Forest honeysuckle, Aruncus dioicus, is found throughout Europe, especially in unpopulated mountain forests. The plant has become rare and is often confused with meadowsweet because of its appearance. Formerly a popular medicinal plant, the plant is now used almost exclusively for ornamental purposes.
Occurrence and cultivation of the forest honeysuckle.
In autumn, the very small seeds develop from the flowers, which spread even by the smallest air movements. Botanically, the forest honeysuckle belongs to the so-called rose family and is also known under the English names Buck’s beard or Goat’s beard. The best time to collect the roots of the honeysuckle is from September to March, and for the herb during the flowering season from April to July. In addition to Europe, the ornamental and medicinal plant is also found in Asia, but is rare even on that continent. Forest honeysuckle grows preferentially in semi-shaded upland shrublands and mountain forests, i.e. far from human civilization, which makes collecting plant parts difficult in addition to its rare occurrence. It is a perennial plant, which can reach a height of up to two meters. The average shoots grow about 80 centimeters to one meter high. The pinnate, ovate leaves are double-toothed, which gives the plant its typical appearance. The white flowers appear in May and June and have a diameter of two to four millimeters maximum. The dispersed inflorescence of the forest honeysuckle can grow up to 50 centimeters long. In autumn, the very small seeds develop from the flowers, which are spread by even the smallest air movements.
Effect and application
Those who want to benefit from the healing properties of the forest honeysuckle can cultivate the plant in their own garden. Self-propagation works without problems with a suitable choice of location. For cultivation, the very small seeds can first be mixed with fine sand and sown in small pots. After the seedlings have reached a size of at least ten centimeters, they can be transferred to the open ground. Growing does not succeed in full sun, the best growing results are achieved in partial or walking shade. In any case, the humus-rich, loose and moist soil should not be waterlogged, as this will lead to the death of the plant. Older plants should always be cut back at the beginning of spring. Collecting the forest honeysuckle in nature is not prohibited, because the plant is not protected. Nevertheless, collecting in the wild should be refrained from because of its rare occurrence. After harvesting the above-ground herb, it is bundled and dried as quickly as possible in a shady, airy place. The dried flowers and few leaves can be stored in paper bags for later tea preparation. A tea brew can also be made from the root system of the plant. To do this, the roots must be cleaned immediately after harvesting, crushed and dried in a warm place. The herb and the stems are not suitable for permanent use because of the low content of prussic acid, for the same reason any use by pregnant women or nursing mothers should be avoided. For the preparation of tea from the herb is suitable hot water infusion with a short brewing time of five minutes. The tea has antipyretic and stomach-calming effects. If the tea is prepared from the root, then the preparation is done with cold water. After boiling, infuse for 30 minutes before straining. The root decoction can also be used for poultices for painful joint rheumatism or for foot baths for tired, swollen feet. The fresh, pounded root can also be used to make a paste that is very good for insect bites and stings.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
In traditional folk medicine, forest honeysuckle once had great importance. Today, in modern phytotherapy, however, the plant no longer plays a role. Rather, the forest honeysuckle is popular as a grateful vase decoration or as a bedding and specimen plant in ornamental gardens. In the past, the leaves, although slightly poisonous because of the prussic acid content, were consumed as a vegetable. For this reason, use as a leafy vegetable is strongly discouraged today. However, significant amounts of the leaves would have to be consumed to cause symptoms of poisoning. Some historical uses of honeysuckle are also due to its confusion with meadowsweet.The medicinal importance of the forest honeysuckle lies in the two main indications of fever reduction and soothing the gastric mucosa in gastritis or ulcers. The ingredients, especially in the root parts of the plant, have astringent, sedative, antipyretic, stomachic and tonic effects. The resulting applications are fever, joint complaints, insect bites, insect bites, stomach complaints, swellings and as a tonic or for venous diseases. The application as a tea or externally as a plant pulp is well tolerated. However, due to the low prussic acid content, the tea should not be used for a long period of time. Dried root, herb and seeds of forest honeysuckle can also be obtained from pharmacies. When ordering from pharmacies, attention must also be paid to the possibility of confusion with meadowsweet, because meadowsweet is also known by the name of honeysuckle. For prevention and treatment, up to three cups of the forest honeysuckle tea can be drunk daily. This can also be done in sips throughout the day, because the active ingredients remain stable even in the cooled tea. The tea brew from the root has the higher density of active ingredients compared to the tea from flowers and leaves.
