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.

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.

pomegranate for good fortune & beautiful skin (pomegranate, Punica granatum)

pomegranate trees

The most popular fruit of the Christmas period, is undoubtedly the pomegranate, with a history that goes back in centuries. Greek mythology is full of stories about the pomegranate, with most famous the legend of Persephone’s abduction by Hades, where after the Jupiter’s intervention,

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.

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”.

rose hips, uses & benefits (rose hip, Rosa canina)

rosa canina

Spriggy shrub, normally ranging in height up to 3m., belongs to the Rosaceae family and thrives in temperate climates. Wild rose or rosa canina, known also as the dog rose has pink or white flowers with a rich fragrance. When it throws its petals, the rose hip seeds, appear in oval shape with red or orange colour.

walnut, a tough nut to crack (walnut, Juglans regia L.)

walnuts & benefits

Walnuts appear in Greek mythology with Karya’s myth, the daughter of the King of Laconia, whom Dionysus fell in love with and transformed her into a wonderful green walnut tree!

Another legend reveals us that Gaios Pompeius, among the treasures of Mithridates, found a handwritten recipe containing the antidote for poisons; one of the ingredients was also the walnut.