Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus), also known as “snake’s milk,” belongs to the Poppy family (Papaveraceae). The genus name is derived from the Greek word chelidon, meaning “swallow,” as the plant begins to bloom with the arrival of swallows and withers away as they depart.
Celandine is a robust perennial plant with a strong, fibrous root system, reaching around 60 cm tall. Its occasionally hairy, branched stem has thickened nodes, and the leaves display a pinnate pattern. Yellow flowers cluster in umbel-like inflorescences, featuring four petals and many stamens. Known as “killwort” in some regions, Celandine effectively treats warts in herbal medicine.
Sparse flowers form umbels on long stalks, with grayish-yellow blossoms and cylindrical capsules as fruit. These capsules contain many black-brown seeds with white appendages. Breaking a leaf or stem releases orange sap, which irritates skin and mucous membranes. The root and plant contain this sap, used in alternative medicine mainly for skin conditions. Historically, it is highly regarded as a natural wart remover.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Papaveraceae |
| Genus: | Chelidonium |
| Species: | Chelidonium majus |
Chelidonium laciniatum Mill.
Other names: Celandine, snake’s milk, killwort, Garden celandine, tetterwort, wart-wort...
Blooming period
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI |
| VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII |
What does Greater Celandine contain?
Resin, essential oil, alkaloids: chelidonine, homochelidonine, cheleritrine, sanguinarine, and other isoquinoline derivatives, malic acid, and citric acid.
When is Greater Celandine harvested?
It blooms from May to September. The plant is gathered during its flowering period, dried, and then cut into pieces. During the drying process, 80% of the sap is lost. Greater Celandine grows on rocks, along walls, in hedges, gardens, roadsides, and walkways, often as a weed. However, if using it for medicinal purposes, ensure it is clean.
Greater Celandine Benefits
Greater Celandine, a powerful remedy for liver and kidney ailments, is renowned for its antispasmodic properties and treatment of asthma, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and intestinal parasites. Used since the Middle Ages for skin diseases, its effectiveness in wart removal persists in today’s folk medicine.
Greater Celandine as a remedy – Preparation, application, and effects
Greater Celandine Tincture
You can easily prepare a Celandine tincture, and as a medicinal herb enthusiast, it’s essential to have it on hand. To prepare the tincture, finely chop fresh Celandine stems and flowers and place them in a jar with a lid. Then, pour in some brandy or cognac. Seal the jar tightly and leave it in the sun for 4 to 6 weeks. Afterward, strain the mixture.
When you break the stem of Greater Celandine, it releases a widely recognized yellow-orange sap. This sap is also well-known for effectively removing warts and other benign skin growths. A Greater Celandine tincture can also help with these skin issues.
The Greater Celandine tincture for warts works very efficiently. If prepared, it will be available continuously, not only during the blooming period, as is the case with the orange sap from the plant.
Greater Celandine Syrup
To prepare a Great Celandine syrup, take one tablespoon of freshly squeezed sap and mix it with two tablespoons of honey. Stir the mixture well and cook it until thick. Cook it rapidly, skimming off any foam that forms, then transfer it into a bottle. Add a small amount of cognac or brandy on top and seal the bottle tightly.
You can use Greater Celandine syrup to treat pancreatic and liver diseases. It is effective against jaundice, spleen disorders, edema, melancholy, and chronic skin rashes. Shake well before consumption, and take one teaspoonful before meals.
Additionally, for the same purpose, you can mix a handful of finely chopped Celandine leaves with half a kilogram of local meadow honey. Take one teaspoonful in the morning on an empty stomach and before bedtime.
Mentioned preparation quantities aren’t limited but serve as approximate measures, aiding in understanding the ratio. Since the mixture will not spoil quickly, you can prepare as much as you want.
Greater Celandine Decoction
By simmering 15 grams of Greater Celandine stem and root for an hour in 2 liters of water over low heat, you can obtain a decoction that helps with chronic rashes, itching, pimples, and skin growths.
You can also use the prepared Celandine decoction for compresses. However, using a mixture of half oil and half brandy with soaked Great Celandine proves more effective.
Steaming with a Greater Celandine decoction (preferably fresh) helps alleviate uterine cramps and spasms caused by kidney stones, as well as pain in the urinary or gall bladder and kidneys. Afterward, it is beneficial to cover the abdomen with the plant sediment left after straining, then wrap everything up warmly.
Herbal Tea Blend for Liver Diseases
Greater Celandine is a plant that is an integral part of an herbal tea blend for liver diseases. Discover the plants included in the blend by reading further. Discover the preparation and application process, while gaining insight into the requirements.
- 15 g – Wall Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
- 20 g – Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
- 15 g – Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
- 20 g – Mountain Germander (Teucrium montanum)
- 15 g – Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- 15 g – Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
The listed ingredient weights for the blend are measurements of dried plants. Finely chop all the plants, combine them, and mix well to ensure even distribution. Steep 3 heaping tablespoons of this herbal blend in half a liter of boiling water, cover, and let it sit for 2 hours before straining. Drink the prepared tea with each of the three main meals, at least half an hour before eating.
Natural Remedy for Jaundice
For chronic jaundice, a mixture of the following plants and ingredients can be of great help.
- 20 g Greater Celandine leaves (Chelidonium majus)
- 20 g Mugwort flower and leaves (Artemisia vulgaris)
- 15 g Calamus (Acorus calamus)
- 2 cloves of Garlic (Allium sativum)
- 8 heaping tablespoons of local meadow honey
- 1 liter of white wine
Place all the listed ingredients in the wine and cook for about 20 minutes. Drink one cup in the morning on an empty stomach, another half an hour before eating, and the third half an hour before bedtime.
Herbal Blend for Asthma Treatment
For treating asthma and reducing respiratory pain, prepare an herbal blend that includes Celandine. As with the previous blend, chop all the plants finely, mix them, and then prepare the tea with 3 tablespoons of the blend in half a liter of water. Drink it throughout the day in sips.
- 20 g. Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
- 20 g. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
- 20 g. Buckthorn fruit (Rhamnus cathartica)
- 20 g. Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
- 20 g. Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis)
For cough relief, it is good to fry Great Celandine leaves in oil, add wheat flour that still contains bran, and make a dough. Take one heaping tablespoon every half an hour.
For Chest Pains To alleviate spasmodic chest pains, particularly around the heart, cook one teaspoon of dried Greater Celandine leaf powder and an egg yolk in apple cider vinegar. Consume this once a day.
In case of a delayed menstrual cycle
Add Greater Celandine tincture to hot water for a cautious sitz bath to induce menstruation. Use it three days before the expected start and three days after the cycle ends. Avoid using during menstruation to prevent excessive bleeding.
Great Celandine for cancer treatment
For stomach cancer cases, Greater Celandine tincture might help. Eliminate tobacco, alcohol, and meat, while consuming dairy and oil-cooked vegetables. Take 15 drops of the tincture in water three times daily.
For external skin cancer lesions, it is beneficial to apply a compress made of Greater Celandine tincture mixed with an equal amount of glycerin. This compress also helps alleviate gout and rheumatism.
