Occurrence & cultivation of the Italian straw flower
The Curry herb lives up to its name, because it is a shrub-like plant that impresses with its bright yellow color and smells pleasantly of curry. It is not only used as an addition to herbs and spices Italian everlasting flower popular, it is also used as a medicinal plant.
Due to its appearance, its corymbic overall inflorescence and cup-shaped partial inflorescence, it belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and to the order of the asters. The cup shell is bell-shaped and golden yellow, the bracts are arranged in several rows in the form of roof tiles. It comes from the Mediterranean area and has not been known for very long in Central Europe. The name Italian straw flower is a bit misleading as the wild plant populations are native to Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and the southern countries of Europe.
So she doesn't come exclusively from Italy. If it weren't for the bright yellow color, the curry herb would be a rather inconspicuous plant. It is an evergreen subshrub that can grow up to seventy centimeters and is bushy. It has narrow roots and, as the popular name Sonnengold suggests, feels at home in sunny places. The leaves are silvery-gray or silvery-green and taper in a lanceolate and needle-like shape. Visually, they are reminiscent of the leaves of rosemary or lavender.
The Italian immortelle contains various essential oils that are responsible for the aromatic curry scent. Fresh rain intensifies the scent. The stem (sprout axis) is unstable and lignified, the older the plant becomes. The fruits contain brown and oval seeds. However, the sun-kissed Mediterranean plant does not make any great demands on its location. The soil must be low in humus and sandy and have good irrigation (drainage), although waterlogging is not desirable.
Effect & application
The curry herb is less known in German cuisine, while it is a very popular spice in Mediterranean countries. The plant is not to be confused with the curry powder, which consists of coriander, cardamom, pepper, cumin and nutmeg. The Italian straw flower got the popular name curry herb only because of its appearance, the yellow color and the typical smell of curry. However, it is also known as a medicinal herb in northern latitudes.
Even ancient Greece and Rome appreciated their healing properties. In the medieval herbal books it was listed as Helichrysum, although its healing power was not so well known at the time. Folk medicine used the sun gold for various women's ailments, urinary problems and snakebites. The modern methods of naturopathy also appreciate the yellow subshrub plant because of its many ingredients.
They have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial, expectorant, fungicidal, relaxing, decongestant and wound healing effects. The curry herb is used for coughs, bronchitis, for cleaning wounds, for mild depression, nervous restlessness, skin problems such as impurities, itching and eczema, hemorrhoids and bruises.
The plant components of the Italian immortelle are processed as an ointment and used against all kinds of skin problems. Flavonoids and essential oils are responsible for healing properties. The ingredients of curry herb are also used in cosmetic products such as moisturizing sprays. A tea made from the dried flowers and leaves of the plant is effective against cold symptoms. Two teaspoons of curry herb are used for 250 milliliters of water.
Pharmacies also offer the Italian straw flower as a ready-made herbal mixture. Plant-based essential oil is very popular. It is sold under the name Bio-Helichrysum. Known as immortelle oil, the product is used in aromatherapy and is sometimes referred to as arnica due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The oil is effective against skin inflammation and bruises and has haemolytic properties that have a strong cell-renewing and skin and tissue regeneration effect.
The sesquiterpene ketones contained in the oil are responsible for this. Immortelle oil can be safely applied to the skin in its pure form, which distinguishes it from most of its "colleagues", as these oils are normally never allowed to come into contact with the human organism unprocessed
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
The curry herb is safe to use and therefore not toxic. For this reason, the sun gold is very popular both as a spice plant and in naturopathy. Homeopathy also appreciates the versatile plant due to its highly effective ingredients tannin, glycosides, flavonoids, essential oils and naringenines. Helichrysum italicum is a plant with many positive properties that can also be used by people without special knowledge of herbs.
The simplest forms of application, however, are homeopathic remedies as globules, tablets or ointments. Immortelle-based ointments have an excellent effect against hemorrhoids and quickly fade scars. The essential oil has also proven to be an effective remedy for frostbite in winter and sunburn in summer. The Italian immortelle is processed in organic stills for the production of the essential oil in the area of Piedmont, Italy, and then put on the market.
For aromatherapy, the oil of the curry bush is an important natural remedy that has a positive effect on overall well-being, but also on chronic complaints such as cough and bronchitis.
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