SPEEDWELL

                                                                                                                   Veronica serpyllifolia

Speedwell is rich in vitamins, tannins & the glycoside aucubin, which has anti-inflammatory, diuretic & liver protective actions.

Speedwell is best known for its curative properties in dealing with coughs & as a wash for troubled skin.

It works well as an expectorant, clearing phlegm from mucus-clogged breathing passages.

Speedwell also comforts the gastro-intestinal system.

Speedwell can be used in herbal tea cough remedies as an expectorant & also has sweat -producing, diuretic & tonic properties.

Speedwell extracts can be added to skin ointments to treat eczema & help heal skin irritations & wounds.
Also for scabby eruptions, gout, leprosy, asthma, catarrh, pulmonary consumption, sinusitis, to stimulate the kidneys, to promote perspiration & reduce feverishness, against itching & in the long term to overcome sterility.
Speedwell tea may be an effective preventative treatment for ulcers.

RECIPES:

Speedwell was once a highly regarded in England as a healthy, relaxing, herbal tea & tonic.

Speedwell tea:

Use 1-2 tsp of dried herb per cup of boiling hot water.
Allow to steep for 10 min.
Strain & drink twice daily.

Freshly picked flower heads can also be cleaned & processed through a juice extractor.

Apply to common skin complaints.

Speedwell can also be used in skin preparations such as lotions or herbal salves.

MAGIC:

The speedwell was once thought to be an unlucky flower. So unlucky in fact, many young children were often warned not to gather it lest their mothers would die before the year was done.
In some parts of England, it is still believed by some that picking speedwell, also known as “bird’s-eye”, will cause one’s eyes to be pecked out by birds..