Arnica

Arnica montana

Asteraceae

A mountain daisy for bruises — a skin plant, never a tea.

Garden and topical herb. Internal use of the herb is unsafe; homeopathic pellets are a different, diluted product.

Parts used: Flower heads (external)
Traditional notes: Bruises · Sprains · Sore muscle oil · Closed-skin folklore
Grow · USDA 6b: Perennial, USDA 4–8, alpine lean Seed on the surface, or a nursery plant. It resents wet winters. In work: May · Jun · Jul
Harvest: Open flowers, dry, for oil only — not a cupboard tea.

Think alpine trough, not compost heap.
Label the tin EXTERNAL.
Do not wild-dig alpine meadows.

Safety

Internal use of the herb Open wounds Asteraceae allergy

Lore

Goethe kept arnica in his travel kit. Alpine shepherds used the daisy on kicks and falls; German pharmacies still sell it as a bruise gel. The same plant in a teacup has sent people to the clinic — a reminder that ‘natural’ and ‘edible’ are not synonyms.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.