Herbarium: Marjoram (Origanum majorana) – an indispensable herb in the kitchen, it smells good, tastes delicious, and also has medicinal properties.

Sweet marjoram (Majorana hortensis) is an annual plant with an erect or sometimes climbing stem, typically growing to a height of half a meter. The leaves are ovate to ellipsoid, entire. The small flowers are white, pink, or purple. It blooms during the summer months. The fruit is a brown achene. A synonym for this herb is "dobromysl majoram."

It is a cultivated plant, occasionally naturalizing in warmer parts of our country.

The harvested part is the aerial parts, which are harvested just before the plant blooms, preferably around 10 am.
The main active ingredient is an essential oil containing citral, eugenol, and alpha-terpineol, linalool, terpinene, and sabinene. It also contains tannins, enzymes, ascorbic acid, and other substances.

Sweet marjoram is known more as an excellent and almost irreplaceable spice than as a herb. It supports digestion, relieves bloating and spastic abdominal pain, has anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, diuretic, and mild sedative properties. We use it in many places, for example, in cases of dyspepsia, accompanied by bloating and possible colic.

It relieves diarrheal conditions, but also menstrual pain. It can also be perfectly used externally, for example, as a mouthwash or in the treatment of skin inflammation and inflammatory eczema.
It can also be used as a cosmetic face mask, for example, for acne.

We primarily prepare infusions from sweet marjoram. The essential oil is also often administered in doses of 3 to 5 drops. For external use, we can increase the concentration by using a larger amount and a longer extraction time.

We also administer it separately in mixtures. In terms of taste and medicinal properties, an excellent combination is equal parts of heather flower, thyme aerial parts, and sweet marjoram aerial parts, which we can use in all indications that apply to the individual components of the mixture.

It has no known adverse effects or contraindications, but in cases of overdose, it can cause irritation of the mucous membranes, especially in the area of the stomach and the digestive system, and possibly headaches.

We can scent comfrey ointment with the essential oil, which not only improves the aromatic properties of the ointment but also its antiseptic and healing properties. Such an ointment is then particularly suitable for treating externally accessible mucous membranes, such as nasal, oral, or vaginal.

Therefore, we use it not only as a spice but also in homeopathy, where fresh aerial parts are processed.

This article was published with the kind permission of the Sféra magazine.

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