Home » » Herbalism » Genuine Germander

Genuine Germander

©

Note: Some of you may have seen the notices around Suite101 that due to policy changes, the editors will no longer be paid for articles contributed to this site. While the monetary value of these articles was minimal at best, you may notice some changes among your favorite articles and editors.

I have elected to continue writing these articles for the next few months at least, but will be dropping down to one article per month until Suite101 determines their viability. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy this month's and future articles. Thank you!

Germander Teucrium Chamaedrys

Folklore/Common Names: Germander, Wall Germander, Common Germander, Petit Chêne. Chasse fièvre.

Part Used: Whole herb

Historical Reference

Germander was originally cultivated in England purely for medicinal purposes, as the herb's reputation as a heal-all had spread for centuries throughout Europe. Emperor Charles V is said to have been cured of gout by taking a decoction of Germander every day for two months.

Germander was also used as a room frd vaner and as a part of wreaths. While there is no concrete evidence, it is natural to assume it may have also been one of the strewing herbs.

Medicinal Use

Caution: Germander is no longer widely recommended as some tests have indicated potential liver damage at high doses. Please, if you choose to use Germander as a medicine, do it only under the supervision of a professional Doctor, Herbalist or Homeopathic Practitioner!

As I mentioned, Germander was known as a medicinal herb long before it received any other notice. Throughout history, it has been used as a treatment for everything from snakebite to cramps, headache, melancholy and drowsiness, to:

• diuretic/diaphoretic
• a digestive tonic and a stimulant
• to treat fever
• clear uterine obstruction
• jaundice
• as an antiseptic and an astringent
• asthma, cough, bronchitis, and sore throat

M. Grieve describes Germander in A Modern Herbal as, "Possessing qualities nearly allied to those of Horehound, a decoction of the green herb, taken with honey, has been found useful in asthmatic affections and coughs, being recommended for this purpose by Dioscorides."

Modern day herbalists still recommend Germander for cough, sore throat and fever, but ONLY under the guidance of a professional.

Gardening With Germander

There are over 100 varieties of this attractive perennial, and if you're a fan of the Elizabethan-style knot garden you've probably come across at least a few varieties of this gem before, as it is most often found as the tightly clipped, miniature hedge that give such gardens their hedged borders.

The copyright of the article Genuine Germander in Herbalism is owned by . Permission to republish Genuine Germander in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.