Sanguisorba (Sanguisorba minor spp. muricata) – a perennial herbaceous plant up to 90 cm tall, characterized by a powerful woody rhizome and folded leaves with incised edges. Flowers form large dark-pink corymbose inflorescences, while fresh greenery has a bright cucumber aroma and a bitter taste.
In cooking, Sanguisorba is widely used as a seasoning: leaves are added to salads, soups, tomato, egg, and fish dishes; vinegar is infused from them, and boiled roots serve as a tasty side dish to meat. Leaves and roots are also brewed as tea, and young leaf shoots are used in canning due to their vitamin C content.
The medicinal properties of the plant are confirmed by folk medicine: the rhizome has hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, and astringent effects. Sanguisorba decoction is used for gastrointestinal diseases, intestinal, uterine, and renal bleeding, stomatitis, angina, pulmonary tuberculosis, and as an external agent for wound healing. Plant care is simple: sowing in open ground in spring at a depth of 2–2.5 cm, with 45 cm between rows; after emergence, loosening, weeding, and fertilizing are required. The plant grows well on sandy, loamy, and calcareous soils, and the harvest is collected during the budding period, with the cut mass being dried in the shade for further storage.
