In the past, the plant was used to dye wool yellow. In Sweden, the dried bark was used to treat intestinal worms and to relieve itching. Traditionally it was used as a medicinal herb to treat wounds, acne and digestion problems. After 10 minutes the protected arm had average of 1.6 stings, while the unprotected arm had 9.4 average stings.īog myrtle is astringent and antiseptic herb with styptic, wound-healing and diuretic properties. Only one arm was covered with a gel with bog myrtle essential oil. In a Scottish study, volunteers allowed mosquitos free access to their arms. The essential oil is now recognized as an effective agent against insects (especially mosquitoes). The plant has been used, and still is, as a mosquito repellent. The herb’s insect repelling properties have since then been scientifically proven to be accurate.īog Myrtle Medicinal Herb – ©The Herbal Resource In Scotland, it is well known as a way to ward off the Highland midge. The leaves and fruits are still used for flavoring some brands of schnapps and liqueurs.īog myrtle is strongly aromatic and in the past, it was used to repel fleas and other vermin. Some believe that this brew was the reason for the Berserkers. The plant was once used as an ingredient to add flavor to beer (known as gruit) but has been replaced by hops, mainly because the bog myrtle had a reputation for causing severe headaches.Īmong the Vikings, in Scandinavia, this beer was known as “porsøl”. Today its uses as a medicinal herb have been mostly forgotten.īayberry (Myrica cerifera), native to North America and closely related to bog myrtle, is better known and is used more in modern herbal medicine. In Northern Europe, the bog myrtle was well-known both for its culinary and medicinal purposes for centuries. The plant also contains toxic flavon-glycosides and large amounts of bitter tannins. Additional substances found in the plant are beta-cadin-4-En-10-ol, 11-selina-4-ol, beta-terpinene, p-cymene, caryophyllene, 4.11-selinadien, beta-elemennon, germacrone and a trace amount of other substances. The main substances are alpha-pinene, 1,8 cineol, myrcene, and limonene. The leaves contain an essential oil which is rich in various terpenes. The herb can be used in the form of extracts, decoction or alcohol-based tinctures.īog myrtle (Myrica gale) – Attribution: Sten Porse Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Bog Myrtle Unfortunately, the fruits do not produce enough wax to make it commercially viable. The fruits (drupes) are collected when they are ripe and can be boiled to produce a wax for candle productions. The leaves are collected in the summer and the catkins, which are high in essential oil, are collected in the spring. Plant Parts Used: It is mainly the leaves that have been used as herbal medicine but sometimes the flowers (catkins) and buds have also been utilized. The plant thrives in very nitrogen-poor soil due to Actinobacteria found in the roots that can bind nitrogen from the air. The flowers are catkins (cylindrical flower cluster, with very small or no petals), with male and female catkins on separate plants. The leaves are gray-green, spirally arranged and oblanceolate with a tapered base and broader tip, and a finely toothed margin. It is found in bogs, marshes, fens and wet heathland but because of loss of habitat, the plant has become endangered in many places. Habitat: The plant is endemic to northern and western Europe and can also be found in some parts of northern North America.ĭescription: Bog myrtle is a small flowering shrub that can grow up to 2 meters tall. Other Common Names: Sweet gale, candle berry, Porsch (German), galè odorant (French), arrayán brabántico (Spanish), mjaðarlyng (Icelandic), pors (Danish).
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