Wednesday, July 27, 2011

It is Time for Sambong!

A wild bushy sambong
Is it obvious that I have been house bound because of the rain? For one I have been regularly posting in my blog, in between doing other stuff in my computer and watching the Planet Earth documentaries.  Well that is how Philippine climate works for you.  You get a little rain and a lot of school holidays. Well, I am not complaining, hehehe.

Since it looks like we are pushing deep into the rainy season, I bet the old folks are already looking for a stash of sambong to usher in the 'cold' season, stress on cold as it doesn't only mean cool weather but also the time for sore throat and runny nose.  Reminded me to post pictures of the sambong for easy recognition, if you do decide to go out in the rain and find one.

Terminal tips
Sambong or Blumea balsamifera is a Philippine native. I have encountered it as a weed in a lot of places, like the lahar stricken banks of Zambales, watershed Ipo Dam and even the empty lots near U.P. Diliman.  The leaves are quite nice with a silvery sheen but the plant is too lanky to qualify as a garden ornamental.  But I have visited a lot of households which chose to keep a potted sambong just because of its medicinal value. Tea prepared from the sambong is used to cure cold or act as an expectorant.  For more info on its medicinal value, search http://www.stuartxchange.org/Sambong .

5 comments:

Plant Chaser said...

Don't forget Lagundi also. My wife says that while Sambong has traditionally been used to treat colds, it has been validated more for genitourinary symptoms like kidney stones. I for one won't be able to tell one herbal medicine from the other so your plans to post pictures for recognition is an excellent one.

metscaper said...

Thanks. My lagundi pics are old. will have to get new pics.

Grace Servino said...

We used to drink Pito-pito which my mother or lola prepared wherein the leaves of sambong is one of the 7 ingredients. They say Pito-pito can cure various illnesses including regulating women's menstruation.

metscaper said...

Yup. Will try to look into pito pito one of these days.

Andy said...

I for one won't possess the ability to inform one herbal remedies away from your other so your strategies to article pics
Does anyone about to get andBuy World Of Warcraft Gold, does anyone have some good suggestions to get the fast and safeRS Gold, please tell me and thanks a lot who can help me.