If you’ve ever heard of Honeysuckle, you are even less likely to have learned all the medicinal uses for honeysuckle that make it a must-have to grow for your medicinal cabinet.
Welcome to part 2 of the Survival Apothecary. In part 1, you learned all about how to make Sugardine. Now part 2, you’ll discover everything about the medicinal flower—honeysuckle.
What is it and how do you grow it? Let’s start with the benefits.
Benefits
There are many benefits to this plant, so many we can’t cover all of them in this post, but we will go over some of the most beneficial.
This is a medicinal plant that has many merits.
From the use of the honeysuckle we can derive above all five benefits for our body and therefore our health:
Strengthens the immune system
Its nectar is used as an excellent ally against fever, cough and those febrile illnesses, it also strengthens us after intense physical exercises and efforts;
Antioxidants
The plant and its juice fight free radicals which are the cause of premature aging, limiting the advancement of old age as much as possible or anyway it’s slowing down;
Acts as an anti-inflammatory
A very important condition to stay healthy and remedy the inflammations that are often the cause of the onset of other more serious pathologies;
It improves blood circulation, especially at the ocular level, since numerous studies have shown that regular consumption helps fight blindness;
Promotes the elimination of bad cholesterol, the main cause of cardiovascular diseases that lead above all to a heart attack but not only.
Among other things, its use began a long time ago, when the honeysuckle infusion was used to pass the hiccups.
Properties
What makes honeysuckle so amazing? How is it able to have all these benefits and medical uses? Here’s why.
The properties of honeysuckle are many, both flowers and leaves are used, and are collected when the vegetation is more luxuriant, rich in water and active ingredients. The active ingredients present in this plant include substances with astringent, anti-inflammatory, cicatrizing, antioxidant, and even disinfectant properties in oral cleanings.
It is not necessary to go to the pharmacy, often just looking around in the garden to find a natural remedy for many minor ailments. This is the case of honeysuckle, a plant that offers natural cures for colds and many other diseases, preventing the onset of serious diseases.
It is also used as a shampoo to improve the scalp; lotions can be prepared to heal sunburn and wounds, the same to treat all dermatological diseases in general.
Top 10 Medicinal Uses
For centuries herbal remedies have been used by doctors and mothers alike to take care of the people they cared about. From making at home tinctures, pastes, and ointments, the art of medicine has evolved to fit the needs of the people and the community. Listed below are the aliments that honeysuckle fights against.
The uses for honeysuckle are in the dozens. Here is a simple list of the top 10.
1. Digestive disorders.
2. Constipation
3. Colds and fevers
4.Urinary disorders
5.Skin inflammation
6.Swelling
7. Rheumatoid arthritis
8. Diabetes
9. Headaches
10. Bacterial or viral infections
The use of home-made herbal remedies has become popular again as the desire to return to all-natural remedies has skyrocketed. You do not have to be a specialized herbalist or a certified medical doctor to want to take care of your health in simple and yet effective ways—the simplest way to stay safe in the long run to make your health seriously now.
Types
Like any other plant—there tends to be more than one kind or type, honeysuckle is no different. Here are the five types.
Sometimes when the term Lonicera is found alone, suggest that we are talking about “Lonicera Caprifolium” which is one of the most beautiful and best known. Genus originating in Italy with flowers grouped in locks and a very delicate perfume.
Japanese
Japanese There are several variations of “Japanese Lonicera” and the most common are: “Chinensis”, “Mint Crisp”, “Halliana”, “Prolific of Hall”, “Aureoreticulata “. They are all floral variants that take on characteristic shapes and colors, with shades from dark green to light, from white to yellow; one thing however they all have in common: an intoxicating delicate perfume.
Common
Common: Also called “lonicera periclymenum”, and also in this case we are faced with different variations; the most common are: “Belgica”, “Belgica Select”, “Serotina”, “Caprilia Imperial”, “Caprilia Cream”, “Graham Thomas”. All climbing variants that play to give shape compositions of colors that inebriate the eyes, apart from their very pleasant scent.
Amur
Amur: Typical of Asia, it has the leaves arranged opposite each other. The flowers are in clusters and in pairs. Very beautiful ornamental plant, and pleasant scent.
Orange
Orange: Native of Western North America, it generates an edible fruit both raw and cooked, but it is not consumed everywhere and many do not know that it can be consumed in addition to being good and very healthy, for the active ingredients that are now known.
Lonicera
Lonicera is a term generally indicates all the varieties of the honeysuckle; therefore each genus or variety of this plant will be “Lonicera + name of the genus to which it refers”
Healing Recipes
There are multiple medicinal recipes that are made with honeysuckle that are beneficial for your health. Many of them being healing recipes.
The options for making your own at home receipts using honeysuckle are fantastic. From toppings for a salad and making a salad dressing to making an infused tea or simple syrup, the options are endless. Here are two different receipts for syrups and teas listed below for you to try at your leisure.
Here are a few of the best ones.
Honeysuckle Tea Recipe
One of the most popular recipes you can make with honeysuckle is the tea. Honeysuckle tea has many benefits as you would imagine.
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups of yellow Honeysuckle flowers. Make sure they are not wilted. Do not use the white honeysuckle flowers for this because they are not ripe enough. Do not use the wilted yellow flowers either because of the nectar as all but dissolved.
- 2 cups of water
- Natural sweetener. You could use sugar, Stevia, or honey.
- Extra water to dissolve the sweeter.
Instructions:
- Rinse flowers in cold tap water.
- Remove the stem, leaves, and the bottom green bub that is at the base of the flower.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn off the heat and drop the flowers in the pot.
- Gently strip before placing the lid on the pot and letting it steep for an hour. For a more robust taste, allow for two or more hours).
- Strain everything out of the water and allow it cool.
- It can be drunk immediately or store in the fridge in a container with an airtight seal for a week.
- Best served with a large glass of ice.
For further information on this recipe, see how to make honeysuckle tea with step-by-step instructions.
Japanese Honeysuckle Tea
If you a tea snob and want another recipe to try, try the Japanese Honeysuckle Tea.
Honeysuckle Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
- One cup of Japanese Honeysuckle flowers, be sure to remove the stems and leaves first.
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- One orange. You will be using the peel of the orange only. Feel free to eat the orange part if you wish.
Instructions:
- Clean all the honeysuckle flowers gently with cold water and then set them aside to air dry.
- Using a stovetop, place all of the ingredients into a pot. Bring the mixture up to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Do not forget to stir it from time to time.
- Remove from heat and let it sit for 1 hour.
- Once cooled, run the mixture through either a mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a mason jar. You can use a different container if you wish.
- Store in your fridge. It will be suitable for up to one month.
See the video below on how to make Honeysuckle Syrup.
Medicinal and Edible Parts
There are over one hundred and eighty species of honeysuckle in the world. The United States has twenty species alone. You can find them growing in the wild and star nurseries. However, you need to know which species are safe to eat and which ones are toxic. One of the most popular honeysuckles that are safe to eat is called Japanese Honeysuckle.
Let’s break down the individual parts of the plant.
The Stem
The stem should not be eaten but instead, be licked. When pulling the flower away from the green bud, there will be a thin stem from inside the flower that will be revealed that will pull out the sweet nectar. Be careful not to spill any of the nectar.
Flowers
The flowers themselves are safe to consume. Many people eat the flowers on top of their salads either as is (raw) or you could toast them. Another option is to use the flower to make tea either in a loose tea setting or merely pouring boiling water over the petals.
The Bark
Not all Honeysuckles grow the same. Some of them grow on shrubs while others thrive on vines. Do not eat the bark or the vines.
The Leaves
The leaves are edible. You can eat them raw right off the plant, boil them for tea, or use them in a salad, among other options. However, many people who have tried the leaves raw or in beverages have said that the leaves have little to no favor.
Remember that even though every part of the honeysuckle is not edible, it is still safe to touch every part of the plant.
How To Preserve Honeysuckle
If you’re going to stock up on this plant, knowing how to preserve and store it properly will be important.
The honeysuckle plant mainly needs direct sun, or even light shade, even if it adapts a little to any type of exposure.
These plants adapt well in all soils. Most species are resistant to both high and low temperatures. It is advisable to thin out the branches by eliminating the older or damaged ones and to fertilize at the end of winter.
However, the most suitable method for obtaining new plants is that of offshoot: the low and flexible branches are partially buried between August and November, taking care to detach them from the mother plant only after rooting has taken place, generally after one year.
Seeds can also be planted.
Pot-grown honeysuckles must be watered regularly during spring-summer, less in winter. Water stagnation is to be avoided.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you learn about all the medicinal uses for honeysuckle.
It is definitely one of the most beneficial edible plants out there. Its benefits are far and wide. Knowing how to identify it will be useful so you’ll know if you come across it in the wilderness.
