The Madonna lily is an ornamental plant that has been cultivated since ancient times. A ceramic glass found on the island of Crete (17th century B.C.) on which a Madonna lily was painted is perhaps the first clue of this plant. Today, it is present in gardens all over the world. But beware! When put in a closed room, especially at night, its aroma can cause discomfort, nausea, and sickness.
Madonna Lily Scientific Facts
- French: Lis blanc.
- Spanish: Azucena.
- Environment: Ornamental plant native to Asia, though it has been introduced to America and Europe.
- Description: Plant with the bulb of the Liliaceae family, whose stem, covered with small leaves, grows up to one meter high. The flowers, white in color, grow on the tip of this stem.
- Parts of the plant used medicinally: The flowers and the bulb.
Healing Properties and Indications
The bulb and the flowers of Madonna lily contain several aromatic substances that, when locally applied, have important emollient properties (they soothe the skin and inflamed mucosa) and are cicatrizant and antiseptic.
Madonna lily oil is a good treatment for burns, nipple cracks, and eczema. It also renders good results in treating otitis or ear pain when applying some drops in the ear canal.
With the bulbs boiled in water and mashed, you can prepare an effective poultice to ripen abscesses and furuncles.
How to use Madonna Lily
Madonna lily is used externally only
- Madonna lily oil is obtained by cold extracting the petals of 10-12 flowers in one liter of olive oil for nine days. Every three days, strain the oil and add new petals.
- Poultices: Cook 100-200g of bulbs for 10-15 minutes. After mashed, put them in a cotton cloth, and apply hot, on the affected area, for 15-30 minutes. This poultice can be used for two or three minutes daily until the abscess or furuncle ripen.
REFERENCES
George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Ed. Francesc X. Gelabert. vols. 2 San Fernando de Henares: Editorial Safeliz, 2000. 716. Print.
