Wald-Geißbart
A plant that was used as a medicinal plant in earlier centuries is called forest goat’s beard . Nowadays, however, the medicinal herb has lost its importance for herbal medicine.
General overview
The forest goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus) is a member of the goat’s beard genus. It comes from the rose family (Rosaceae). It is not uncommon for the forest goat’s beard to be confused with the meadowsweet. This plant is also called goat’s beard, but is much more common than the forest goat’s beard, which has become relatively rare. If the viewer also looks carefully, he will recognize the difference in the more extensive flower panicles. Folk medicine also uses the forest goat’s beard for therapeutic purposes. In the present, however, it is primarily used as an ornamental plant.
occurrence and cultivation
The home of the forest goat’s beard can be found in the northern hemisphere of the earth, where it thrives in temperate regions. The species is also represented in northern Germany, but does not occur naturally there, so that it sometimes represents a so-called garden refugee. The forest goat’s beard prefers to grow in semi-shady, light or humid places that have alkaline and nutrient-rich soil. These can be garbage soils found in ravines, beech forests, beech-fir forests, or maple-ash forests. It is not uncommon for the forest goat’s beard to thrive on embankments or streams. In Germany, the herb can grow at altitudes of up to 1500 meters.
The forest goat’s beard is counted among the herbaceous perennial plants. Its stature height varies between 80 and 150 centimeters. One of the characteristics of the medicinal herb is its short rhizome, which runs beneath the soil from which unbranched stalks emerge. These often lignify at the bottom. The leaves of the forest goat’s beard reach a length of up to one meter and are presented in three or five parts. The oval leaflets have a point on their front side. The leaf edges have a sharply irregular serration. Side leaves do not occur on the forest goat’s beard.
The flowering period of the forest goat’s beard runs in the months of May and June. Then the flowers appear, which are white or ivory in color. The flowers reach 2 to 4 millimeters in diameter. The paniculate inflorescence has a length of up to 50 centimeters. In the autumn months the seeds, which are very small, emerge from the flowers. Even slight movements of the air cause the seeds of the forest goat’s beard to spread.
application and effect
The most important ingredients of the forest goat’s beard include saponins and hydrocyanic acid compounds. The latter are found to a small extent in the stems and leaves of the plant. The plant is therefore not suitable for long-term therapeutic use. Although folk medicine recommends the use of the forest goat’s beard to pregnant and breastfeeding women , conventional medicine advises against it.
The forest goat’s beard can be served in the form of tea. To prepare it, the user pours 250 milliliters of boiled water over a teaspoon of the herb. Then the tea mixture must steep for another 5 minutes. After that she lets herself be strained. The tea of the forest goat’s beard is considered to be antipyretic and has a calming effect on the stomach .
In addition to the leaves, the roots of the forest goat’s beard can also be processed into a tea . A teaspoon of dried roots is placed in 250 milliliters of cold water. The steeping time of the preparation is 15 minutes. The root tea is then strained and can be taken. It is considered helpful for stomach problems and bleeding that occurs after childbirth.
The forest goat’s beard is also suitable for external use. This can be in the form of a root pulp applied to itchy insect bites. Applying poultices with the root tea is also helpful for treating joint pain in rheumatism. Another form of administration of the forest goat’s beard is a foot bath with root tea. This is good for swollen feet.
What does forest goat’s beard help against?
- bleeding after childbirth
importance to health
In the past, traditional folk medicine repeatedly resorted to the forest goat’s beard to treat various complaints and diseases. The leaves were also used as a spring vegetable. Nowadays, however, doctors advise against consuming the forest goat’s beard as a vegetable, because its ingredients also include toxic hydrocyanic acid compounds. However, some historical uses may also be due to confusion with the similar-looking meadowsweet.
The forest goat’s beard was mainly used to treat insect bites, joint pain, fever, venereal diseases, swelling, stomach ailments or venous diseases. The medicinal herb was also used as a tonic or to support obstetrics. The plant has soothing , antipyretic, tonic and astringent properties. Nowadays, however, the forest goat’s beard has no meaning in modern herbal medicine and is instead used as an ornament for vases.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.