© Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Veronica officinalis
Echter Ehrenpreis · (Veronica officinalis)
Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)
Description
Forming a low, easily overlooked carpet in open woodland, heathland and dry meadows, heath speedwell is gathered together with its flowers between June and August. Its chemistry centres on the iridoid glycosides aucubin and catalpol along with verproside, plus flavonoids such as luteolin and apigenin, tannins and chlorogenic acid. In folk medicine the herb is brewed as tea for respiratory, joint and urinary complaints, and used externally as a gargle or compress for skin irritation and minor wounds; young leaves were also traditionally eaten as a wild vegetable. The German Kommission E, however, gave the drug a negative assessment in 1989, citing insufficient evidence of efficacy. No side effects are known at customary use, but persistent complaints still warrant medical advice.
Infusion of the flowering aerial parts (1–2 g per cup, steep 10 min) for mild colds, coughs, and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. Iridoid glycosides (aucubin, catalpol) have mild anti-inflammatory effects; saponins promote mucus liquefaction.
Preparation & dosage
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
Stronger infusion (2–3 g per 150 ml) as a gargle for mild inflammation of the oral mucosa and throat. Tannins and phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid) are astringent and mildly antimicrobial.
Preparation & dosage
Cooled infusion as a moist compress for skin irritations, eczema, minor wounds and abrasions. Traditionally used in Balkan folk medicine for skin ulcerations and snake bites. Astringent tannins and antioxidant flavonoids (luteolin, apigenin) support wound healing.
Used in folk medicine for gout and rheumatism as a mild diuretic and anti-inflammatory. Aucubin and catalpol inhibit COX-2 and NF-κB in vitro, supporting traditional use for inflammatory joint complaints.
Preparation & dosage
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
Mildly diuretic effect of the aerial parts; used in folk medicine as supportive flushing therapy for urinary tract irritation. Listed in the 19th-century US Pharmacopoeia as a diaphoretic and mild expectorant.
Preparation & dosage
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
Historically drunk in France as a tea substitute ('thé d'Europe'); slightly bitter and astringent taste. Fresh leaves occasionally used in salads. Widely consumed as a daily beverage in 19th-century France and England.
Sources: [2]
No known side effects with normal folk-medicine use. Commission E (1989, negative vote): insufficient evidence for therapeutic efficacy. Seek medical advice for persistent respiratory or joint complaints.
Insufficient data; use only in customary food amounts as a precaution.
Insufficient data; avoid as a precaution.
No paediatric data; do not use in children under 6 years without medical advice.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to Veronica species or the plantain family (Plantaginaceae).
Harvested part: flowering herb
- Time of day:
- Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried, in dry weather.
- Drying:
- Spread thinly on drying racks; dry at max. 40 °C until stems snap; iridoid glycosides (aucubin, catalpol) concentrate during drying.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Dry, protected from light, in airtight containers.
- AucubinGlycosideContent: ca. 0,1 % (Frischkraut)Aerial parts
Iridoid glycoside; inhibits COX-2 and NF-κB in vitro; one of the marker compounds of Veronica officinalis.
- CatalpolGlycosideContent: ca. 0,23 % (Frischkraut)Aerial parts
Iridoid glycoside; present at higher concentration than aucubin; anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- VerprosideGlycosideAerial parts
Iridoid glycoside; characteristic of the genus Veronica; inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators via NF-κB pathway.
- LuteolinFlavonoidAerial parts
Flavone; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory; detected in Veronica officinalis alongside apigenin.
- ApigeninFlavonoidAerial parts
Flavone; antioxidant; shows mild sedative and muscle-relaxant properties in vitro.
- Gerbstoffe (Tannine)TanninAerial parts
Condensed and hydrolysable tannins; astringent; responsible for the slightly tart taste and contribute to wound-healing activity.
- Chlorogensäure (Chlorogenic acid)Phenolic acidAerial parts
Phenolic acid; antioxidant and mildly antimicrobial; detected in Veronica officinalis.
- TriterpensaponineSaponinAerial parts
Foaming and surface-active compounds; expectorant properties through mucus liquefaction.
- [4]MonographVeronica Plants — Drifting from Farm to Traditional Healing, Food Application, and Phytopharmacology (PMC6651156)(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [3]BookPlants For A Future — Veronica officinalis(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [1]WikipediaEchter Ehrenpreis (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [2]WikipediaVeronica officinalis (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-21)