Sideritis scardica
Greek mountain tea
Generally recognised as safeOther names: Ironwort, Shepherd's tea
A Greek mountain herb; the dried aerial parts make the traditional 'mountain tea'.
A woolly-felted perennial of Balkan mountains; the dried stems with small yellowish flowers are traditionally brewed in Greece as 'tsai tou vounou' (mountain tea).
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Plant type
- Subshrub
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
- Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
- Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
- Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
- Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
- Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
- High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
- Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
Plant habit
Quick overview
A practical summary; details are in the sections below.
- Safety grade
- Generally recognised as safe details
- Scientific sources on the card
- Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
- When and what to harvest
- Leaf — June–August
- Processing methods
Decoction, Herbal infusion (tea), Honey macerate
All methods and recipes on the card- Topics and symptoms
Breathing comfort, Common cold — overall comfort, Cough and mucus…
Topics section, Symptoms overview
Identification and mix-ups
Hardy perennial subshrub in Lamiaceae, about 30–40 cm. Stems and leaves densely woolly (tomentose), grey-green. Small pale-yellow flowers in dense whorls (verticillasters) along an erect spike, partly hidden by leaf-like bracts. Grows on rocky mountain slopes at about 1000–2300 m; mildly aromatic.
Possible mix-ups and risks
Confused with other Sideritis species (e.g. S. syriaca, S. sipylea, S. scordioides) sold interchangeably as mountain tea; all are non-toxic mint-family plants used in the same way, so the issue is provenance/authenticity rather than poisoning. No toxic lookalike is documented.
Similar herbs
No related herbs are linked yet.
Topics and symptoms
More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.
- Breathing comfortTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Common cold — overall comfortTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Cough and mucusTraditional· review
- Heavy digestionTraditional· review
- TopicTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
Sources
Geographic occurrence
No occurrence data yet.
Harvest
- LeafJune–August
summer
Region: GreeceNotes: The whole flowering herb at full bloom; dried in bundles in the shade.
Storage
- Drying(Leaf)
Whole dried flowering stems keep 1–2 years in bundles in a dry dark place; broken into an airtight jar, a year. The honey-and-sage scent softens in storage.
- Light:
- Out of light; it greys in light.
- Moisture:
- Protect from moisture.
Processing methods on this herb card
Longer simmering of plant material in water.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
A decoction is made by simmering plant material in water — often around 10–20 minutes depending on tradition and plant part. Denser parts (roots, bark, some seeds) are often prepared more reliably this way than with a short infusion.
Compared with an infusion it can extract more compounds, but also more tannins or bitterness; the flavour profile differs from a delicate tea. Combine this overview with the herb card for suitable plant part and contraindications.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: yes
Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.
Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Macerating plant material in honey (a honey conserve).
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Honey as a maceration medium creates a viscous mixture with its own biochemistry: water activity, acidity, and enzymes influence shelf life and flavour. Traditionally it is used with delicate flowers or herbs when you want aroma bound into honey.
Infant botulism guidance for honey and honey safety in general sit outside a single herb page; maceration time, ratios, and storage must follow a vetted recipe and source, not this general overview alone.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Traditional / spiritual use
Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.
Sideritis — the herb meant to heal wounds from iron
General
Traditional useFolk useHerbal loreMythologyAncient authors already derived the name Sideritis from the Greek sideros, iron: Dioscorides described herbs that healed wounds from iron weapons, and folk etymology also ties it to the calyx shaped like a spearhead. Shepherds on Olympus, Athos and in the Sar Planina range gathered the flowering stems on high meadows and boiled them into 'tea of the mountain' against colds and for warmth; in Bulgaria Mursalski tea is a protected plant and a symbol of the Rhodopes. A record of tradition.
- Form:
- tea of the shepherds of Olympus; a name associated with iron and weapons
- Claim strength:
- Tradition
- Source note:
- Todorova M, Trendafilova A (2014), J Ethnopharmacol 152:256–265 (ethnobotany and etymology); Dioscorides, De materia medica IV (sideritis).
Scientific notes
Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.
How to read evidence strength and study type labels
Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.
Evidence strength
- Evidence level not specified
- The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
- Narrative / orientational literature
- Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
- Weak evidence
- Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
- Preliminary findings
- First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
- Moderate strength of evidence
- Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
- Stronger evidence
- Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
- Review article
- A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.
Study type
- Narrative / expert text
- Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
- In vitro study
- Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
- Animal study
- Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
- Observational study
- Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
- Clinical trial
- Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
- Randomised controlled trial
- Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
- Review study
- A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
- Systematic review
- Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
- Meta-analysis
- Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
- Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
- Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
- Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
- Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.
EMA HMPC recognises ironwort herb as a traditional herbal medicinal product for relief of cough associated with cold and for mild digestive complaints, solely on the basis of long-standing use; clinical efficacy trials are not available.
Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2016Limitations: Traditional use without clinical trials; not for children under 12, no data in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) — European Medicines Agency
The review summarises traditional uses of Sideritis scardica in the Balkans, its threat from wild harvest and its cultivation, composition (phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, diterpenes, essential oil) and laboratory and animal data on anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and gastroprotective activity; clinical trials are lacking.
Narrative / orientational literatureReview studyYear: 2014Limitations: Mostly preclinical data; composition varies with origin and Sideritis species.
Todorova M, Trendafilova A — Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Images
The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.
Safety
What the warning types mean
The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.
- Internal use
- Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
- Interactions / medicines
- Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
- Raw plant parts
- Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
- Toxins and regulation
- Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
- Contact with the plant
- Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
- Allergy
- Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
- Harvesting and contamination
- Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
No structured safety records yet.