Bellis perennis: What are bellis perennis?

Characteristics of the flower

Bellis perennis, better known as “common daisy” or “daisy”, is one of the most common flowers in all the European countries.

The etymology of the name of this flower is very peculiar: some attribute it to one of the Danadis, daughters of Danaus king of Argo, or Bellide. According to others, instead, the etymology of the name bellis perennis, derives from the latin term “bellum”, which means war, thanks to the flower’s ability to heal battle wounds. Another option is that the name of the flower derives from the latin adjective “bellus”, which denotes its beauty.

Bellis perennis is a short-stemmed flower, of a width that goes from 5 to 16 centimeters, not having a trunk and sprouting directly from the ground. The flower is also called “common daisy” because when it sprouts it looks a lot like a daisy, and different only for its much smaller dimensions.

The daisy is born in the open fields in a totally natural way, through pollination; it is a very resistant flower, despite its small size, and it has an ancient history, that dates back to over 1000 years ago. According to ancient sources, during the renaissance era the court dames would use daisies to ornate their dresses; with the passing of time, placing daisies on your shield became a token of love for the beloved woman, who was waiting for the day in which a knight would come and ask for her hand. That is where the myth of “he loves me, he loves me not” is born: damsels, to deceive the wait, would use these flowers and picking one petal at a time, they would try to understand if their love was reciprocated or not. Moreover, the daisy has been always used in houses both for its peculiar qualities and as a game for children, which would use these flowers to create crowns and garlands.

How the bellis perennis are used: the properties of the flower

The particular beneficial and curative properties of bellis perennis have been known since ancient times when, in ancient Rome, soldiers would use it in the battlefield to disinfect wounds.

With the passing of time, some experts in herbal medicine have used the daisy to cure gout, an aggressive infection of the digestive system and, nowadays, some experts are still trying to use the flower to cure HIV. After a careful analysis it has emerged that bellis perennis contains particular substances that are extremely curative for the whole body: amongst these we find vegetable resins, known for their cleansing, fluidifying properties, essential oild, that have disinfectant properties, and the sponins, useful especially in case of capillary fragility as they favor blood reabsorption.

Nowadays, the extract of daisy is used not only in the medical field, to relieve muscle tears and bruises, but also in the cosmetics department: it seems, in fact, that the bellis perennis extract helps not only to alleviate the redness and get rid of skin rashes or pimples and pustules, but also to tone and firm delicate areas such as breasts and abdomen. Its effect are especially successful in pregnant women, who use it to limit or completely avoid the appearance of stretch marks.

Bellis perennis in the kitchen: how the small flower is used in the kitchen

Bellis perennis is used also in the kitchen to experiment with particular dishes with a spring aroma. Many moms use it to prepare a decoction for their children, very similar to chamomile, a bit bitter but fully beneficial for the organism.

Moreover, the flower can be used in vegetable or meat soups as a particular spice of a refined and light taste. The daisy, however, is also used raw, to give a touch of fantasy and freshness to the classic everyday salad.