SAMARSKY – a perennial medicinal herb with a grayish hue, forming one or several stems. Stems are erect, branched, and reddish, reaching a height of 50–160 cm. Leaves are dark green, 6–12 cm long: lower ones are round and five-lobed, middle ones are elongated-elliptic, upper ones are three-lobed or entire. Pink flowers are gathered in false whorls in the axils of upper leaves.
The medicinal raw material is the herb, which is harvested during flowering (July–August). Only the tops without thick lower stems are cut and quickly dried in a well-ventilated room without access to sunlight. Motherwort is valued for its calming properties: it lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate, and acts similarly to valerian.
Motherwort is widely used in both pharmaceutical and folk medicine. It is included in many medicinal mixtures and teas, and is also applied for reducing anxiety and improving sleep. The plant is unpretentious: drought-resistant, does not require specific soils, and is easily grown under minimal conditions.
