It is surprising to many that thistles are members of the daisy family (Asteraceae). Asteraceae all have groups (inflorescences) of many small flowers forming a flower head that looks like a single flower.
Their are many species of thistle and to the untrained eye a lot of them look more or less all the same. The distinguishing features of the milk thistle are its milky sap (which one can see coming out of the leaves when they are broken) and the white markings on its leaves (see the photo below). Hence the name. It is also called Saint Mary’s thistle: in popular legend the white leaf markings are supposed to represent the virgin Mary’s milk.
Milk thistle is an upright herb which when adult may be anything from 30 cm to 2 m tall. The stem is grooved and sometimes bears fine cotton-like hairs. Like most thistles the leaves are spiny. The red-purple inflorescences are 4 to 12 cm and in flower in the three summer months. The flower head is surrounded by spiny bracts (modified leaves).
Milk thistle is native to Mediterranean Europe, Iran and Afghanistan, although it has been widely introduced to other areas of the world.
It is found most readily on disturbed ground such as the edges of fields, on fallow or pasture land, near rubble deposits, on waste ground and such like.
The parts of the plant most used for medicine are the seeds, but all of the above ground parts may be used for similar purposes.
While I am wary of speaking in terms of single active constituents (I am more interested in the total effect of the whole plant), many of milk thistle’s properties have been attributed to its silymarin content.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) milk thistle is considered a cooling bitter herb that affects the liver, clearing heat and relieving toxicity. As bitterness is associated with a Drying nature and toxicity with Damp, one can conclude that milk thistle has Cooling, Drying properties. Milk thistles bitterness is however mild, which suggests a harmonising effect and a gradual, restorative action, especially on the liver. Nevertheless, it can have dramatic effects as has been demonstrated in its protection against acute death cap mushroom poisoning.
When To Use It
Liver disorders.
Scarcity of breast milk.
Milk thistle is antioxidant, hepatoprotective, restorative to the liver, choleretic (it stimulates bile secretion from the liver) and galactogogue (stimulates breast milk production). Its primary use is for liver and gall bladder disorders often as adjuvant treatment: abnormal liver function, hepatitis, cirrhosis, gallstones (prevention of formation), alcoholism, fatty liver, non-alcoholic liver disease, diabetes secondary to cirrhosis, exposure to liver toxins (e.g. death cap mushroom poisoning), chemotherapy, drug abuse, oral contraceptive use. It can also be tried for scarcity of breast milk in lactating mothers.
When and How to Harvest
Milk thistle seeds are harvested in the autumn when the flowers dry out and the thistle head is covered in whispy hairs. Harvest them on a warm dry day after any dew has evaporated. These hairs come from the ends of the seeds, which are brown, beige or grey in colour. Wearing thick gloves cut off the thistle heads with pruning shears, leaving a few centimetres of stalk on the head. Dry them by putting them in the oven at 70ºC for 5 hours or until the flower parts crumble easily between your fingers. When they are dry put them into a hessian bag, shake it vigorously and press it between your fingers to loosen the seeds from the thistle heads. Then they may be poured from the bag into a sealable jar for conservation. If you do this outside in a breeze, the chaff will blow away while the seeds will go into the jar!
The flowers and leaves are best harvested just after flowering. make sure you wear protective gloves to protect your hands from the spines.
Easy Household Use
Authority sources recommend between 4 and 15 g per day [1, 2]. They are referring to the dried seed as most sources do. We can only make an assumption that the same dosage range holds true for the above ground parts of the plant.
Split into 3 doses (the normal way of taking herbs) that is a minimum dose of about 1.3 g (or a third of a teaspoon) and a maximum of 5 g (1 teaspoon) taken 3 times a day. This can be taken as a decoction (hard parts like seeds) or infusion (softer parts like leaves and flowers).
For an average dose of a decoction use 10 g of dried seeds in 600 mL of water. Let it boil down to 500 mL, then strain. This is the quantity needed for one day. Drink 3 cups a day.
For an infusion bring 500 mL of water to the boil, turn off the heat, add 10 g of dried leaf or flower and let steep for 15 minutes before straining.
Or make a tincture using 200 g of dried seeds in 1 L of vodka or white wine / apple vinegar. Clearly alcoholic tinctures are not appropriate when there is serious liver damage or alcoholism. An alternative is to make your tincture using vinegar or vegetable glycerine. Take a dessertspoonful in water three times a day. 1 L will last you a month.
If using fresh plant parts, double the above weights of the plant parts used.
Silymarin absorption is enhanced when taken with lecithin. A simple way of achieving this is to eat the yolk of a boiled egg, or lecithin may be bought as a food supplement.
When Not to Use It
Milk thistle may lower your blood sugar so if you are on antidiabetic medication wou will need to consult your doctor before taking it and monitor your blood sugar regularly while taking it.
[1] Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy by Kerry Bone and Simon Mills,Churchill Livingstone, 2013.
[2] European Commission E, as reported in Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann, Healing Arts Press, 2003.
A somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the daisy family (Asteraceae), with bright blue, pale blue or light purple flowers (or rarely white or pink). When in flower chicory has a tough, grooved, hairy stem. While usually 60-90 cm tall, it may grow up to 1.5 metres. It flowers from July until October.
Its native range is Europe, Asia and Africa. varieties of cultivated chicory include the Belgian endive and radicchio. The information that follows concerns wild common chicory.
Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.). Public domain image from Piqsels.com.
Vital Qualities in Traditional Medicine
Chicory is bitter, meaning that it is Cooling and Drying. In traditional Chinese medicine it is used in cases of excess Heat (Yang) in the body.
When To Use It
Chicory acts upon the liver and gall bladder, the gut, the heart and circulation, and the brain.
Like many bitter herbs, it relieves indigestion and improves slow digestion with bloating and flatulence.
It helps the bowel in cases of constipation, and like dandelion, it is rich in a substance called inulin, a very good prebiotic (a substance that provides food for ‘good’ gut bacteria). This latter makes it useful to take along with probiotics after antibiotic use.
It can be used to stimulate the appetite if this is lacking.
It may help in cases of liver and gall badder disorder or disease.
It has been shown in animal experiments to reduce blood pressure and slow the heart beat, so may have applications in hypertension and tachycardia (an abnormally fast heart rate). Traditionally in Indian ayurvedic medicine it has been used to help in congestive heart failure (often a sequel to chronic hypertension, when the heart is no longer strong enough to pump blood around the body).
Ayurveda also uses chicory against general debility, fever, headaches and insomnia. With regard to the latter three, chicory contains volatile components similar to those in feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), a plant which has a solid reputation in treating these complaints.
Externally, chicory leaves (rather than roots) have been used for swelling and inflammation.
When and How to Harvest
Chicory roots should be harvested in the autumn and dried for conservation as described here.
Easy Household Use
For a decoction use 10 g of dried root in 600 mL of water. Let it boil down to 500 mL. This is the quantity needed for one day. Drink 3 cups a day.
Or make a tincture using 200 g of dried root in 1 L of vodka. Take a dessertspoonful in water three times a day. 1 L will last you a month. If you do not like or cannot tolerate the alcohol, put it into boiling water, most of the alcohol will evaporate.
If using fresh chicory root, double the amounts of root specified above.
When Not to Use It
According to WebMD.com chicory “might” reduce blood sugar, so it is important if you are on diabetes medication to monitor your blood sugar levels closely while taking chicory.
A description of the fig tree seems superfluous to anybody who lives or has travelled on the Mediterranean, however, for completeness (and for interesting facts you didn’t know that might get you some points in a pub quiz)…
The common fig is a large shrub or small tree native to southwestern Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region (Greece east to Afghanistan). It is deciduous, monoecious (male and female flowers on same plant), may grow 4.5 – 6 m in height, with numerous spreading branches and trunk that may sometimes reach up to 2 m in diameter. The bark is smooth. The outer bark is silvery grey or ash-colored, exfoliated with irregular rounded flakes. The root system is typically shallow and spreading. (Badgujar et al., 2014).
Leaves: large (even up to 30 cm in length), bright green, single, alternate, palmate, deeply lobed, rough on the upper surface, soft hairs on the underside.
Fruit (“figs”): Pear-shaped, green when immature, purple or brown when ripe, with a thick tough peel, white on the inside, which often cracks on ripening, exposing the pulp beneath. The fig fruit is is essentially a fleshy stem containing within it numerous flowers, the ovaries of which are the seeds. The pulp has the appearance of many tiny whitish/yellowish balls (the seeds) and white filaments all embedded in red jelly. The edible seeds are generally hollow, unless pollinated. Pollinated seeds provide the characteristic nutty taste of dried figs. The interior portion is a white, inner ring containing a seed mass bound with jelly-like flesh. The fig fruit has at its end an a small opening to admit wasp pollinators, attracted by its sweet scent.
The young leaf and fruit stalks contain a white, milky latex containing an enzyme which breaks down proteins. It has been used as a wart remover. Some people are allergic to fig latex. It can cause itchy, painful dermatitis that can become worse when exposed to sunlight. If you are allergic to latex, be sure to wear long sleeves and gloves when harvesting figs.
Fig trees are commonly cultivated in warm and dry climates. They are in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from August to September.
Photo by the author.
The Common fig is widely grown for its edible fruit throughout its natural range in Iran, as well as in the rest of the Mediterranean region, and in other areas of the world with a similar climate. The East Mediterranean region is considered to be the area of the common fig domestication, and from there the cultivation spread to the West Mediterranean area, where fig populations were already present in natural habitats before domestication. The process of domestication resulted in sweeter and bigger fruits. (Verberic & Mikulic-Petkovsek, 2016).
The leaves, fruit, latex and buds may be used for medicine.
Traditional Uses in Spain
The latex was used to treat warts and verrucas.
For coughs: Syrup of figs made with honey, milk or water in which carob water (water in which carob “beans” have been boiled).
Figs were eaten when a person had throat, chest or urinary complaints.
Boiled water of figs gargled for sore throat.
For sore throats a poultice was sometimes made with fig juice, yoghurt, honey and onion, covered and held in place with a scarf for a couple of hours.
For ear ache and tinnitus crushed ripe figs were mixed with crushed mustard leaves and some of the mixture was put into the ear.
Fig latex mixed with egg yolk put into the vagina was supposed to stimulate menstruation.
Dried figs for constipation.
Burns were treated with cooked figs either alone or mixed with flour.
Cooked figs were also applied to boils.
Vital Qualities in Traditional Medicine
The fresh fruit is Cooling and harmonising, while the dried fruit is considered Warming in different ways and tonic. Fig fruit are Moistening so far as the gastrointestinal tract is concerned, but Drying to the blood. Fig leaf taken internally is Drying.
When To Use It
Historical
The Greek botanist and physician Dioscorides [1] had much to say about figs. He says that when eaten fresh they loosen the bowels, quench thirst, and are cooling (by causing perspiration) but bring out pimples and may cause stomach upsets. Dried, they are warming and help the bowels to function but cause thirst. They are nourishing and good for people “who have a poor colour from a long illness”, for which I read anaemia, which often accompanies chronic illness. Figs are good for chronic chest complaints, especially when boiled with hyssop and taken as a drink. A decoction of figs is gargled to relieve tonsillitis and drunk to reduce inflammation of the arteries (arteritis). Crushed boiled figs reduce lumps, boils and glandular swellings. Boiled in wine with barley meal and wormwood they were used as a poultice for oedema (fluid swelling). Burnt and put into a wax ointment they “cure chilblains”. Raw figs crushed and mixed with “moist mustard” (I am supposing the pounded leaves) was put into the ears to treat tinnitus. Fig latex taken as a drink with pounded almonds raises boils (I sense from his writing that he considered this to be a good thing – perhaps to release “heat” or toxins), to open the pores, loosen the bowels and “relax the womb”. Mixed with egg yolk or wax and applied to the vagina it “expels the menstrual flow”. It was used as a poultice for gout when mixed with fenugreek flowers and vinegar. A poultice of fig latex mixed with polenta clears “spots made by the heat of the sun” and cures skin infections and infestations. Dabbed onto tooth cavities it relieves toothache. It also removes warts (mixed with animal fat). Both unripe figs and fig latex applied externally relieve insect stings and bites. Applied as a poultice with vinegar and salt unripe figs heal pustules and ulcers on the head, as well as dandruff. A lye (an alkaline liquid used for cleansing) is made by steeping the ashes of burnt fig branches. It has astringent properties. Applied to the skin frequently with a sponge it cleans and closes wounds and weeping sores. As a suppository or drunk (mixed with a little oil) it helps dysentery and intestinal disorders. Taken by mouth it is an antidote to the bite of the “harvest spider”. Mixed with oil it is a good ointment for sore tendons. Several other nowadays less commonplace uses are listed by Dioscorides.
I have a lot of time for Dioscorides because he seems to have been a down-to-earth practical man, meticulous about cataloguing the actual popular uses of plants rather than theorising.
Modern
Traditionally around the world fig fruit, leaves, latex and even bark have been used for an extraordinarily wide variety of ailments. Those listed below are the most commonly cited, as well as those backed by science to some degree:
Chronic coughs, bronchitis, poor digestion, diabetes, bacterial infections, inflammation, fever, liver disorders, to protect the liver against chemotherapy or toxins (e.g. excess alcohol), diabetes, high blood cholesterol, hyperlipidaemia, worms.
Externally: Haemorrhoids.
Latex
Although fig latex has been used traditionally for internal complaints, I advise against taking it internally because it is an irritant to the digestive tract and I can find no information as to its correct dosing or safety.
The buds, prepared as a glicerite, used by European phytotherapists and naturopaths for digestive disturbances, particularly those with a strong psychological component.
Signatures (memory aids)
The fig is sweet: fig leaves are antidiabetic.
The fig is pear-shaped like a fat person. this is the Earth elment in Chinese medicine. Earth element = flesh (the fig fruit is nourishing), also the pancreas (the fig leaf can be used for diabetes).
The inner fruit resembles bed of worms: fig leaves can be used against intestinal parasites
The leaves are lobed, like the liver, and the fig leaf is
When and How to Harvest
Some historical uses call for unripe figs (see Dioscorides above). Otherwise figs are picked when they are nicely purple and have softened but preferably before they split. Figs may be dried in the following way. Cut them in half lengthway then put them onto a wire rack and into an oven preheated to 110ºC preferably fan forced. Preheat oven to 120C/100C fan-forced. Bake them for 6 hours or until they have dried. Keep an eye on them in case they begin to burn on the surface, in which case open the oven door for a minute to let some heat out, put the figs lower in the oven, turn down the heat and to continue to cook them until they are ready. They should still be soft, not baked hard. Judge the consistency from what you know from shop-bought ones.
Fig leaves are best harvested when young.
The sap (latex) can be used to dab on warts, verrucas, stings and such like directly from a broken leaf stalk.
Easy Household Use
Fresh or dried figs: 2-6 figs/d.
Dried leaves (see “How to Dry Herbs” here) can be used to make a decoction (see here) or a tincture (here). These are taken at the standard doses.
Both leaves and fruit may be used to make a poultice for external applications.
When Not to Use It
Eating too many figs may cause diarrhoea.
Fig leaves or fruit may lower your blood sugar, so if you are taking medicine for diabetes take care to monitor your blood sugar (glycaemia) closely.
Fig latex is an irritant. It is not advisable to take it internally. Avoid using it on healthy skin, or on skin affected by inflammatory diseases like dermatitis.
[1] Pedanius Dioscorides (AD40-90), a Greek botanist and physician employed by the Roman army. On his postings he would document in drawings and extensive writings the local medicinal plants and their popular uses. His opus magnum is the five-volume De Materia Medica (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedanius_Dioscorides.)
Hibiscus is not native to Ibiza, but because of its popularity as a cultivated plant, because it thrives in the Mediterranean climate, and its potential medicinal value, I have decided to include it here.
Hibiscus is a widely distributed genus of more than 300 species native to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. These include herbaceous plants (annual and perennial), woody shrubs and small trees. Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants. The most obvious distinguishing feature of hibiscus are its large, colourful, trumpet-shaped flowers with five or more petals and protruding pistil surrounded at its tip by numerous stamens. Flower colour can be white to pink, red, blue, orange, peach, yellow or purple.
Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle), the species known for the drink karkade* , is also the one most studied for its medicinal value. It is native to India and Malaysia but is now grown in various tropical and subtropical regions. Aside from this, I have decided to limit my discussion to three species which because of their hardiness to lower temperatures are commonly grown in Europe: Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Syria, rose of sharon), well-known throughout the Mediterranean, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Chinese rose mallow) and Hibiscus moscheutos (swamp rose mallow).
All of the aforementioned species are edible and/or can be used for medicine (see below). The flowers, sepals and leaves may be eaten, even the stems may be chewed. Some say all species of hibiscus are edible, although I would not like to repeat this without definite scientific confirmation.
[* Karkade: a popular “tea” (infusion) in North Africa made from the calyces (the part of the plant comprising the sepals that surrounds the base of the petals) of roselle. It has a deep red colour, a tart flavour, and is rich in vitamin C.]
Although it is frequently said that all hibiscus species are edible, it is better to be safe than sorry. Please be sure of correct identification before using a hibiscus plant to eat or for medicine. If you are not absolutely sure about your hibiscus being one of those in the following list, do not eat it or use it for medicine.
The following species of Hibiscus are listed as edible on the Plants for a Future website [1]: Hibiscus acetosella, False roselle Hibiscus cannabinus, Kenaf Hibiscus diversifolius, Swamp hibiscus Hibiscus heterophyllus, Native rosella Hibiscus mutabilis, Cotton rose Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Chinese hibiscus, Chinese rose mallow Hibiscus sabdariffa, Roselle Hibiscus sinosyriacus, Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus, Rose of Sharon, rose of Syria Hibiscus trionum, Flower of an hour Hibiscus moscheutos, Swamp rose mallow (no reports of edibility but is listed as having medicinal properties)
Traditional Uses in Spain
There are no traditional uses in Spain.
Vital Qualities
In Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine Hibiscus is considered to have astringent and bitter tastes and to be Cooling and Drying. It reduces vitiated Pitta and Kapha doshas [2].
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) it is regarded as sour in taste and Cooling in nature“` [3]`
As with other members of the Mallow family, parts of the plant (and especially the bark and root) contain a significant amount of mucilage which is Moistening rather than Drying, so we may conclude that the plant has an ambivalent character in this regard, which perhaps depends on the part used.
What to Use It For
The most studied species is H. sabdariffa and this has been studied most for its ability to lower high blood pressure. Studies confirm the validity of this use, which is traditional in many parts of the world. Some animal studies indicate that H. syriacus and H. rosa-sinensis also produce the same effect, although this must be regarded as preliminary information and potentially but not necessarily applicable to humans.
Other potential benefits of H. sabdariffa,which according to a few studies seem to be mirrored in H. syriacus and H. rosa-sinensis are:
Reduces high blood fat levels (including cholesterol and triglycerides).
Reduces elevated blood sugar.
May help manage metabolic syndrome.
May protect the liver (e.g. against fatty liver, and liver damage from chemotherapy drugs).
Has antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory and antioxidant* properties.
May have anticancer properties.
[* Hibiscus contains anthocyanins (the plant’s red pigments), flavonoids, phenolic acids, and organic acids, many of which compounds act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body’s tissues from damaging free radicals, which age the tissues and make them more prone to degeneration and disease.]
Other Uses
The other traditional uses of the various hibiscus species are many and various. The ones that seem to be quite constant across species, geography and culture are as follows.
Chest complaints: H. rosa-sinensis, H. syriacus and H. moscheutos have all been used traditionally in several regions of the world for respiratory complaints like coughs, colds, bronchitis and catarrh. Various parts of the plant are used – flowers, leaves, stem, roots – taken internally as infusions or decoctions. Hibiscus combines several properties which may account for its benefits for the lungs and airways: demulcent (soothing to inflammation), anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and expectorant (this latter reported in H. syriacus according to the Plants for a Future database [5]).
Gynaecological and obstetric issues: In various regions H. rosa-sinensis has been used to stimulate menstrual flow (e.g. in cases of amenorrhoea), regulate the menstrual cycle, treat dysmenorrhoea, or stop excessively long menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia). Mostly the flowers have been used but also the bark, leaves and stem. The most common preparation is some kind of water extract (like an infusion or decoction), but also the juice has been used. Substances which stimulate menstruation may also stimulate uterine contractions, and thus may be used to induce labour (as in Northern Ireland), stimulate the expulsion of the placenta (e.g. East Indies) or to provoke an abortion (several regions). In Peru in addition to their use as an emmenagogue (a substance which promotes menstruation), the flowers are also taken as a contraceptive (warning: Do not rely on this!). In classical Chinese texts, H. syriacus has been reported to be used in treating leukorrhoea and vaginal or uterine bleeding [6]. In the light of its action as an emmenagogue and purported contraceptive use, hibiscus of any kind must be avoided in pregnancy and when trying to conceive.
Digestive issues: Stomach pain, diarrhoea, dysentery, poor digestion. In various regions the leaves, flowers or bark are taken for these conditions as an infusion/decoction or juice. According to A barefoot Doctor’s Manual [5], a decoction of the flowers of H. syriacus is indicated in China for “bloody stools accompanied by much gas” (I assume this can be translated as inflammatory bowel disease and/or dysentery), and a 2007 Korean study which scoured 24 classics of Oriental medicine for references to H. syriacus found reported an indication to be taken internally in bleeding intestinal diseases. The demulcent, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and haemostatic (stopping bleeding) actions of hibiscus all come into play here. A decoction of the root bark of H. syriacus has been used traditionally for intestinal worms.
Urinary inflammation: A hot water extract (decoction/infusion) of the stem/flowers of H. rosa-sinensis is taken as a diuretic and demulcent in India. H. syriacus, too, is known to be both diuretic and demulcent. These actions suggest to me a use for urinary tract inflammation (like cystitis and urethritis). Indeed H. moscheutos has established traditional uses in its native range of North America in the treatment of urinary ailments such as inflammation of the bladder (cystitis). Hibiscus has anti-bacterial and antifungal properties which would enhance its benefits for the urinary tract in cases where symptoms are associated with infection. (That is used for gonorrhoea in the Cook Islands attests to this.)
Bleeding: Hibiscus has an astringent character that is responsible for its ability to stem haemorrhage. This property has been put to use traditionally in gastrointestinal bleeding and uterine haemorrhage, as described previously.
Skin irritation/inflammation: The astringent, demulcent, emollient, antibacterial, and antifungal actions of hibiscus have been exploited in traditional medicine around the world to help skin conditions like itching, scabies (a rash and itching due to a mite infestation), fungal infections and boils. the use of hibiscus for skin problems is external, most usually as a poultice of the flowers.
Problems of the anus and rectum: H. syriacus was mentioned in classics of Chinese medicine as a treatment for haemorrhoids, anal fistula and prolapse of the rectum [6]. It’s demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent* and antibacterial effects could well explain these uses, effects that it shares with other hibiscus species.
[* The quality of astringency in medicinal plants has the effect of toning lax tissue, reducing swelling and congestion, making tissue less susceptible to infection, and it even produces a certain antimicrobial effect in its own right.]
Important note!!!: Some of the conditions mentioned above are potentially serious, even life-threatening. Always go to your doctor for a proper diagnosis before embarking on any form of treatment.
When and How to Harvest
The most used parts of hibiscus species in general are the flowers, but H. sabdariffa is harvested principally for its calyces (sepals). H. sabdariffa flowers in the autumn, H. syriacus in late summer, H. moscheutos in summer and early autumn and H. rosa-sinensis throughout the year. The flowering period lasts two or three weeks in the case of H. sabdariffa, but for H. syriacus and H. moscheutos new buds produce flowers over a long summer blooming period. Flowers only last for 1 or 2 days. Pick them when they have just opened, in the morning on a sunny day, after any dew has evaporated.
If you are lucky enough to have a roselle (H. sabdariffa), to harvest the calyces (singular calyx: the “cup” formed from the sepals), wait till 3 to 7 days after the flowers have dropped. Then cut them from their stems with clippers, slit them down the middle and remove the single pea-like seed pod. They may then be dried and stored.
I can find no information about when to harvest the other plant parts specifically of hibiscus, but the general rules for harvesting medicinal plants are as follows:
Harvest leaves and stems when foliage is healthy and abundant enough to sustain growth but before flowering.
Harvest roots in late autumn or early winter.
Harvest bark in the spring. Do not take too much bark from each stem and never take bark in a circle all around a stem, as this will cause the death of the parts above that point.
Easy Household Use
In many of the studies of H. sabdariffa for high blood pressure a simple infusion has been used, with dosages of dried hibiscus ranging from 2 to 20 g per day for four weeks. No standard dose has been established. I would suggest using a teaspoonful (that’s about 3 g) of ground dried hibiscus per cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes before drinking. Drink one cup per day. If necessary (that is if results are insufficient), increase this to two or three times a day.
For other hibiscus species and/or other uses, I can do no better than suggest following traditional practices, that is, for internal use an infusion (for soft plant parts) or decoction (for hard plant parts), and for external use a poultice or compress (see Preparations). As the species of hibiscus discussed in this chapter have minimal or no toxicity except perhaps with prolonged use at high doses, I would suggest that standard doses are appropriate (see Doses).
When Not to Use It
The following information is specifically about Hibiscus sabdariffa taken as a tea. I have been unable to find reports of any negative effects from the use of other species of hibiscus. On the basis of similarity of chemistry, actions and effects with what is known of other species of hibiscus, it seems reasonable to assume that the cautions would be similar.
Hibiscus tea is generally well tolerated at normal doses (up to 3 cups per day of the infusion). However, prolonged use at high doses might harm the liver.
Avoid taking hibiscus in the following situations:
In pregnancy: it might stimulate uterine contractions and cause an abortion.
When breast-feeding: it might pass into the breast milk. The effects of hibiscus in new born children is unknown.
When trying to conceive: in some countries hibiscus has been used traditionally as a birth-control medicine.
Within 2 weeks of scheduled surgery: hibiscus might make blood sugar control difficult during surgery.
If you are taking any of the following medicines: diclofenac, chloroquinine, paracetamol (also known as acetominaphen), statins. Hibiscus might change the way the body absorbs, metabolises or eliminates these medicines, either making them less effective or increasing the strength of their action beyond what is required or safe. If you are taking medicines for high blood pressure or diabetes, use hibiscus under medical supervision: as hibiscus also acts on blood pressure and blood sugar, the dose of those medications may need to be adjusted.
[1] Easy Ayurveda. https://www.easyayurveda.com/2018/01/12/hibiscus-flower-leaves-uses/ Accessed 02/02/2022.
[2] Me & Qi. https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/roselle-flower-buds Accessed 02/02/2022.
[3] Plants For a Future. https://pfaf.org/ Accessed 26/01/2022.
[4] Plants For a Future. Hibiscus sinosyriacus - L.H.Bailey. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hibiscus+sinosyriacus Accessed 02/02/2022.
[5] A Barefoot Doctor's Manual: The American Translation of the Official Chinese Paramedical Manual. Hu-Nan Chung, Yao Yen Chiu So (Authors), John E Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences (Translator). Running Press, 1977.
[6] Choi Goya, Yoon Taesook, Choo Byungkil, Lee Aeyong, Chae Sunguk, Ju Youngsung, Kim Hokyoung (2007). Study on the Medicinal Parts and Expected Efficacys of the Hibiscus syriacus by Literature Review on the Classics of Oriental Medicine. Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine Vol. 13 Nº2 2007.
[7] Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - L. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Hibiscus+syriacus. Accessed 26/01/2022.
[8] Hibiscus mosceutos - L. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hibiscus+moscheutos. Accessed 26/01/2022.
[9] El Shazly J.M.N.M. (2019). A Pharmacognostical Study of Hibiscus syriacus L. Family Malvaceae. PhD thesis. Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University.
[10] Yu Ri kim, Sun Young Lee, So Min Lee, Insop Shim, Mi Young Lee (2022). Effect of Hibiscus syriacus Linnaeus extract and its active constituent, saponarin, in animal models of stress-induced sleep disturbances and pentobarbital-induced sleep. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 146 (2022) 112301.
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Mediterranean Healing Herbs 