Since ancient times the Iris has been called a "self-wild herb", and rusalians, quakers, shamans and healers have used it in magical rituals for the health and well-being of people.

There is a belief that the iris brings happiness, success and victory to the one who takes it in hand, because it provides him with strength and energy.

The root of the flower, on the other hand, fulfills all the wishes of a person, helps him/her achieve their dreams and makes the person more purposeful.

According to some recent research, the reason for this is the positive impact of the iris on the human aura, expressed in increasing the length of its life wave. And this improves health and prolongs human life. That is why they say that the Iris was Christ's favorite flower.

There are many legends about the Iris.

One of them tells that the sister of the God Perun, famous for her beauty, was called Perunica.

She planted an incredibly beautiful flower before she died young from an unknown disease. In her honor, the God Perun called the flower- Iris, marked its root and it turned rose-red, gaining divine power.

According to another legend, the Solar Mother did not like the earth maiden Perunica, whom the Sun fell in love with. Their love was mutual and there was already talk of a wedding. The mother was powerless to separate the lovers and therefore turned the girl into a flower. As soon as the Sun saw this, he wept bloody tears, and one of them fell on his beloved. Since then the Iris root looks like it's covered in blood. There, in this red rose root, the love of the two lovers still lives, giving this flower a great power to help people so that there is no pain and tears.

Since then, it is believed that the root of this type of Iris does grant wishes.

It has prophetic abilities, sees the future of its owner, quickly fulfills wishes for happiness, success, love, luck and health and is an indispensable friend in all problematic situations.

Old legends say that the Iris is a magical flower for love.

Whoever grabs a bunch of irises from his sweetheart and pins them on his hat or belt, his soul forever remains with its owner…

Ancient mythology assigns to the Iris the role of a mediator between Heaven and Earth, as it bears the name of the goddess of the rainbow, Iris.

She was the daughter of the god Tavmantus and the oceanid Electra, and was a beautiful maiden with long saffron wings. As the rainbow stretches from Heaven to Earth, so Iris was the mediator between gods and men. A golden cup always stood next to her, into which she poured water from the underground river Styx, in which the gods swore. Iris gave this water to the clouds, and they watered the earth with the rains. This is how the connection between the three worlds - Gods, People and the Underworld was realized…This is why the Iris is a universal flower that can be given as a gift to anyone.

In Japan, this flower is considered a symbol of the warrior spirit because its upright leaves resemble swords. In Ancient Egypt, it symbolizes eloquence, and according to Christian traditions, it personifies the sufferings of Christ, and therefore it is often grown in monasteries.

As an ornamental and cultivated plant, the beautiful Iris is grown in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. It belongs to the large Iridaceae family, it is also known by its other name - Perunika

There are 200-300 species of irises, but only some of them have medicinal properties and are used as herbs. 9 species are naturally distributed in our country, only 1 of them is a protected species. Its homeland is believed to be the Mediterranean.

The iris, besides beautifying the gardens and giving us a wonderful aroma, is extremely useful for our health. In our folk medicine, it is mainly used as a preventer and pain reliever, for cough and bronchitis. Iris is a popular medicinal plant among the Indians, who used it to treat wounds and ulcers, colds, earaches, cholera, and vomiting. The plant was included in the American Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1895. In the Anglo-American tradition, it was used as a remedy for the glands and liver.

In our country, the blue iris (Iris germanica) and the similar white iris (Iris florentina) are used as herbs. They are perennial, reach up to 1 m in height, with a thick rhizome and bloom in May and June.

Folk medicine uses the rhizomes, which are removed in April, before flowering, as well as in autumn. Only 2-3 year old plants are used. After removing them, they are dried in the shade or at a temperature of 30 degrees. The healing properties are manifested in cough, bronchitis, general strengthening, calms the nerves and pains in gastritis, colitis, toothache, diseases of the liver and bile, shortness of breath and asthma.

Externally applied, it helps with swellings on the body, helping them to fall, relieves wounds, skin inflammations and burns.

An alcohol-water extract of the rhizomes in a ratio of 1:300 has a suppressive effect on tuberculosis bacteria.

For treatment, a decoction prepared from 1 teaspoon of dried, ground root is used, poured with 300 ml of boiling water and left to stand for 30 minutes. It is filtered and this amount is distributed throughout the day - 80 ml in the morning, noon and evening quarter of an hour before meals.

But proceed very carefully!

The decoction should not be drunk for a long time and should not be overdone, because the iris is poisonous in large quantities.

And before you start using the healing properties of the Iris - remember that it is a great remedy when used wisely. It means that before you decide to use it, consult with a herbal specialist and remember overdose would not be in any help of your condition but exactly the opposite, it could be harmful (poisonous)

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Stob, Bulgaria