Folk Medicine
Latin name: Hepaticae herba
Usable parts: Whole herb when in bloom
Harvest period: March to April3
Constituents: Protoanemonin³
Action: Protects the liver, expectorant3
Application: The herb is picked during the flowering season and then dried. However, it is poisonous when still green. After drying, it is an effective remedy to treat a variety of liver ailments.
Risk of misidentification: None
Tips for Domestic Cultivation
As it suffers from severe depopulation the liverwort plant should be left alone. If it appears in your garden, it should be taken care of and harvested sustainably. Transplanting the liverwort is problematic, but if this task is performed with care and the plant is relocated to a good spot, it may work.
Home Use / Recipe Idea
According to an old folktale, to enjoy health all year round consume the first three blossoms of the liverwort. Now isn’t that an incentive to go and enjoy the splendour of the forest?
3 “Die Kräuter in meinem Garten” by Siegrid Hirsch & Felix Grünberger; 22nd Edition; Freya Verlag Gmbh