It prefers semi-shade and develops its blue-violet blossoms during the spring.

An old herbal book notes, “... The plant is bitter in flavor and has a distinctive odor.” People in temperate climate zones in Europe and Asia have treasured this plant as an aid to ward off evil spirits. Chinese people use this plant like Europeans would use chamomile or mint as a home remedy.

The healing properties of the herb are most effective during the blooming stage. It has potent essential oils and other substances, which include potassium and potassium nitrate, agents that are efficacious in treating mucous membranes, especially those in the throat, nose, and bronchial tubes. The herb also contains a large amount of vitamin C, which makes it an important aid in combating mental fatigue and enhancing energy.

St. Hildegarde of Bingen commended the plant for the treatment of ear symptoms. For such ailments, it is recommended to preserve the blooming plant in oil and use the oil as eardrops.

I find this fresh plant helpful all year long, even when it is no longer in bloom. At the first sign of a cold, I pluck five fresh leaves and chew on them over several hours’ time. If I am lucky, my immune system is ready to do battle with viruses and bacteria, and the next day I am free of cold symptoms. I even cured a stray cat that had found its way to my door. It was ill and could not keep food down, but to my surprise, the cat unhesitatingly ate the cut up leaves that I mixed with canned cat food. After three doses of ground ivy, the cat was cured.

All of our Mediterranean-inspired foods or meals benefit from the herb, but when brewed as a tea, it smells like a sheep’s pen, which is why I prefer to use it as a fresh seasoning herb or cooked in a well-seasoned, savory sauce.

Translated from German: epochtimes.de/articles/2007/10/16/354416.html