Characteristics of Motherwort Herb
Motherwort is a healthy herb widely used for medicinal purposes in the form of fresh or dried materials. So, what are the characteristics of motherwort?
- It is mostly found in European and Asian countries.
- You can find them almost everywhere, mostly in abandoned gardens, forests, meadows, fields, riverbanks, or side roads.
- It grows from 30-200 cm.
- The stems are erect or branched.
- Leaves— the upper surface of the leaves are bright green, while the underside is a bit paler in color.
- Flowers— small, pink with a purple tint, located on the leaf axles and at the ends of the stem branches. Blooms all summer.
- Fruits— consists of 4 dark brown wedges, 2-3 mm long. The spread of fruits occurs when attached to clothing or animal hair.
- It can be dried in the shade and kept for no more than three years.
Benefits of Using Dried Motherwort
Motherwort plants can be used raw or dried. This is proven by its various benefits in wellness and daily lives, including:
Healing Baths
Motherwort herb decoction can be used as a healing bath. The decoction can be infusions, liquid extracts, or mixtures with other herbal plants.
Healing baths are good for restoring strength, chronic fatigue, well-being, overall mood, etc.
Healing baths also give a calming effect for small children. It will be absorbed into the baby’s skin so that they can breathe better, and the vapors will enter the body through the air.
Herbal Tea
Another benefit of using dried motherwort is drinking it for tea before bedtime. This helps sleep disorders, reduces aging, and increases metabolism and immunity.
Herbal Cosmetics
Motherwort liquid extract helps in skin rejuvenation. Also, it helps in hair growth and makes it smoother.
How to Use Dried Motherwort for Harvesting
Using dried motherwort at harvest is to collect and harvest only the top part of the plant. Cut with scissors or pick by hand.
The collected raw materials are dried under a sunshade or in a well-ventilated area with no access to sunlight.
Store in a glass jar, wooden box, or linen bag for no more than three years. For drying, dry under the shed or in the attic. Thus, hot drying is carried out at a temperature between 50-60 degrees Celsius.
The whole herb is harvested after blossoming and drying. The dried motherwort plant is then made into a tincture or stored and used for herbal tea.
Raw Motherwort Preparation for Use
Use the herb’s top, leaves, and flowers for medicinal purposes. Collect them in dry weather, in the middle of summer, or when it blossoms (June-July).
The raw materials can be cut with a knife. Or, by cutting the top off, the side shoots about 30-40 cm long and not more than 5 mm in thickness.
Hence, the raw materials consist of stem shoots with leaves and flowers with a distinctive odor and a bitter taste.
The raw material is considered ready for use when it becomes brittle. Its medical properties last for 2-3 years.
However, you may use the raw material for 3-5 years in a row, and then it is recommended to give it a break for a year.
Dried Motherwort Healthy Recipes
Another thing you should try in how to use dried motherwort at home is the healthy recipes, such as:
- Motherwort decoction infusion— 2 tbsp. The herb is poured into a glass of boiling water. Wait until cool. Consume 3-4 times daily.
- Fresh motherwort herbal juice— add 20-40 drops plus honey to your drink before each meal.
- Motherwort tincture— made with 40-70% alcohol. Let it sit for a week, filter, and add 15 drops to your drink three times a day.
- Boil for a bath— pour 2 cups of dried motherwort with three liters of hot water, bring to a boil, leave for a day, strain it when used, and pour the liquid into your bathtub.
How to Care for Dried Motherwort
Besides knowing how to use dried motherwort, how do you care for it?
Watering
After the herb is dried, the quality doesn’t change. The aroma becomes stronger and also maximal. So, to create a fertile plant is to meet its water needs. When watering, make sure to provide sufficient moisture to the roots.
Nutrition
Motherwort herbs must be given plenty of nutrients, such as nitrogen-producing plants, for healthy, strong-smelling fruit. You can provide these plant nutrients with natural or factory-made fertilizers.
Trim regularly
Prune and remove dead stems and leaves of the motherwort herb. A recommended pruning is up to 4 inches from the top of the plant to get new shoots and encourage denser and healthier plant growth.
Make the cuttings
The process of stem cuttings in herbal plants such as motherwort is very necessary. This process will make the planted plants ripe or mature faster, so they can produce flowers and fruit more quickly.