Published date: June 11, 2021
A plant with a thousand beneficial properties and defined as “immortal” due to the characteristic of its flower heads, capable of remaining unchanged over time, even after being dried.
“He who adorns himself with helichrysum will remain imbued with fortune”
What a story, the helichrysum. This inconspicuous shrub, no more than 50 cm tall and with a bitter and pungent, almost unpleasant scent, hides curious surprises. Starting from the name, which legends attribute to the first nymph who picked it, Elicrisa. A beautiful nymph, with golden hair, who loved a God without being reciprocated and for this reason, upon her death, she was transformed by the Gods into a helichrysum plant whose flowers, today, are lucky charms for lovers: "You will remain imbued with luck, whoever adorns himself with helichrysum", says a popular saying. It is also said that a bunch of helichrysum, left to dry all year and then burned on the night of San Giovanni, allows you to conquer the person you love.
The properties of this plant, very widespread in Italy in arid places, especially on the islands, where it sometimes extends so much as to cover entire expanses of land, are as powerful as the stories it is the protagonist of. In fact, helichrysum is rich in components such as nerol and neryl acetate, tannin, waxes and helichrysin, which bring numerous benefits to the body.
Breathing herb – as it is called in some regions of Italy for its balsamic properties – can be used as a natural remedy against bronchial cough and is recommended for people with diabetes for its diuretic and purifying action. Not only that, helichrysum is used in the production of ointments against sunburn, burns and psoriasis and, in ophthalmology, as an emollient in cases of acute and chronic conjunctivitis.
Immortal like the love of the nymph Elicrisa, still preserved today, intact, in its golden flowers.
