Split the cost of getting potted plants to reestablish my bed with my sister. I used this ointment all the time.
Arnica chamissonis
In herbal medicine, Arnica is among the most useful of remedies. The tincture or oil infusion of the dried flowers, applied topically, is an effective treatment for blunt traumatic injury, strains and sprains. The herb is an effective discutient, increasing circulation and helping dispel morbid matter--swelling goes down, bruises dissipate. Since antiquity, Arnica has been combined with Calendula and Saint John's Wort, a dynamic threesome that assuages pain, fights infection, promotes nerve reparation and speeds healing.
Arnica enjoys a full sun exposure and loose, moist to mesic, acidic soils. The plant is intolerant of lime. Because it is rhizomatous (reproducing by way of underground creepers), it quickly populates a raised bed with a dense, monotypic stand. We have found that amending the native soil with compost, coir, peat, and sand, making a very loose mix that can easily be penetrated by the runners, helps promote the spread of Arnica and will result in a good yield of medicinal flowers in the fall of the first year, in the summer of the second year and for years thereafter. Harvest the flowers in early flowering stage and dry on screens in a warm, dark and well ventilated place. Dry until crispy.
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