
Meadowsweet (Latin: Filipendula ulmaria)
Meadowsweet is a perennial plant that grows in moist and sunny locations, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height. Its flowers have a pleasant and distinctive aroma that can be detected from a great distance and are highly attractive to bees. This scent is even noticeable in meadowsweet honey. It is also used in aromatherapy.
Meadowsweet acts as a natural antibiotic, aspirin, and thermoregulator. It purifies the blood, lowers blood sugar levels, normalizes blood pressure, functions as a natural antiseptic, reduces hot flashes during menopause, improves memory, and serves as a remedy for insomnia. Drinking large amounts of meadowsweet tea helps reduce swelling. The flowers can be either fermented or simply soaked in clean water for about 12 hours, then strained and consumed.
In the past, meadowsweet leaves were used as a repellent against mosquitoes and horseflies. The tannins they contain have a strong antimicrobial potential. Meadowsweet also has a cardiotonic effect on the heart muscles and is used for treating colds.
Meadowsweet is harvested during its flowering period, while its roots are collected in early spring or late autumn.

Dandelions (Latin: Taraxacum officinale)
Dandelions are unique because their roots can reach depths of nearly 9 meters, allowing them to access moisture and nutrients deep in the soil even during severe droughts, partially benefiting nearby plants. They are a favorite food of all herbivores.
Dandelions can be used as a remedy for insomnia, joint pain, swelling, arterial hypertension (high blood pressure), and as a diuretic. They contain high levels of potassium and magnesium, vitamins A, C, K1, E, and almost all amino acids. Dandelions also contain saponins and the bioflavonoid apigenin, which has a strong anti-cancer cytostatic effect, working similarly to chemotherapy in cancer treatment. They improve skin tone and are a good bile secretion stimulant. Dandelions are used in treating cardiovascular diseases, gout, high estrogen levels, rheumatism, anemia, and are beneficial for kidneys, liver (e.g., in treating fibrosis and cholecystitis), helping diabetics regenerate pancreatic beta cells. They possess strong diuretic properties.
The youngest dandelion leaves are the best to use. To reduce bitterness, they can be soaked in salt water for a few hours without boiling. They can be dried at temperatures not exceeding +50°C. Making jam from dandelion flowers is not advised because it retains only flavor without the medicinal properties, and sugar is highly undesirable. A better alternative to sugar would be, for example, Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Compressed dandelion flowers can be infused with it and then stored in the refrigerator. The most valuable part of the dandelion is its root, best harvested in early spring or late autumn when the concentration of medicinal substances is highest, and it is best stored frozen.

Couch grass (lat. Elytrigia)
Couch grass stands out among plants for its great vitality. Gardeners know that even a small piece of couch grass root left in the soil will grow back. It also withstands severe frost, which is why it is found even far in the north. Couch grass has an extensive and deep root system, allowing it to extract many valuable minerals from deep within the soil, including silicon, thereby improving the soil. The roots contain the polysaccharide inulin.
Couch grass is used in the treatment of gout, as this plant helps eliminate uric acid. It can also be used in cases of rheumatism and arthritis. It cleanses the skin, treats eczema and diathesis, and is a powerful anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and sudorific agent. It delays graying of hair and promotes its growth. Silicic acid (H2SiO3) promotes tissue regeneration, reduces inflammation in the body, and strengthens the walls of small blood vessels – capillaries.
Couch grass roots are harvested early in spring or late in autumn and dried. Herbivorous animals enjoy eating it, even cats and dogs, to cleanse their kidneys.
Broadleaf Plantain (Lat. Plantago major L)
Broadleaf plantain is a plant from the Plantago genus found on all continents. It spreads via seeds.
Older individuals likely remember placing plantain leaves on scrapes in childhood to help them heal faster, but this plant has many other valuable properties. Plantain leaves help reduce bad cholesterol and inflammation. Their seeds are used to decrease excess fat mass and serve as highly beneficial nourishment for the symbiotic gut microflora. These seeds are also excellent absorbents.
Plantain leaves have strong antiseptic properties. Their juice is used in the treatment of most gastrointestinal diseases, as it enhances gastric secretion. It is recommended to take a spoonful before meals. The juice can be used fresh or thawed and may be mixed with honey.
Plantain is used for bronchopulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis, upper respiratory catarrh, pleuritis, and bronchial asthma. Plantain decoction and juice help activate the lymphatic drainage system, the bronchi, and enhance secretion. This process facilitates the removal of mucus (phlegm) from the bronchi and lungs.
Plantain thickens the blood, but this side effect can be easily prevented by drinking enough water.
Burdock (Lat. Arctium lappa)
The burdock is a biennial plant. In medicine, it is best to use the leaves from first-year plants, while the roots are most effective from second-year plants. Burdock leaf juice has diuretic, antifungal, and anticancer properties, making it useful for ulcer treatment. Burdock leaf tea is used in the treatment of tumors. The leaves are used for compresses, for example, on injuries, aching joints, and in cases of fibrocystic mastopathy.
Burdock leaf juice is extracted from young leaves and taken one tablespoon three times a day. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. To improve its taste, a little honey can be added. Burdock is also used for kidney diseases, burns, as nose drops, and as a preventive remedy. Beekeepers recognize burdock as a nectar-producing plant.
In salads, young burdock leaves and peeled leaf stalks are used, thereby improving the function of symbiotic microflora and aiding digestion.
Yellow Everlasting Flower (Lat. Helichrysum arenarium)
The yellow everlasting flower, also known as yellow strawflower, prefers to grow in dry soil or on hills. Its leaves and stem are covered with a waxy felt-like coating. When dried, the yellow everlasting flower retains both its shape and color. In the past, people used it for disinfection, for example, by fumigating barns, or as a pest repellent to protect clothing from moths.
In medicine, only the flowers are used, and they must be freshly bloomed. The number of medicinal properties it possesses is so vast that listing them all would be difficult. The yellow everlasting flower is the most potent choleretic (bile-stimulating) agent among all medicinal plants. It increases the concentration of bile acids in bile, thereby improving liver and biliary tract function, as well as enhancing gallbladder efficiency. It is used for elevated bilirubin levels, biliary dyskinesia (motor dysfunction of the gallbladder and bile ducts), cirrhosis, jaundice, cholecystitis, and hepatitis. The yellow everlasting flower helps relieve spasms in the bile ducts, blood vessels, and intestines, as well as preventing constipation. It reduces nausea, vomiting, and harmful cholesterol levels, promotes wound healing, and improves fat (lipid) metabolism. It is also used in antiparasitic programs, proves beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism, and in cases of osteochondrosis, it is utilized to increase the fluid content in intervertebral discs.
Contraindications – cases when this plant should not be used:
- Gastritis of the stomach during an exacerbation,
- Acute pancreatitis,
- Gallstone disease,
- Stomach and duodenal ulcers,
- Pregnancy and children under 12 years of age,
- Cases of individual intolerance.
Preparation Method:
Pour one tablespoon of dried yellow everlasting flowers with 200 ml of hot water (70-80°C) and let it steep for 2-3 hours. Strain and drink half an hour before meals, three times a day. For more detailed information on its medicinal use, consult a homeopathic doctor.

Coltsfoot (Lat. Tussilago farfara)
Coltsfoot is a herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It thrives in moist and clay-rich soil. The upper side of its leaves is smooth, while the underside is covered with fine hairs. Coltsfoot has a deep root system. It begins flowering early in the spring, with flowers appearing first, followed by the leaves later.
Coltsfoot is one of the best remedies for bronchial and lung diseases. It is effective as an expectorant and cough-relieving agent. Coltsfoot contains many medicinal components, including saponins, glycosides, tannins, phytosterols, and organic acids. Due to these compounds, it possesses various therapeutic properties, such as choleretic (bile-stimulating), anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and wound-healing effects. It can also be used as a sudorific (sweat-inducing) remedy. Coltsfoot is used to treat laryngitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, and even lung cancer. A concentrated and settled decoction, when massaged into the scalp, can be used as a remedy for dandruff and alopecia. The leaves are used as wraps for joints, trophic ulcers, and varicose veins. The juice from the leaves is applied to the nose in cases of rhinitis and sinusitis.
Leaves are harvested in early summer, while flowers are collected in early spring. Both the flowers and leaves have similar medicinal properties. Coltsfoot has almost no side effects. However, since it contains alkaloids, it should not be used by young children, new mothers, or individuals suffering from toxic hepatitis or cirrhosis.