The Benedictine herb can be used as an effective medicinal plant for digestive problems. With us you can find out everything about planting, harvesting and healing properties of Benedictine herbs.
Benedictine herb (Centaurea benedicta) is a largely forgotten and unknown medicinal plant. We present the thistle-like plant in a profile and give tips on growing Benedictine herbs.
contents
- Benedictine herb: origin and properties
- Grow Benedictine herb
- Proper care
- Harvest, use and effects of Benedictine herbs
Benedictine herb: origin and properties
Benedictine herb belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is also known as cardiac herb, thistle herb, real heather thistle or bitter thistle. According to recent findings, the species is one of the most diverse Knapweed (Centaurea), the older botanical names Cnicus benedictus and Carduus benedictus however, are still in circulation. The Benedictine herb originally comes from the Mediterranean and the Caucasus. It is mainly grown as a medicinal plant in Spain and Italy.
The annual Benedictine herb reaches a height of 10 - 50 cm and looks very similar to a thistle. The shaggy, hairy medicinal plant grows upright to prostrate and branched. Their large, alternate leaves are serrated and prickly on the edge of the leaf. Benedictine herb forms a basal rosette of leaves with stalked leaves, while the upper leaves of the flower stalks are close and encompass the stalk. Between June and August, with autumn sowing from May, the tubular, yellow flowers of the appear Benedictine herbs, which are on a wreath of pointed, pinnate, creamy white to wine-red bracts sit. The pollen-rich flowers are popular with bees and other pollinators. After pollination, elongated, lightly grooved, dark brown seeds with a bristle extension are formed. The bitter taste of the leaves is typical of the Kardobenediktenkraut.
Is Benedictine herb a weed? The Benedictine thistle is not considered an important weed in our part of the world. In the Mediterranean area it occurs more often at the edges of fields, but in this country it is only very sporadically wild.
Grow Benedictine herb
The Benedictine root prefers a location in full sun on well-drained, moderately nutrient-rich, moderately dry to fresh soils. Rock gardens and steppe beds are ideal for planting Benedictine herbs. The medicinal plant can be cultivated in beds as well as in pots and planters. The planter should have a volume of at least five liters to ensure a good water supply. The annual medicinal plant is grown by sowing between April and May or, for winter culture, directly outside from the end of September. As a rosette of leaves, the Benedictine herb is extremely hardy, but as soon as the first flowers form, the plant becomes much more sensitive to cold. The seeds of the Benedictine herb are only covered with substrate by 0.5 - 1 cm. Germination takes a few weeks but can be sped up by soaking the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. Pre-cultivation in the house from March is also possible. A nutrient-poor substrate such as our peat-free one is suitable for this Plantura organic herb & seed compost. It ensures good ventilation of the roots and reduces the risk of waterlogging and root rot.
From mid-May, the young plants that have been grown in advance can be planted in nutrient-rich substrate or normal garden soil. The distance between individual plants should be 20-30 cm. Before planting, prepare the soil, remove unwanted wild herbs and loosen the substrate. For the cultivation of Benedictine herbs in the bucket, a 5 - 10 cm high drainage layer made of gravel, sand or expanded clay should be filled in at the bottom of the pot under the soil layer in order to avoid waterlogging. Then the young plants are planted with a hand shovel. If the rows are sown directly, plants that have germinated too closely should be separated at a distance of 20-30 cm. After planting, water is used extensively.
Proper care
Benedictine herb hardly needs any care. In the young plant stage, it is worthwhile to regularly remove the weeds between the rows and the individual plants. This also makes harvesting easier later on, as no unwanted or even poisonous plants have to be sorted out after the cut. Irrigation is only necessary in very dry and hot summers. The only relevant disease in unfavorable summers is powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum), which can occur even before harvest.
Harvest, use and effects of Benedictine herbs
The Benedictine herb is harvested shortly before or when it blooms, as it is at this stage that it contains the highest levels of active substances. The whole plant is used with the exception of the root. The herb can be cleared quickly and easily with secateurs. Tinctures or herbal liqueurs can be made directly with fresh leaves. To use for teas, spread the plants out and let them dry in a warm, airy place for a few weeks. The dry herb can be chopped up and stored in airtight packaging.
Benedictine herb contains essential oils and bitter substances such as cnicin and artemisiifolin, which have a positive effect on gastric juice, gall bladder and liver. A Benedictine herb tea is usually used for diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and general digestive problems made from the dried medicinal plant, the daily dose being four to six grams of the dried herb lies.
A tried and tested combination for stones and heartburn is the Kardobenedikten wine, with Benedictine herb as well Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Centaury (Centaurium) and white horehound (Marrubium vulgare) are included in equal parts.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, but also in the case of a known allergy to daisy family, such as arnica (Arnica montana), yarrow (Achillea) or chamomile (Matricaria recutita), but the use of Benedictine herb should be avoided in order to avoid allergic reactions.
A medicinal plant that is also quite unknown, but grows wild in many places Mullein (Verbascum). With us you can find out everything about the different types, cultivation and use of the mullein.
