Honeysuckle flowers invoke dreams of love and passion
Living in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I have the privilege of enjoying many botanical delights. We have numerous wild, invasive plants and when I hear that a plant is invasive my interest peaks because it means it’s plentiful and if it’s plentiful to me that’s nature’s way of saying, “I’m available for you and your health. Come get me.”Let me introduce you to one of my favorite wild invasive plants.
If you have ever walked past honeysuckle vines, which are plentiful in our area, a sweet, pungent aroma will fill your senses. Perfume companies have long recognized the pleasant aroma and have used it in potions for many years. The honeysuckle flower has a reputation for being associated with love and the bonds of love due to its sweet aroma and the fact that its flower looks like two lovers intertwined. The scent of honeysuckle is said to cause dreams of love and passion. Oh la la!
Plucking off a flower or two and sucking the honey at the base of the flower is an experience like no other. It is one of my favorite childhood pastimes that has continued into adulthood. Wild honeysuckle (Japanese Honeysuckle or Lonicera Japonica) contains sweet nectar that’s just like… you guessed it…. honey. Honey bees like it too, but their bodies are too large to get inside the horn shaped flower, so they poke holes in the outside of the flower and take honeysuckle nectar without pollinating the blooms. The task of pollinating is left to the long tongued moth.
The flowers of the Honeysuckle have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-bacterial, and astringent properties. The nutrients in Honeysuckle are many, including Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids, Antioxidants, Quercitin, and Salicylic Acid.
Skin Care Benefits
Vitamin C: protects and supports collagen in the skin.
Bioflavonoids: powerful antioxidants which give protection from free radical damage and boost the action of Vitamin C.
Antioxidants: fight free radicals and protect your skin from oxidative damage
Salicylic Acid: a gentle exfoliator which reduces buildup of dead skin cells and products on skin
Anti-inflammatory: calms inflammatory conditions common in sensitive skin
Anti-bacterial: helps fight infection common in acneic skin conditions
Astringent: tightens the pores of the skin
Coming Soon: Honeysuckle Toner for all skin types especially Sensitive Skin. Visit
Zenjenskin.com for more details.
Other benefits
The actions of Bioflavonoids, Vitamin C and the antiviral properties of the honeysuckle flower make it a good choice for cough and flu remedies. An infusion of the flowers can be used as a tea for coughs and colds as well as upper respiratory tract infections. In addition, the combination of Quercitin, and Vitamin C has anti-viral properties and is helpful is reducing the histamine reaction common in allergies and asthma.
Honeysuckle Sore Throat Remedy
Ingredients:2 cups honeysuckle fresh edible flowers (and leaves)
1 quart purified water
1 cup honey
Directions:
1. Gather two cups of leaves and flowers from wild Honeysuckle vines (make sure they haven't been sprayed).
2. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add the two cups of honeysuckle leaves. Gently simmer for 10 minutes and strain.
3. Add the "tea" back to the pot and add 1 cup of honey, bring to a boil and boil for one minute and remove from heat.
4. Store in fridge up to a month or freeze in small batches and take out as needed.
5. Dosage: 1 oz every two hours for children.
More honeysuckle recipes can be found at:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/back-to-the-basics-hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst/honeysuckle-heres-some-recipes-to-try-next-time-they-bloom/10150290286345242
