- Region
- Europe
- Origin
- South-eastern Europe and central Asia; now spread across Europe and North America. Leonurus cardiaca
Europe · Herb · № 82
Leonurus cardiaca
Herb · Europe
Motherwort
Leonurus cardiaca
Traditionally used for stress-related palpitations, nervousness and menstrual complaints. Clinical research is scarce.
Safety notes
Always have heart symptoms medically assessed. Avoid in pregnancy; use caution with heart medicines and blood thinners.
Cautions by tradition (3)
- Herbal medicine worldwide: Not in pregnancy (but may be used during labour).
- Western herbalism: Tincture not in pregnancy or breastfeeding, not with sedatives or heart medication.
- Chinese materia medica: Not during pregnancy or with blood or yin deficiency.
Preparation
The flowering herb as tea or tincture; the taste is bitter. No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
The Latin name cardiaca refers to the heart. Ody explains the English name motherwort from its use around childbirth. In China the related yi mu cao (Leonurus japonicus) is used for similar purposes.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Stimulates the uterus, relaxing, strengthens the heart, carminative.
Preparation and amount
Tea as a tonic for menopausal complaints, anxiety and a weak heart; with clove during labour; after childbirth to restore the womb; syrup; tincture with hawthorn; vaginal douche; seeds as a decoction for menstrual disorders and as an eye bath.
Caution: Not in pregnancy (but may be used during labour).
Western herbalism
Attributed effects
Induces sweating, antispasmodic, tonic, strengthens the nerves, promotes menstruation; calms the sympathetic nervous system and stress palpitations, may lower blood pressure, stimulates menstruation, lowers stubborn fever.
Preparation and amount
Tea: 1–2 tsp per cup, 8–10 min, 1–3 cups a day (3 cups in fever); tincture 1–3 dropperfuls 1–3 times a day (heart: 10–20 drops several times a day); compress (4 tbsp per half litre, 4 hours).
Caution: Tincture not in pregnancy or breastfeeding, not with sedatives or heart medication.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- pungent, bitter, slightly cold
- Meridians
- heart, liver, bladder
Attributed effects
Chinese motherwort (yi mu cao, Leonurus japonicus) moves the blood and regulates menstruation in pain, absent menstruation, bleeding after childbirth and lumps from blood stagnation, and promotes urination in oedema and blood in the urine. The name means 'good for the mother'.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 9–30 g a day, usually in a decoction. Harvest in full flower. The seed is used with mulberry leaf for high blood pressure.
Combinations
- With dang gui after childbirth
- With dan shen and hawthorn berry for heart complaints
Caution: Not during pregnancy or with blood or yin deficiency.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)DecoctionTinctureCompress, poultice and pasteSyrup, honey and oxymel
- Formulas
- Tian ma gou teng yin