The power of a flower.

INTRODUCTION

I asked myself how I should start to explain the different virtues of this golden headed flower. How can a tiny flower such as this, which is so discreet in appearance, contain so much to relieve suffering and pain and yet at the same time bring cosmetic virtues to the skin making time deflect on a wrinkled zone? In fact it still has hidden qualities not yet discovered with research still being carried out to understand the full implications that this plant can have on the human body and especially on skin. I’ve opted for a step by step guide if you like and I’m trying to cover all aspects of this essential oil and how to explain the why, the where and the what for questions that I myself ask. Well in all fairness I can phone up a leading specialist in Corsica so it makes this a lot easier.

In any case this has lead me on a journey in essential oils and has helped me to understand why this golden liquid is so precious, Helichrysum which means gold sun in Greek and seems like something out of a myth where by the Gods graced us mere mortals with this golden flower. It certainly is a gift from nature and has been used for many centuries on the island of Corsica and the Mediterranean in general.

The Plant :

Helichrysum italicum is a flowering plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the Mediterranean. The stems are woody at the base and can reach 60 cm or more in height. The clusters of yellow flowers are produced in Summer, they retain their colour after picking and are used in dried flower arrangements.

The plant produces an oil from its blossoms which is used for medicinal purposes. It is anti-inflammatory, fungicidal, and astringent. It soothes burns and raw chapped skin. It is used as a fixative in perfumes and has an intense fragrance.

It has been claimed on some gardening forums that the curry plant is as effective a cat deterrent as the "scaredy-cat" plant, Plectranthus caninus (also known as Coleus canina). This may be not so much a recommendation for Helichrysum italicum as a comment on the efficacy of Plectranthus caninus.

Curry Plant :

Although called "curry plant" it has nothing whatsoever to do with the mixture of spices used in Indian cooking, nor with the curry tree (Murraya koenigii).