What associations do you have when you listen to the song "Wildflowers"? Surely many of the first thoughts will be about daisies. We fell in love with these delicate flowers with white petals and a yellow core so much that we planted them closer to our home: in front gardens and summer cottages.
We also buy them in flower stalls, decorating our home with them.
American Traveler
But odorous chamomile was not always a resident of the European continent. From America, its seeds “came” to Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. There, odorous chamomile was considered a weed growing in fields with grain crops. No one would have known about the existence of this type of "weed" if not for trade. Grain intended for sale was filled into bags and loaded into the holds of steamships. Together with him, chamomile seeds also went on a long voyage. Bags on the continent were unloaded with the help of special hooks into railway cars. As a result of such overloads, holes appeared in the burlap, albeit small, but sufficient for the chamomile seeds “traveling” along the Russian railways to leave their marks along the way. It took about 30 years for the plant to populate the expanses of the European part, penetrate Siberia, the Far East, and even reachPolar circle. Now it grows in forest glades, along railways, in apiaries and along the banks of water bodies.
Collection and harvesting
Scented Chamomile – An annual plant with a bare branched stem, convex receptacle and petals bent down. It is approved for medical use on a par with pharmacy. Harvesting it is very easy, as chamomile grows in large thickets and is available for collection. Flowers in baskets are considered medicinal. They gather in dry calm weather at the beginning of flowering. Raw materials are dried at a temperature of 40 ° C in ventilated rooms in the shade. Flowers should not be allowed to dry out. Dried chamomile is stored in canvas bags in a dry place. During the summer, 4-5 raw materials can be harvested.
Using chamomile
For centuries, chamomile has been used as a remedy for anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances and headaches, but there are many more uses that we may not know about. Let's see what this plant can do for us and how nature is ready from
to answer some of our he alth concerns. Thanks to the essential oil contained in the flowers, odorous chamomile, a photo of which is in all books on medicinal herbs, is used in the treatment of respiratory tract, rheumatism, and skin diseases as a diaphoretic. Decoctions and tinctures are used for any inflammation and allergies. Chamomile flowers are used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Possessingthe ability to tone and soothe the skin, they relieve redness and itching. You just need to hold your face over the steam from the brewed chamomile. In gynecology, in inflammatory processes, douching with its decoction is prescribed. Chamomile is used externally in the form of rinses and lotions. R
Omasha oil, when rubbed into the temporal region, helps to eliminate headaches. It is also effective for burns.
Mice do not like the smell of dry chamomile. By spreading it in food storage areas, pantries, you can be sure that gray cheats will not come for tidbits.
Chamomile decoction is used for rinsing hair and tinting gray hair in a light tone. The essential oil obtained from it is used to create shampoos and gels. Of course, we all drank chamomile tea, but usually because we got used to its mild taste and relaxing aroma. In some European countries they drink such a drink with cream. Bulgarians call this tea Laika. Drinking a glass of this drink at night will give you a restful sleep and pleasant dreams.
