Want to learn how to use ground ivy medicinally? Continue reading and find out the top topical uses of ground ivy.
Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a medicinal plant closely related to motherwort and wild oregano and peppermint, that emerges early in spring, alongside snowdrops and nettles. It is a powerful regenerator for liver cells damaged by cirrhosis or cancer due to its powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic properties, but is also amazing for tissue regeneration and repair, as you will see. Before we show you how to use ground ivy medicinally, here is how to harvest it for later use.
In This Article You Will Find:
How to Harvest Ground Ivy
First, harvest the leaves before its flowers bloom, and harvest the rest of the aerial plant after flowering, by cutting with scissors to avoid pulling its delicate roots out from the ground. As an aromatic plant, ground ivy should be harvested on sunny days, as there is a direct connection between air temperature and the amount of essential oils contained in its flowers and leaves.
After harvesting, dry the whole plant in semi-darkness, at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius, by spreading it out on sheets of white paper, not on porous newspapers that can absorb its essential oils. Drying the plant whole will prevent the loss of its juice, which contains essential oils, allowing you to obtain a high-quality raw material. For this, spread a thin layer of the plant on white paper, and when it’s time to turn it, cover it with another sheet of the same size so you ca
How to Use Ground Ivy Medicinally – 6 Topical Uses
1. Fractures, Furunculosis, Edema, Toothache & Hemorrhoids
To help regenerate a fractured bone or reduce related pain and itching sensations, steep 4-5 spoons of dried ground ivy leaves in a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, then strain. Wrap the leaves in a cotton cloth or cheesecloth and apply the warm compress to the affected area. If you can’t stand the compress, you can mix powdered ground ivy leaves with ground ivy oil or a concentrated ground ivy tea, and gently rub the affected areas.
2. Gout, Wounds with Pus, Skin Ulcers & Dermatoses
Put 3 liters of cold water in a pot over the fire, add 2 cups of fresh ground ivy and a cup of fresh chopped wormwood, and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes covered with a lid. Pour the hot maceration into your warm bathwater, and bathe before going to bed, 2-3 times a week, for 20-25 minutes. For varicose veins, foot baths are used.
You can also make poultices and compresses with ground ivy infusion or poultices with a paste made from the crushed plant mixed with water. To make the infusion for the poultices, simmer 1 heaping tablespoon of plant in a cup of water over low heat for 10 minutes. Do not strain the infusion, make the poultices with the plant as well. These applications are recommended in cases of eczema, stomatitis, tonsillitis, boils, hard-to-heal wounds, and leukorrhea. In popular tradition, stems with veins resembling varicose veins were chosen.
For hard to heal wounds steep 3 teaspoons of plant in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes, strain, soak a piece of cheesecloth or gauze in the infusion, and apply locally.
3. Rhinitis & Cold
For rhinitis, steep 5 g of dried ground ivy and 10 g of dried yarrow in a cup of boiling water until the infusion cools down. Strain the tea and add 5 drops in each nostril, 3 times a day. You can use the same infusion for steam baths (5 minutes each, no more than 10 reps at a time), which is also effective for bronchitis and catarrh. A quick and somewhere similar remedy for cold is to pour 2-3 drops of freshly squeezed juice from ground ivy into your nose, 4-5 times a day.
4. Scabies
Macerate 2 heaped tablespoons of fresh ground ivy plant with flowers in 200 ml of vinegar for 7 days. Use this simple solution to rub the afflicted areas on your skin, but no more than twice a day.
5. Toothache
Steep one tsp each of ground ivy leaves and thyme in one cup of boiling water, then simmer for 5 minutes, and strain by pressing really hard so the concentrated infusion comes out. Hold the hot liquid in your mouth, over the aching tooth. Do not swallow, and beware of burning your mouth.
6. Excessive Tearing & Eye Conditions
Steep 2 tablespoons of dried cornflowers and 3 tablespoons of dried ground ivy leaves in 600 ml of hot water in a thermos mug for 8-10 hours (overnight). Dab cotton pads in the solution and apply over the eye area for 8-10 minutes at a time. Repeat a few times a day until the eye problem has been solved.
Read Also: How to Make Ground Ivy Tea and Use at Home
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