Mgr inż. Beata Romanowska
Bluszczyk kurdybanek Glechoma hederacea has an original name as well as appearance.Its raised shoots with blue flowers look very delicate, as are the small, round, slightly corrugated leaves on the creeping shoots. This plant is strong and expansive.Thanks to its long aerial runners, it grows easily, covering the surface.
It grows most willingly in meadows, in roadside ditches, at the edges of forests. It prefers soils rich in nitrogen and slightly shaded places. In full sun it grows slower, also smells less.It occurs in Europe and Asia. Bluszczyk starts vegetation in early spring and ends it in late autumn. In mild winters, it can be evergreen.
Bluszczyk kurdybanek was used in the kitchen and in folk medicine back in the 19th century. Today it is treated as a weed in gardens. In the past, young leaves with a slightly spicy taste were added to various dishes - soups, vegetables, meats, eggs, stuffing, potatoes, pasta or they were prepared like spinach.The plant was also added to salads, because the ivy helped to cleanse the body and accelerated the metabolism.For medicinal purposes, it can be harvested from April to June - when it blooms, but the tastiest one is harvested in May.
Bluszczyk owes its characteristic bitter taste to bitterness - glechomin. It also contains tannins, sesquiterpene compounds, triterpene acids, mineral s alts, flavonoids and essential oil. In the Middle Ages, the Kurdybanek ivy was a popular spice and a magical herb to protect against witchcraft, plague and charms on cattle.
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Currently, it soothes and eliminates inflammation of the gastric mucosa, urinary tract infections and insufficient bile secretion. Some herbalists find it a good drug against lead poisoning.Externally, it has an astringent, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.It is used in acne and dermatitis. We will increase the effectiveness of the blusher when we combine it with other herbs. Old prescriptions recommend an odd number of them.
This small plant is also appreciated by beekeepers, because it is one of the first spring benefits for bees that fly around it willingly.
