Heartsease

 
Heartsease (Viola tricolor) is a small plant, easily recognizable by its beautifully colored flower petals. It is also called the wild pansy. The purple, yellow and white delicate petals have medicinal importance and must be handpicked from late spring to early autumn. The velvety texture and the bright colors recommend the viola tricolor petals as beautiful ornaments for cakes and drinks.

The importance of this plant resides in its ability to heal some skin related problems like furuncles or abscesses. Heartsease can effectively fight allergies that are affecting the respiratory tract like asthma. It can also help in bad cases of bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and whooping cough. 

The plant has its origins in Europe and the Middle East but today it can be found on every single continent from North America to India and Australia. It can be administered as an infusion, as a powder or as a tincture. Heartsease has enormous benefits on the blood, getting rid of toxins, speeding the healing of eczema, acne, dermatitis, psoriasis and rashes.

Heartsease is a good diuretic, laxative and blood purifier. It has good anti-inflammatory properties and it can also lower the blood pressure. The urinary system can also benefit from this wonderful plant. Being a mild diuretic and having good anti-inflammatory properties, heartsease can cure urinary tract problems like nephritis and cystitis; it can help cases of gout and rheumatism, hypertension, tachycardia and heart palpitations.

Some studies show that heartsease extracts have some beneficial effects and can even stop the growth of tumors, but these are not definitive facts. Even so, the wild pansy is packed with powerful, gentle, emollient chemicals and mucilage that act as great healers for our diseased bodies. All we have to do is look for them and understand their benefits!