Pulsatilla

Not only one of the most named plants in our garden, also one of the least likely to be recognised as having medicinal properties by the average gardener and yet it has a long history of use in certain emotional conditions and trauma. The Pulsatilla is also know as the Pasque flower and the Wind Flower and is a member of the anemone family. It is famous for its wonderful deep purple flower that is almost navy in some varieties and the golden heart it conceals and the hairy nature of the external sides of the petals.

Cultivation

This plant is best purchased as a rhizome from good garden centres, it flowers in spring and some people find the sap of the plant irritating to the skin – this is because it contains a substance called anemonol which is used in some medical applications to stimulate the skin and blood.

Parts used

Because of the irritant quality of the sap, this plant is not used fresh – instead it is dried and the flowers are used to create a tincture. This means the finer and more volatile parts of the plant’s chemical composition are separated from the rest by a solvent and then made into a solution of medicinal substance in alcohol, diluted as necessary.

Uses

In homeopathy Pulsatilla covers many female complaints, such as varicose veins, cystitis, obesity, menstrual difficulties and depression and is used to treat conditions such as earache, coughs and colds with heavy yellow discharge in children. The tincture is used by medical herbalists to treat emotional upsets characterised by tearfulness.

Pulsatilla photograph by tariel from flickr under a creative commons attribution licence.

 

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