Heather

Calluna vulgaris – Common heather, heather
Ericaceae – Heather family

Parts used in medicine: heather flowers – Callunae flos (Flos Callunae, syn. Flos Ercae) and heather herb –Callunae herba (Herba Callunae), harvested from natural spots at the start of blooming and dried in natural conditions (shaded and ventilated) or in drying rooms in 40° C.

Heather – appearance and origin:

A shrub found all across Europe, in Asia Minor, Northwest Africa, West Syberia and eastern North America; in Poland in the lowlands and lower mountain regions, dry pine and birch forests at the understory level, logging sites and sandy wastelands.

Heather – effects and use:

The raw material contains polyphenolic compounds (quercetin- and myricetin-derived flavonoids), procyanidins, tannins, phenolic glycosides (conflicting reports of arbutin content), phenolic acids, small amounts of oil, mineral compounds from combining silicon and potassium.

The heather flower is used in herbal combinations as a diuretic for treating nephrolithiasis and for disinfecting the urinary tract.

The tannins are used for treating digestive illnesses, especially diarrhea and inflammation. The substances contained in heather stimulate the stomach's secretory activity and increase the appetite. The organic acids promote salivas and gastric juice secretion and influence the appetite.

Heather is also sometimes used for musculoskeletal diseases (e.g. joint pain), rheumatoid arthritis and skin problems, due to potassium and silicon which support the body's regeneration.

The herb is used in cosmetics as an astringent, disinfectant and for skin care (healing baths, hair wash).

Studies show that the plant not only moisturises but mainly protects the skin from harmful external agents. Heather tightens and rejuvenates the skin. It is often an ingredient of herbal products dedicated to dark hair.