Orange Hawkweed: Applications, Treatments, Health Benefits

Orange-red hawkweed is originally a mountain plant that grows at altitudes of a thousand meters or more. Its orange flowers make it a popular ornamental plant, and as an adaptor, it can now be found in the lowlands. It is considered the district plant of Swabia because of its easy recognition.

Occurrence and cultivation of orange hawkweed.

Orange-red hawkweed is a perennial plant that grows up to 40 centimeters tall with a hairy stem. The botanical name of the herb is Hieracium aurantiacum. The name is derived from the fact that it belongs to the hawkweeds and the golden and orange color of the flowers. The genus of hawkweeds includes more than 700 species. The origin of the name hawkweed is not clear. There are several theories. One refers to the heights of the mountains where the plant grows. Only hawks could reach them. Another traces the name to the herb’s tongue flowers, which resemble hawk’s wings in shape. The orange-red hawkweed is a perennial plant that grows up to 40 centimeters tall with a hairy stem. It forms above and below ground stolons through which it spreads. The leaves are lance-shaped and evergreen. From June to late August, the herb blooms with flowers arranged in clusters. Their color ranges from yellow-orange to orange-red. Originally, this plant is native to the mountains of Europe and northern Asia at altitudes from 1000 to 3000 meters. In the Alps it is often found. Due to its robustness, it can now be found in the European lowlands and has reached as far as North America and Australia. The preferred location of the herb is sunny or semi-shaded dry soils and lean meadows and pastures.

Effect and application

The orange-red hawkweed is especially important for garden owners. In cultivated form, the wild perennial is suitable as a ground cover. It is available as seed or fully mature plant. The appealing thing about the plant is its flowering. In a natural garden, this herb also provides orange accents, as there are very few wild plants with this flower color. Another advantage of the flowers is that they attract butterflies, bees and bumblebees. Especially orange butterflies like the Small Fox or the Ducat butterfly prefer their proximity. Since the herb has few soil requirements, it is suitable for planting on terraces, rock gardens, natural stone walls and for green roofs. However, it does proliferate vigorously. If you want to avoid overgrowth of the garden with the plants, resort to container planting. Since the herb is frost-hardy, the leaves are green even in winter. A good location for sowing is a sunny or semi-shaded place. The herb is not poisonous and is edible. In cooking, the leaves, flowers and buds are used. They are suitable for wild herb salads and herbal curd. The slightly sweet flowers provide decorative splashes of color in salads. The slightly bitter leaves go well with herbal soups or mixed vegetables. The buds can be pickled like capers. In the Giant Mountains there are old recipes in which the herb was an ingredient for brandy. The collection period for the leaves starts from May and for the buds from June. The flowers can sometimes be collected until September. So far, there are no studies on the effectiveness of the plant. Its main ingredients are tannins, bitter substances such as umbelliferone, flavonoids and essential oils. The small hawkweed was considered by Hildegard von Bingen as a medicinal herb for the heart, eyesight and digestion. Many of the healing effects she described were transferred to the orange-red herb by folk medicine. In the present day, it is not considered a medicinal herb by either traditional medicine or naturopathy. The essential oils contained in the herb cause it to be known as a smoking herb among smokers.

Importance for health, treatment and prevention.

As a medicinal plant, orange-red hawkweed is known only in folk medicine. In the past, it was used for quite a few internal ailments such as bladder and kidney infections, rheumatism, gout, colds, stomach and intestinal complaints or diarrhea. It was considered beneficial for eye diseases and helpful in wound healing. According to folk medicine, it has expectorant, diuretic, antibiotic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects. These effects are not scientifically proven.Earlier used eye wash with the herb is not recommended, because it can cause allergic reactions. As a home remedy for inflammation of the mouth and throat is considered a tea made from the leaves of the herb. In wild collections, be careful not to confuse the herb with the golden pippa. The latter is non-toxic, but even folk medicine does not see any healing properties in this plant. The collected leaves of orange-red hawkweed can be used fresh and dried for tea. For drying the leaves, an airy shady place is recommended. To relieve the inflammation of the throat or oral mucosa, tradition recommends two cups of the tea per day. This involves two teaspoons to a quarter of a liter of water. In addition, the tea has a calming effect and helps with menstrual cramps, gastritis and intestinal mucosa inflammation. The tea is suitable for rinsing and gargling in case of sore throat and cold symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties. Side effects of this application are not known and the plant is not poisonous. Nevertheless, for all at-risk groups and for unexplained ailments, it is advisable to consult with a physician before treatment.