alkanet root, a natural pigment (alkanna tinctoria)

blue flowered alkanna tinctoria with precious red roots

Its flowers reminds us the alpine forget-me-not flower (Myosotis alpestris) and it makes sense because they belong to the same family, while the extracted colour from its root is deep red! Today the post is dedicated to alkanna tinctoria which belongs in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae, a therapeutic herb known since antiquity, native to the eastern Mediterranean.

evening primrose oil, facts & benefits (evening primrose, Oenothera biennis)

Oenothera biennis

The evening primrose is a herbaceus flowering plant, native to the Americas and in the past was mostly used by the Indians, either as food or as medicine, while the first plants arrived in Europe in the 16th century. It numbers about 145 species worldwide; the most common species in greek nature is the Oenothera biennis.

milk thistle & its remarkable properties (Silybum marianum)

remarkable milk thistle benefits

The milk thistle, the Great Safflower is known in my country as the donkey’s flower, because donkeys love eating the flower from the plant. It is also known from Greek mythology, as the magical herb with which Centaur Chiron healed Hercules wound. It is proposed by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny for healing wounds and treating gallstones. The Romans used it as an antidote to poisoning and today is widely used in homeopathy for its antioxidant action and in cosmetology for its anti- aging properties.

introduction to sea buckthorn (Hippophae l.)

sea buckthorn

Hippophae is a genus of sea buckthorns and one of the oldest plants on earth; it precedes even the Ice Age! It’s a deciduous bush, widespread in Europe and Asia, indigenous or cultivated and is part of the family of Elaeagnaceae.

Reports about hippophae are found in texts by Theophrastus and Dioskourides, the father of pharmacology, which prove us its deep history back in time. It was observed in the army of Alexander the Great, that the sick and injured horses who consumed the hippophae berries and leaves, were cured more quickly and their hair grew even brighter. So the name of the plant stems from the Greek words "ίππος" (hippo-) meaning horse and “φαές” (-phaes) which derives from the "φαής" and means bright; hippophae means the shining horse. That’s why the soldiers started to consume it to increase their power.

Ηippophae has more than 190 phyto-nutrients ingredients, a health dynamite that is rightfully placed in superfoods worldwide. It contains a unique combination of antioxidants that act against aging, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, vitamins A, B, C (a thousand times more than oranges), D, E, K, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3, omega-6, omega-9 , carotenoids and minerals and trace elements, beta sitosterol, flavonoids and 18 different amino acids. All of the above, they appear in significant quantities in relation to other plants and herbs.

It provides toning, wellness and anti-cancer protection, strengthens the immune system, protects against cardiovascular problems and regulates metabolism. It protects the nervous system, stimulates blood circulation, relieves the symptoms of menopause and period pains.

Consult your doctor for proper use.

This amazing plant is also famous for its cosmetic properties. It's a super anti-aging component. It repairs skin tissues, oxygenates and renews skin cells, combats premature aging as well as a variety of skin problems such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, dyschromias and burns.

Stella Crown©

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fast facts about ivy (common ivy, Hedera helix L.)

common ivy

Known throughout Europe and temperate Asia. A woody and evergreen plant that climbs like a helix (helix derives from the Greek word “έλιξ”), a symbol of life and death. Myths and depictions reveal how ivy was acting as an antidote to drunkenness; other testimonies say that they made a blend of nectar, pine cones and ivy fruits to experience sacred drunkenness, escaping from reality, traveling to another world, gods and spirits. Plant with hallucinogenic effect, having though therapeutic properties.

hazelnut, benefits & uses (hazelnut, Corylus avellana)

hazelnut trees

Hazelnut, the nut of the hazel belongs to Fagales order and Betulaceae family. Angiosperm and deciduous tree, native to Europe and West Asia. In Greece, we find 3 species, Corylus avellana, Corylus colurna and Corylus maxima, which is a bushy plant and is found in the mountainous regions of Macedonia and Thrace.

Theophrastus refers to it as “καρύα η Ηρακλεωτική” (Heraklion hazelnut), while Dioskourides called hazelnuts "ποντιακά κάρυα” (Pontian hazelnuts), as the oldest center of hazelnut cultivation is the area of ​​Pontus. The etymology of the word Coryllus is derived from the ancient Greek word "κορύς" which means helmet, because the fresh fruit with the cortical shell resembles a military helmet.

75% of world production today belongs to our neighhbour, Turkey.

hazelnut seeds

Hazelnuts are high in vitamins B1, B2 and B6 (ideal for the nervous system and mental health), are rich in oleic and linoleic acid (useful for the heart), have folic acid (essential for pregnancy), also rich dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, calcium, saccharine, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium. They are also known for their antioxidant effect since they contain tannins, phenolic acids and vitamin E.

hazelnut oil

Hazelnut oil promises sure tightening and softness to your skin. Particularly astringent oil, ideal for acne, ideal massage oil, absorbed by the skin directly, without leaving greasiness, protects the tissues from free radicals, tightens the pores and protects the skin. In recent years I have used it very much in anti-cellulite products.

homemade hazelnut milk

Have you ever tried hazelnut milk?

Stella Crown©

helichrysum, the immortal Mediterranean plant

helichrysum amorginum- Kythera, Greece

Native plant of the Mediterranean, grows in dry environments, contains more than 600 species while in Greece we find about ten. The name "helichrysum" is derived from the Greek words “ελίσσω" which means “to turn around” and "χρυσός" that means “gold” and refers to the golden-yellow flowers of the plant, a plant that needs a sunny climate to bloom. It is also known by other names such as such as “immortelle” as it keeps its freshness and beauty even though it is cut but also “everlasting” since it never withers. The name “sempre viva" appears etymologically from the Italian words "sempre" (= always) and "vivere" (= living), which means “the plant that lives forever”.

jojoba oil for beautiful skin & hair (jojoba, Chinensis simmondsia)

jojoba bush

A shrubby perennial plant, native to northwestern Mexico and the southwest region of USA, belongs to the family Simmondsiaceae, of the order Caryophyllales, which is now cultivated in Peru, Argentina, Israel. The indigenous people of America used the fruit of the plant in their food while the fruit oil was used both as a cosmetic and as a healing drug.