Delphinium is a flower and belongs to the buttercup family. Almost all parts of the plant are poisonous. Therefore, today it is used very cautiously as a medicinal plant in homeopathy and is mainly admired for its beauty in gardens.
Occurrence and cultivation of delphinium
Delphinium is a flower and belongs to the buttercup family. Almost all parts of the plant are poisonous. There are about 350 different species of delphinium, all located in the northern hemisphere. Some species are annuals or biennials. However, most subspecies of this flower are perennial herbaceous plants that live for many years. Individual species of delphinium are popular ornamental plants and can be seen in many gardens. Most species, however, live in the wild and are found in mixed forests, forest edges, and hilly areas of North America, Scandinavia, and Central Europe. Other larkspur species grow in the steppes of Asia or in the higher elevations of Afghanistan and Tibet. The Himalayan delphinium still thrives at an altitude of 6000 meters. Most of the larkspur species have blue or purple flowers, but there are also yellow and red larkspurs. The flowers are solitary in only a few species; in most species they are arranged in larger numbers in a bell or cylinder shape on the stem. The flowers have several leaves, one of which bears a spur, hence the name “delphinium”.
Effect and application
Delphinium is a popular ornamental plant for gardens, especially in domestic peasant and monastic gardens it can not be missing. Especially popular are garden delphinium and high delphinium, which can grow up to two meters high. The common delphiniums in our country love sunny and bright places and need a lot of space. If used as a container plant, it needs a very nutrient-rich soil and needs regular fertilization. Perennials are perennial and will resprout in the fall if pruned after the first bloom. Delphinium in the garden gets along especially well with daisies and roses. In the past, delphinium was valued for its medicinal properties. Therefore, it was one of the standard plants in monastery gardens, because the monks or nuns made remedies from larkspur. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous, so the active ingredients may only be used by professionals. The petals, however, are hardly poisonous and are therefore often used as a blue decorative drug in tea mixtures. Some pharmacies offer dried delphinium flowers for private tea mixtures. Since delphinium is very pretty, it is also used dried as a decorative material for the home and in making jewelry. There are numerous necklace pendants, earrings, photo frames and flower wreaths, in which the blue or even rarer red delphinium is processed with. In some cases, it is also added to small amounts of bath salts and creams.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The toxicity of delphinium has always been known. Therefore, it has always been used very carefully as a medicinal plant. However, pure skin contact cannot cause poisoning. However, cases of poisoned animals are known again and again, and sometimes small children put a flower or a leaf in their mouth in an unnoticed moment. At the first symptoms of poisoning, such as numbness in the tongue, vomiting or diarrhea, an emergency room should be visited immediately. In 2015, delphinium received the title of “Poisonous Plant of the Year.” In the Middle Ages, delphinium was used against obesity and for purification, among other things. Hildegard von Bingen advised an infusion of delphinium when a patient suffered from obesity. Probably, the poisoning caused diarrhea and thus weight loss. Delphinium contains the alkaloids lycoctonine, delcosine, and delsonine. Garden delphinium also contains ajaconine, which is also toxic. Lycoctin is the same toxin found in the even more dangerous aconite. The blue leaves have been added to tea mixtures since the Middle Ages to help with bladder weakness and kidney ailments. The weakly toxic effect of the leaves had a diuretic effect. A few strongly diluted drops were considered a remedy for heart complaints. In ancient times and the Middle Ages, poultices with delphinium decoction were used for bites from snakes and scorpions, as the plant’s poison was considered an antidote.In the Middle Ages it was considered an excellent remedy against worm infestation and for contraception. Again, it can be assumed that the strong laxative effect with associated abdominal pain and cramps led to the desired results. Delphinium is now mainly found in homeopathy and is used under the name “Staphisagria“. Staphisagria means “Stefan’s seeds,” referring to the seeds of delphinium. Staphisagria is recommended to patients who are out of mental balance and seek inner balance. The affected patients suffer from outbursts of anger, tremble with rage, are highly irritable, extremely sensitive and even have a tendency to throw objects or become violent. In these cases, Staphisagria is said to help and make the sufferer more balanced. It is also recommended for children who suffer from tantrums. However, the remedy has other effects in various doses. For example, it helps with bladder infections caused by sexual intercourse and stimulates sexual function. After operations on the urinary tract, it promotes healing. Staphisagria helps with the skin disease psoriasis, if it was triggered by inner restlessness. It is also used by homeopaths for prostate problems, cuts, tooth decay, and barley corns on the eye.
