Blue-Red Stoneseed – Uses & Health Benefits

The blue-red stone seed (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Buglossoides purpurocaeruleum) belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae). It is also called stone millet and beef tongue. It is also known as Crimson-Blue Stoneseed and Red-Blue Stoneseed. The evergreen perennial plant used as a medicinal plant in antiquity is related to comfrey and lungwort.

The blue-red stone seed grows up to 60 cm high and has curved, partly lying stems. The leaves, which are lance-like and tapering at the front, merge into the stalk without a stem. They are densely hairy and rough on top. The plant changes color of its leaves from reddish (young plants) to purple to blue during its life cycle. Blue-red Stoneseed flowers from April to June with flat, hermaphrodite flowers that are about 1 cm in size and slope slightly downwards. They are arranged in clusters on the plant.

In autumn, the plant produces spherical, smooth, white, shiny seeds that are about 5 mm in size, have a porcelain-like surface and are rock-hard. They once gave the medicinal herb its name. The blue-red stone seed occurs in warmer areas of Germany (southern Germany), in the south-eastern Alps and in individual stocks throughout Europe and parts of Asia. With the decline of the downy oak forests (coppice culture), the already rare plant was almost completely eradicated. The blue-red stone seed prefers warm, light deciduous forests up to 1000 meters above sea level and feels particularly comfortable on slightly moist, humus-rich soil. The blue-red stone seed, which is now a nature reserve, prefers locations in the semi-shade.

Ingredients, effect and dosage

The blue-red stone seed contains many mucilage, tannins , saponins and allantoin. Anthocyanins are responsible for the intensive coloring. Not enough is known about the exact effectiveness of the ingredients in blue-red stone seed. The information about its areas of application comes almost entirely from historical sources. However, since the old medicinal plant is completely non-toxic, the patient – if he gets hold of products made from the blue-red stone seed – can use it without hesitation. As usual, he should pay attention to the correct dosage of the preparation.Herb and root are used medicinally. In ancient times, doctors made teas, ablutions and poultices from herbs and roots. The latter served the external application of the blue-red stone seed to treat inflammations in wounds and ulcers. In addition, washes and compresses could soften hardened skin and make it more accessible for follow-up treatments. The medicinal tea was mainly used for its diuretic and expectorant properties . Today uses homeopathythe old empirical knowledge about the health-promoting effect of blue-red stone seed. For homeopathic blue-red stone seed remedies, the flower, stem and leaves are used. The herbal raw materials of the blue-red stone seed – prepared according to homeopathic principles – are used as globules (small balls) and dilutions (liquid medicines) in the potencies C12, C15, C30, C60, C100, C200 and LM1.

What does the Crimson Stoneseed help against?

• inflammation

• wounds

• ulcer

• skin inflammation

• skin rash

• lung diseases

• shortness of breath

Importance to health

In order to be able to treat diseases effectively with the herbal components of the blue-red stone seed, it is advisable to ask for dried herbs in specialist shops or to get a homeopathic remedy. However, dried herb is difficult to obtain due to the rarity of the plant. To carry out a long-term therapy, it is advisable to plant the blue-red rock seed at home in a semi-shade bed.

The appropriately preferred plants are available in good specialist nurseries. Own cultivation is considered difficult. Natural medicine treats with the blue-red stone seed remedies according to the lungwort and comfrey applications. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, the proven medicinal plant can be used to relieve skin inflammation and rashes (external) and gastrointestinal inflammation (internal).

Thanks to her expectorant abilities, she cures lung diseases associated with shortness of breath and severe coughing (internal). The urinary and strong draining effect of the blue-red rock seed can be used in naturopathy to dissolve and drain urinary stones, kidney stones and to cure bladder problems.The anti-inflammatory effect of the old medicinal herb helps with rheumatic diseases. Since other stone seed species also have substances in this context that inhibit the formation of female fertility hormones, the hormone-like herbal active ingredients in blue-red stone seed could possibly even be used for contraception.