Turkish dragonhead bears the botanical name Dracocephalum moldavica. It is also called Moldavian dragonhead or Moldavian lemon balm and belongs to the dragonhead genus (Dracocephalum) and the labiates family (Lamiaceae). The plant is used in folk medicine, among other things, as a medicinal plant for stomach and intestinal complaints, but is also used in cooking and as an ornamental plant.
Occurrence and cultivation of the Turkish dragonhead.
Turkish dragonhead is used in folk medicine, among other things, as a medicinal plant for stomach and intestinal complaints, but also finds use in the kitchen and as an ornamental plant. The herbaceous annual plant reaches heights of between 20 and 40 centimeters. The stems are erect and branched. They are also hairy and purple in color. Turkish dragonhead has deciduous leaves on the upper part of the stem, which hang from stems that are about as wide as a spade. The leaves grow up to four centimeters long and 1.2 centimeters wide. Their shape is oval or wedge-shaped and they have leading bundles with small hairs. The plant owes its name to the shape of its flowers. Their shape is reminiscent of a dragon’s head with its mouth open. The flowers of Turkish dragonhead are blue-violet in color and are white-glandular on the outside. The labiate flowers are double-lipped, with the upper lip unevenly toothed and with a sharp point. Often the lower lip is darkly spotted. The fruits of Turkish dragonhead grow to about 2.5 millimeters long. The inflorescences consist of four flowers that are loosely attached to stems and twigs. Their calyx is eight to ten millimeters long, and the glands are golden. The plant blooms between July and August. Originally it comes from the former Constantinople, now Istanbul. In the 16th century it came to Central Europe. Since 1594 it is also found in our gardens and was used similarly to lemon balm. The aroma of Turkish dragonhead is very peculiar, although less strong than that of lemon balm. In addition, it is widespread in Asia and can also be found in India, China and Russia. Among other things, it serves as an ornamental and bee forage plant. Turkish dragonhead has few demands on climatic conditions. The plant thrives best in sunny places with calcareous soil. It can be found on dry hills and river banks as well as at altitudes between 200 and 2700 meters. However, the plant needs some distance from other flowers to thrive. For this, 25 centimeters is a good guideline. As a garden plant, Turkish dragonhead is very popular because it does not need watering even in dry periods. In addition, it does not require additional fertilizer, as it is a wild herb. In Europe, the plant is most common in Northern and Eastern Europe. In Austria, Turkish dragonhead can also be found running wild in Burgenland and Styria. However, it is rather rare here. In South Tyrol the plant is considered extinct. Other trivial names of the Turkish dragonhead are Turkish Boalsen in Transylvania, foreign balm and Turkish melissa. Not all names are still in use today.
Effect and application
The harvested herb, when dried, is traded as a drug under the name dracocephali herba and used as a flavoring. In the past, the two species Arat and Aratora were cultivated in the GDR. The shoot tips and leaves are harvested at full bloom for their high essential oil content. The plant is used in teas and finds use in the food industry. Here it serves as a flavoring for spirits, teas and soft drinks. But it can also be used for dips and liqueurs, as well as an edible decoration in dishes. For this purpose, the optimal time to harvest the sprout is the flowering period. The herb is also suitable as an additive to own herbal teas. In Germany, the Turkish dragonhead is still quite unknown as a kitchen plant and is accordingly used rather rarely. In addition to this method of use, Turkish dragonhead is also used as a bee pasture. The flowers produce a nectar with the highest sugar content, which even exceeds that of plants such as rapeseed. Instead, it is mainly used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Turkish dragonhead contains high amounts of citral and geranyl acetate. These are essential oils. 0.2 to 0.5 percent of essential oils are found in leaves and shoot tips. The smell is reminiscent of lemon balm, but weaker.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
In folk medicine, Turkish dragonhead is used especially for digestive problems. The reason for this is the high number of essential oils contained in Turkish dragonhead. These include geraniol, nerylacetate and citrate. The oils have an effect on digestion and help against various ailments. These include stomach pain, heartburn and intestinal complaints such as diarrhea or constipation. In addition, the plant has a stimulating effect on the activity of the liver and gall bladder. It promotes the formation of gastric juice and is antispasmodic. Accordingly, it is used in tea mixtures that can be used for stomach problems. For this purpose, it is recommended to pour one to three spoonfuls of the herb with 150 milliliters of boiling water. This mixture should steep, covered, for ten minutes before being strained. Several freshly prepared cups of the tea are recommended during the day. Similar to lemon balm, Turkish dragonhead has a calming and balancing effect. However, if the symptoms do not subside after a few days, a visit to the doctor is advisable. Home remedies can rarely replace a visit to a medical professional and should therefore be used only conditionally and for mild complaints.
