TRAILING OR MOUNTAIN AZALEA: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF TRAILING AZALEAS


TRAILING OR MOUNTAIN AZALEA, KALMIA PROCUMBENS  
This alpine plant grows in the Arctic and in Scotland in the British Isles. It can be found growing with Iceland moss, Mountain club moss and wild strawberries. It was formerly called Loiseleuria procumbens, but has recently been moved to the Kalmia genus. This means that it is now in the same genus as Kalmia latifolia, Mountain laurel which is indigenous to North America. Interestingly trailing azaleas are the only Kalmia genus not native to North America.
  As a member of the Ericaceae or heather (ling) family, it is related to the Greek strawberry tree, the strawberry tree, yellow bird’s nest, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), round-leaved wintergreen, bilberries, blueberries and cranberries. However the wintergreens have now been moved into their own separate families.                                           
  The rootstock of this plant is wide, with the majority of the plant being under the ground. The plants can live for between fifty and sixty years.
  Nicholas Culpeper describes the flowers as red, and there are some, but these are rarer than the plants with pink flowers. In Culpeper’s day I suppose they grew in parts of Britian other than Scotland. He was the great English herbalist who wrote his Herball in the 17th century. This is what he said about the medicinal properties of the trailing azalea.
“Government and virtues. It is a plant of Mercury, and has a pleasing aromatic smell, resembling that of lemons; and is cordial and strengthening.
 It comforts the head and stomach, removes palpitations of the heart, helps the vertigo, or giddiness and swimmings in the head, and is greatly extolled by many, as a specific in nervous and hypochondrical disorders.”
  Today it is not used in medicine it would appear from my research.
   The Kalmia genus has an interesting history. It was named by Karl Linnaeus, often referred to as the Father of Botany, for his student, Pehr Kalm (1715-1779), who was from Finland but studied under Linnaeus in Uppsala. The Swedish Academy of Sciences, on the recommendation of Linnaeus, sent Kalm to North America to find plants that could be grown in Sweden.
  Kalm was accompanied in North America by the Canadian Gaultherias, and it was Kalm who named wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) after his Canadian companion.
   Linnaeus named one of the North American shrubs that Kalm took back to Sweden, Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia, after him, and so a genus was born to honour Pehr Kalm.

5 comments:



  1. herbal pain relief treatmentonline shopping place to find all of the Herbal pain relief treatment products and information that will relieve you of sore painful hands.

    ReplyDelete


  2. herbal pain relief treatmentonline shopping place to find all of the Herbal pain relief treatment products and information that will relieve you of sore painful hands.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice information, you people can take help from the Pure Goji Berry Juice to maintain good health without any worries or tension. This can also make you to maintain normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As a sign of gratitude for how my husband was saved from diabetes , i decided to reach out to those still suffering from this.
    My husband was diagnosed of diabetes and it was really tough and heartbreaking for me because he was my all and the symptoms were terrible, he had difficulty eating, and he always complain of stomach pain and he always Urinat often . we tried various therapies prescribed by our neurologist but none could cure him. I searched for a cure and i saw a testimony by someone who was cured and so many other with similar body problem, and he left the contact of the doctor who had the cure to diabetes . I never imagine diabetes has a cure not until i contacted him and he assured me my husband will be fine. I got the herbal medication he recommended and my husband used it and in one months he was fully okay even up till this moment he is so full of life. diabetes has a cure and it is a herbal cure contact the doctor for more info on drwilliams098765@gmail.com on how to get the medication. Thanks for reading my testimony

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good information about the blog, Wellness & Healthcare, Herbal Juices. Baidyanath aloe vera juice is a healthful combination of 100% pure aloe vera pulp and juice.

    Herbal Juices
    Aloe Vera Mango Juice
    Aloe Vera Orange Juice
    Diabetic Care Juice
    Noni Gold Juice

    ReplyDelete