Buxus sempervirens
- Origin
- Europe
- Part used
- See detailed notebook
- Tradition
- Traditional ethnobotany
Boxwood, a shrub of gardens and countryside hedges, has accompanied the European countryside since antiquity, both for its ornamental virtues and for the uses once credited to it by folk healers. Its fragrant wood and evergreen foliage made it a familiar plant, though its internal use was always surrounded by caution, due to its long-recognized toxicity.
Traditional uses
Before you use it
Boxwood is a toxic plant: all its parts, especially the leaves, contain alkaloids that can cause severe digestive, nervous, and cardiac disturbances if ingested. Internal use is strongly discouraged without the advice and supervision of a qualified healthcare professional. To be strictly avoided in pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as in children. Never use for self-medication; in case of accidental ingestion, contact a poison control center immediately.
The detailed notebook
- Prepared as a paste or decoction
- Traditional duration of use
- Known contraindications
- Related species and their uses
Where to find it
Partner herbalists — available with the detailed notebook.
Sources
PFAF, Wikipedia