Arnica is a popular medicinal plant. Unfortunately, it is threatened with extinction and should under no circumstances be removed from the wild. Their leaves show special features.
What is characteristic of the leaves of arnica?
Arnica leaves are characterized bythe leaf veins. These always run from the tip of the leaf to the base of the stem. A leaf has a total of four to seven nerve tracts. The leaves are hairy on the surface.
How do arnica leaves grow?
The leaves of the arnicalook lancet-like and grow in pairs of leaves. The opposite leaves form a basal leaf rosette. The stem with the flower develops from this in the second year. The plant's lower pairs of leaves are slightly serrated and wavy.
Are arnica leaves poisonous?
Arnica ispoisonous in all parts of the plant The leaves contain the active ingredient arnicin. This causes skin irritation when touched. This is why arnica should not be touched. If you grow arnica in your own garden, work with gloves (€9.00 on Amazon).
Is arnica wintergreen?
Arnica is not wintergreen. In winter the leaves die off and the plant retreats into the rhizome.
Tip
Dried arnica leaves
Arnica leaves used to be harvested and dried in early summer. The dried plant parts were then used for smoking or as snuff. That's why arnica is called "mountain tobacco" in English.
