Pansy

Other Names of Pansy: The Pansy plant is also known as Bird's Eyes, Wild Pansy, Heartsease, Johnny-Jump-Ups, Garden Violet, Yellow Wild Pansy, and Love-in-Idleness

Useful Parts of the Plant: Flowers, stem, and roots

Pansy is an herb that grows in the wild all over Europe and North America. There are several strains and varieties of the pansy plant and the flowers appear in a wide range of colors. The pansy plant has been revered for its beauty and medicinal properties since ancient times. Countless numbers of folk remedies use pansies as an important ingredient. They are used to treat a wide array of health problems and diseases. Herbal medicine uses pansies in various forms such as pansy tea, pansy nectar, pansy infusions, and pansy tincture. Pansy infusion is made by adding two teaspoons of the herb to a cup of water that is then kept aside to infuse. Similarly pansy tea is made by pouring a cup of hot water over two teaspoons of the herb. The tea is filtered before drinking. It is recommended that you drink pansy tea half an hour before a meal for the best results.

Nutritional Information and Properties of Pancy

The pansy plant is high in mineral salts mucilage and carotenoids. There are traces of vitamin C, tannin, and essential oils present in the herb as well. Pansy also contains violine, salicylic acid, and cyclotides (that are used in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries). Pansies are used to treat a number of health problems due to the anti-microbial properties of the phenolic glycosides in the pansy plant along with the antioxidant properties of the flavonoids present.

Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses

Ointments and skin creams made with pansy as an ingredient have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Pansy is therefore used to treat skin ailments such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, itching, impetigo, and cradle cap. Drinking pansy tea or using it as a poultice on the skin can is effective as well.
The Chinese have long since used pansies to treat and soften tumors in the body that could result in cancers of the lungs, stomach and the breast.
Pansy can strengthen contractions of the uterus and induce labor.
The antitussive properties of the pansy plant lend it to being used to treat respiratory conditions such as asthma, whooping could, and bronchitis. It also soothes inflammations and irritations in the mucus membranes of the throat and loosens and eliminates phlegm. The best way to treat such ailments is by gargling with pansy tea or a pansy infusion. You could also drink the tea made with dried pansy flowers and leaves steeped in hot water. Add honey or lemon juice to taste.
The salicylates in pansy act as an anti-inflammatory as well. This makes pansy an effective treatment for rheumatism and arthritis.
Pansy can be used to reduce bruising and broken capillaries as the rutin present in the plant helps stabilize blood vessel walls.
Bladder infections such as cystitis are cured with the pansy herb.
Regular consumption of pansy can reduce blood pressure and prevent heart failure.
The wild pansy flower has been used since ancient times in the treatment of epilepsy.
Shampoos made with extract of pansy can nourish and condition the scalp keeping it healthy and improving hair quality.

Other Uses

Aside from its medicinal and herbal uses, pansies are also used for decorative purposes and as edible additions to salads.