Łódź, Botanical Garden

Native to mountains of Europe; in Poland at wild is endemic to Pieniny Mountains. Ornamental plant. Herbal plant - the young shoots are abortifacient, diuretic, emetic, powerfully emmenagogue and irritant; the plant is rarely used internally but is useful as an ointment and dressing to blisters etc in order to promote discharge; the powdered leaves are also used in the treatment of warts, but use with great caution and never during pregnancy(!); an essential oil from the leaves and shoots has strong diuretic properties; the fresh, red seed cones are swallowed as a treatment for stomach disorders; a tar obtained from the wood is mixed with flour and taken orally as a treatment for eczema, or it is pounded with candle wax to form pills and taken orally to treat scabies. Usable plant - leaves are used as an insect repellent, a decoction of them is used against lice.