Arnica....I got some!!!

[justusnak]

So, this gal that brought me my Comfrey today, brought me some Arnica flower seeds! Organic!!! I am going to make an oil...for my foot, with some of them, and plant the rest.
# Arnica is used topically for a wide range of conditions, including bruises, sprains, muscle aches, wound healing, superficial phlebitis, rheumatic pain, inflammation from insect bites, and swelling due to fractures.
# Homeopathic preparations are also used to treat sore muscles, bruises, and other conditions caused by overexertion or trauma.

 

[so lucky]

That sounds great! Please keep us informed as to how the Arnica does after planting. I have heard of it but know almost nothing about it. I had some comfrey growing rampant a few years ago. I mentioned it to someone, and a lady I had never met came to ask me for a start. She wanted it for a medicinal use, I thought I remembered for cancer, but could be mistaken. It has been several years. I guess I dug it all up for her, since I don't have it anymore. I sure hope it did some good.

 

[Denim Deb]

I just read this title as Africa, I got some!

 

[kristenm1975]

I bought arnica seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs and started them indoors this spring. They transplanted well onto my south-facing deck and seem to be healthy but are growing reallllllllly slowly. I don't know if they'll reach the flowering stage before first frost. Hopefully you will have better luck!

 

[Our7Wonders]

I've not grown it or even made anything with the herb but we keep homepathic arnica tablets on hand at all times in our first aid kids. I have watched it take swelling and bruising away in minutes - literally. It's amazing stuff. I also keep arnica ointment for topical use on bruising as well. Good stuff!

I do believe they can be toxic when taken internally - so keep that in mind. As a homepathic medication it is in such small doses (30x) it isn't harmful but I do recall it can be toxic at certain doses.

 

[Maggies Pop]

I would LOVE to plant Arnica! That stuff has been a life-saver with my daughter since she started to walk! lol

What kind of condition does it like to be grown in, full sun, part sun, etc? I have a couple huge Comfrey plants. They are beautiful!

 

[garden pixy]

Arnica is fantastic, I ran out recently and couldn't bring myself to buy another tube @ $12. I would love to grow it, never even thought that was a possibility.

 

[Britesea]

I found this info on arnica. It doesn't sound that difficult to grow.

Arnica Montana, also called Leopard's bane, Wolf's bane and Mountain Tobacco, is a perennial herb indigenous to the mountain pastures of Central Europe. Arnica has been harvested for medicinal purposes sing the 1500s. Arnica's daisy-like flower and rhizome are dried or made into poultices, tinctures, powders or gels and used to treat skin ailments. Arnica plants grow well outdoors in USDA plant-hardiness Zones 5 to 8, which means these plants can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. You can grow arnica plants from seed in the spring, germinating them indoors and transplanting them outdoors in May.

Step 1
Sow your arnica seeds in early spring. Plant the seeds in a shallow dish filled with a moist mixture of equal parts loam, peat and sand. Push the seeds just below the surface of the mix.

Step 2
Keep the arnica seeds in a cold frame or a greenhouse at 55 degrees Fahrenheit until May. Mist the potting medium with a water spray bottle to keep it moist. Place the dish in bright indirect sunlight.

Step 3
Transplant the seedlings outdoors in May, after the last frost has passed and the seedlings have germinated. Choose a planting site that receives good indirect sunlight and has well-drained soil.

Step 4
Water your arnica plant once per week or as needed to keep the soil moist. Because arnica plants thrive in nutrient-poor soils, you do not need to fertilize them.

Step 5
Pick off the whole flowers in mid- to late summer. Dry the flowers on a tray lined with paper towels placed in an airy room. Dig up and collect the root after the leaves have died in autumn.

 

[k0xxx]

...
# Arnica is used topically for a wide range of conditions, including bruises, sprains, muscle aches, wound healing, superficial phlebitis, rheumatic pain, inflammation from insect bites, and swelling due to fractures.
# Homeopathic preparations are also used to treat sore muscles, bruises, and other conditions caused by overexertion or trauma.

It all makes sense now. In the John Wayne movie "McClintock", there a scene where after a fight (what JW movie didn't have a fight? ), they mention Tincture of Arnica for the bruises. I always wondered what it was.

 

[deb4o]

I first heard of arnica about 13 years ago from one of my clients at the time he was 91 and said that back in the day everyone had it at home.So I started looking for it and found it in all places in one of our local mexican stores, it is in the form of balm. So now we always have it in the house.

I would love to grow it a make my own tincture out of it. Got to find a place for seeds,something else so next years garden.