What Is Pulsatilla Used For?

According to Greek myth, the nymph Anemone was turned into a windflower, or pulsatilla, when she attracted the attentions of the goddess Flora's husband, Zephyr. This plant may have also sprung from the tears of the goddess Aphrodite while she was crying over her slain husband, Adonis. If you suffer from nervous exhaustion, pulsatilla is an herb that can help you relax and take your mind off your mental stress.

Facts

• Pulsatilla is a wildflower that is native to North America, Europe and Asia; its scientific name is Anemone pulsatilla. It is more commonly known as anemone, Easter flower, hartshorn plant, pasque flower, prairie smoke, twinflower, wild crocus and windflower. Native Americans have used this herb to stop nosebleeds and to relieve rheumatism. South Dakota's state flower is the pasque flower.

Benefits

• If you do hard mental work and have trouble sleeping, pulsatilla will help you get that good night's sleep. Pulsatilla helps you to slow down in life and to relax. Pulsatilla can help with cramps, menstrual problems, spasmodic pain in men and women, premenstrual tension and headaches. Coughs, cataracts, genital diseases and gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections may also be improved by taking pulsatilla.

Dosage

• Take 20 drops of pulsatilla tincture in ½ cup of water 30 minutes before bed to help you sleep, recommends Planet Botanic. As an infusion, pour 1 cup of boiling water over ½ to 1 tsp. dried pulsatilla and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. Drink three times daily or as needed. The tincture can also be taken three times a day.

Identification

• Pulsatilla is a perennial plant with a rounded stem that grows up to 18 inches tall. The leaves have a silver tint and the bottoms are soft and feathery. Single violet flowers with yellow stamens bloom around Easter, and the stamens become feathery seed heads after the blooms fall, reports Herbs 2000.

Warnings

• Do not take large doses. Pulsatilla is poisonous and causes coma, convulsions and death by asphyxiation when taken improperly. Do not touch the fresh plant. Do not use this herb externally as it is a strong skin irritant. Do not take if you are pregnant. German experts do not recommend using pulsatilla except in homeopathic remedies, states Herbs 2000.