Officinal by nature

Aromatic, colourful and fragrant, they are cultivated for their ornamental beauty and above all, for the food industry.

Thyme, lavender, basil, mallow, rosemary, fennel, sage, oregano and lemon balm are some of the most widely grown. Over the last three years, the acreage given over to the cultivation of these plants has more than doubled to the extent that Italy has become one of the top five European producers. Interest in these plants, both wild and farmed, is largely linked to their many possible uses, not only in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals but also in the production of herbal teas and other drinks such as liqueurs.

From lavender to basil: the properties of officinal plants.

Different species of lavender commonly grow wild in Italy. Lavender has a number of uses: Picked in bunches it has been used for centuries now as a room fragrance. It is processed to extract its essential oil which is widely used in perfumes and also to make infusions for the preparation of herbal teas with antiseptic and analgesic properties.

Mallow meanwhile is used extensively in cooking because its shoots, flowers and tiny leaves are all edible. Its leaves can be used to make herbal teas with laxative and emollient effects such as Mallow tea and Le Stagioni d’Italia Detox Tea.