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Controlling lesser celandine is often necessary because it spreads quickly. However, you don’t have to dispose of the entire plant, as it also has health benefits.
Combat lesser celandine in good time
The plant flowers in spring and is particularly common in damp, shady areas. The so-called brood tubers grow above and below ground and germinate as early as October.
- To combat the herb effectively, you must therefore take action before it flowers in April. The best time is immediately after sprouting.
- Use a weed cutter and be sure to remove the root tubers as well.
- The plant thrives particularly well in acidic soil with a pH value below 6.5. A soil pH test from a garden center can help you determine the amount of lime required. Liming your lawn or the treated areas. However, liming alone is often not enough to improve soil conditions. Loosen the soil further with sand or work in compost to make it more structured and permeable.
- Do not dispose of the weeds you have pulled on the compost heap, as they can spread from there. Put them in the residual waste or burn the garden waste, if this is permitted in your municipality.
- To compete with lesser celandine in the long term, you can plant robust ground cover such as elf flowers or cranesbill. These displace the herb through natural competition. Regularly mowed, dense lawns can also make it difficult for the herb to spread again.
- As a last resort, you can also use chemical weed killers. When using chemical agents, make sure they are approved for use in homes and gardens and protect plants and animals. However, even weed killers are not 100% effective against lesser celandine. The most effective method is still to remove it by hand.
Using lesser celandine in the kitchen
If lesser celandine still grows here and there on your property, you can also use the plant as a home remedy.
- Celandine is rich in vitamin C and helps combat spring fatigue.
- You can mix the fresh leaves into a salad or herb quark. People with sensitive stomachs or allergies should only try a small amount at first.
- However, you should only use the leaves of lesser celandine before flowering and only in small quantities. This is important because the fresh leaves contain a small amount of toxic pungent substances, which increase when the plant flowers. These substances can cause a burning sensation or even pain. Adults should not consume more than a handful of lesser celandine leaves per day.
- Incidentally, dried leaves no longer contain the toxic substances as these break down.
- Brew a tea from the dried leaves. This helps with skin blemishes. Drink a maximum of two cups per day and not on a permanent basis. The tea has a mild diuretic effect.
- Sitz baths with lesser celandine also help with hemorrhoids. For a sitz bath, pour hot water over about 50 g of dried leaves and let everything steep for 15 minutes. The bath should last about 10 to 15 minutes. This is enough time for the herbal active ingredients to take effect on the skin without irritating or drying it out too much.
