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The Queen of lemon herbs: Lemon Myrtle
- Ann De Corte
- Dec 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The Aboriginal people have used the leaves of the Lemon Myrtle tree for centuries as a bush medicine. To the Persians, Jews and Arabs, myrtle was a symbol of paradise. In a spiritual context, the myrtle flower can also symbolise purification and rebirth. The white or creamy color of its blossoms represent purificatioin, hope and innocence.
Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is a flowering plant of the Myrtaceae family, named after the English botanist James Backhouse (1853) is distilled from the leaves of the Australian Lemon Myrtle tree, which grows in the rainforests of Australia. it blends well with the citrus, wood, floral, camphorous and mint families. Citral is the active ingredient, contained within the lemon myrtle leaf. It has powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which are even superior to those of terpene hydrocarbons found in the tea tree oil.
Uses:
Cooking (leaves are used as dried flakes), beverages, surface cleaner, massage, bathing, hair care, skin care, and aromatherapy (of course!).
Benefits:
Whatever benefits you are looking for, Lemon Myrtle scoors higly: antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, helps with coughs and colds, stomach upsets, helps with depression & anxiety, helps improve concentration, aids mental clarity, helps ward off mosquitoes, flies, sandflies, ticks, midges, leeches, helps with skin disorders such as acne, itching, warts, wounds, sores, insect bites and oily skin.
Avoid use:
Directly onto the skin! Always dilute with a carrier oil such as jojoba oil, almond oil since they serve as vehicles that help distribute the potent properties safely across your skin. They reduce the potential irritation from direct contact with undiluted essential oils.
When you are pregnant and breast-feeding.
Also be very cautious with children: even a slight facial contact with the oil can cause breathing problems and death in infants and small children.
Australian Native essential oils:
We are talking about Anise Myrtle, Australian Balm Mint Bush, Australian Blue Cypress, Australian White Cypress leaf, Boronia, Buddha Wood, Emerald Cypress, Eucalyptus Australiana, Eucalyptus Blue Gum, Eucalyptus WA Mallee, Eucalyptus Ironbark, Eucalyptus Lemon, Eucalyptus Peppermint, Fragonia, Honey Myrtle, Kimberley Heath, Kunzea, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon Tea Tree, Nerolina, Niaouli, Rosalina (Lavender Tea Tree), Australian Rose, Rose Myrtle, Australian Sandalwood.
A lot of Eucalyptus, right? Well, intresting fact is that Australians like to shorten their words as much as possible: so for Eucalyptus trees, they just say gum trees. But you don't say gum oil, but Eucalyptus oil. There are between 800 to 900 species of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus leaves are not safe for humans to eat, although eucalyptus tea contains a safe amount of eucalyptus oil. They contain eucalyptol, also known as cineole, an organic compound that is toxic in high doses which can cause salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and weakness. Even for dogs it can be toxic because it can lead to neurological and gastrointestinal complications. Therefore, koalas can only eat about 50 to 60 species.
How are koalas able to able to eat the toxic eucalyptus leaves?
Baby koalas under one year, called joeys, eat their mother’s poop, a substance called “pap”, as part of their diet. Pap helps joeys transition from milk to eating eucalyptus leaves. The bacteria in pap helps joeys digest the toxins.
Meet Shelly Beach Road Trish: a heartwarming & true story!
During our month of travel in Australia, we visited the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. We both were so much in love with Trish that we have adopted her. You can see her pic below this post. Isn't she the most adorable koala? When she was found in February 2023, she was still a joey. After a microburst storm hit Port Macquarie, she was observed climbing with what seemed to be a paralysed forearm, so the team from Koala Conservation Australia (KCA) rescued her and brought her back to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie.
When koalas are admitted, they are given a name. The first name is the area or street where they are found. The second name is usually chosen by the person who rang the rescue team.
Sources:
Here are some good readings:
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