Ground ivy is little known as a medicinal plant. By many amateur gardeners, it is considered a weed and removed. Yet its uses are many and varied.
Occurrence and cultivation of Gundermann
Even though ground ivy is a remedy or kitchen ingredient for humans, it is poisonous to many mammals. In particular, this plant can be dangerous to horses. The Gundermann belongs to the family of labiates. The blue to purple flowers are striking. The leaves are roundish and can appear both strongly hairy and hairless. Groundsel spreads primarily through side shoots and is therefore very suitable as a groundcover. It prefers calcareous, fertile soils. It is widespread in Europe. The gathering season for the herb begins as early as March. Thus, the Gundermann is one of the first medicinal herbs of the year. Primarily the leaves are used. They contain the most medicinally active components. But Gundermann can be used not only as a medicine. It can also be used in the kitchen as a seasoning herb. In summer, the flowers enrich the menu as edible decoration. In some regions, the Gundermann is also known as Gundelrebe, soldier parsley or Erdefeu. Similarity to this has the English name of the plant: Ground Ivy. Even though ground ivy is a remedy or kitchen ingredient for humans, it is poisonous to many mammals. In particular, this plant can be dangerous to horses.
Effect and application
Gundermann primarily contains tannins, essential oils as well as bitter substances. It also contains vitamin C, which makes the plant a good and healthy ingredient for the first wild herb salads of spring. Although the Gundermann was already used by the Germanic tribes as a medicinal herb, today it is not widely used in traditional medicine. Yet it is versatile due to its ingredients. It can be used both internally and externally. Internally, it is used for its expectorant effect in respiratory diseases. Due to its appetite-stimulating and digestive effect, it serves as a tonic for long-lasting diseases. However, it is also suitable as a remedy for a spring cure due to its purifying ingredients. For internal use, primarily a tea is used. This is prepared like other herbal teas. About one teaspoon of the herb is brewed with a cup of water and left to steep for five minutes. Three cups of this tea are drunk daily until the symptoms subside. Externally, the gundermann is used primarily for poorly healing or even festering wounds. For this purpose, a clean, preferably sterile cloth can be soaked with the described tea and used as a compress. Likewise, an oil can be made from the plant and used. For this purpose, the leaves are placed in a jar and pressed together. This jar is placed in a sunny place for a few days. After a while, the squeezed oil collects at the bottom of the jar. This is strained and stored in a dark and cool place. The wounds can be treated with it as needed. For more extensive treatments, a bath made from gundermann is a good choice. For this, five handfuls of leaves are boiled in five liters of water and then added to the bath water. This recipe corresponds to the quantities for a full bath. Of course, for partial baths or washes, a correspondingly smaller amount can be made. This mixture is also suitable for a mouth rinse against gum problems. However, it is advisable here to prepare a smaller quantity and store it in smaller bottles until use. The tea described above can also be used as a mouth rinse.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
As already indicated, the Gundermann already had a great importance as a medicinal plant among the Germanic tribes. Hildegard von Bingen also described its medicinal effectiveness against fatigue, states of exhaustion and chronic respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, its effectiveness was forgotten due to the development of modern medicine. However, it is quite a tasty herb, which, in addition to its medicinal use, is also an asset in the kitchen. Due to the content of vitamin C, it can be used preventively against colds in the spring. It is recommended to collect the fresh herb. This has a stronger effect than the dried.A wild herb salad with other herbs that sprout fresh in spring, such as nettle, dandelion and chickweed, is not only very tasty but also healthy. Most of these herbs have a purifying and invigorating effect. This can also counteract the often described spring fatigue. If also with already existing diseases the tea represents the first choice, for the Vorbeugung also this salad is recommendable. Those who do not like the wild herbs as a salad can also prepare them as a soup. This is a traditional Maundy Thursday dish in some regions. Furthermore, because of its diuretic effect, the gundermann can be used very well for bladder and kidney problems. First choice here is the preparation as a tea. But also sitting and full baths can bring relief. If you want to reduce your salt consumption and take additional vitamins, you can use the spicy ground ivy as a salt substitute. To do this, the herb is dried and ground into a fine powder. Artificial flavor enhancers can also be replaced in a healthy way. Overall, the Gundermann is a very effective remedy for various ailments. There are no known side effects for humans and by using it as a spice in the kitchen, disease prevention can be done virtually incidentally.
