Omnia SanaCommon names in 22 European languages →
The complete database record: 3 documented constituents, 4 pharmacological actions, 7 traditional / indicated uses, with 18 cited sources.
Botanical Description
Tall, upright perennial herb with deeply palmately lobed lower leaves (giving a lion's-paw appearance, the source of the genus name) and progressively less-divided upper leaves. Small, pink to pale purple, spiny-toothed, two-lipped flowers are borne in dense whorls up the square stem.[1]
Habitat & Distribution
Grows on waste ground, roadsides, hedgerows and near old dwellings; native to Central Asia and southeastern Europe and long naturalised across Europe and North America.[1]
Harvesting
The flowering aerial parts (leaf, stem and flower) are cut in summer as the plant comes into flower, and dried in a warm, shaded, airy place.[1]
Key Constituents
Leonurine and related iridoid/alkaloid-type constituents are considered the principal cardioactive and uterotonic compounds.
Antioxidant constituents contributing to the plant's anti-inflammatory activity.
Bitter diterpenes, shared with related Lamiaceae bitters, contributing to the traditional digestive and cardiac reputation.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
more plants for cardiovascular / heart health →detailed sources →
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from sedative action
more plants for insomnia / sleeplessness →detailed sources →
inferred from antispasmodic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Traditional Use & History
Motherwort has a long European and Asian herbal tradition, reflected in its name, as a gynaecological and cardiac tonic, traditionally used for heart palpitations and nervous cardiac complaints, menstrual irregularities and cramps, and as a calming nervine for anxiety and to ease childbirth and postpartum recovery.[1, 6]
Preparations
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph gives a single dose of 1.5-4.5 g of the comminuted herb for tea preparation, for a daily dose of 3-10 g, in adults and elderly; a 1:5 tincture in 45% V/V ethanol at 2-6 mL three times daily and a liquid extract at 2-4 mL three times daily are also listed. If symptoms persist longer than 4 weeks a healthcare practitioner should be consulted. Not recommended under 18 years. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Contraindicated in pregnancy (uterine stimulant). Avoid in heavy menstrual bleeding. May enhance anticoagulant and antihypertensive drug effects. Avoid in thyroid disorders. Generally well tolerated in normal doses for short-term use.
Duke (2002) rates motherwort as ++ and notes hypotensive, cardiotonic (negative chronotropic), anti-aggregant, and sedative activities at the experimental level (score 1). The plant is traditionally used for heart palpitations, hypertension, and menstrual regulation in European herbalism. Duke emphasizes strong safety caution: motherwort has documented oxytocic (uterine-stimulating) activity and is strictly contraindicated in pregnancy. It may also enhance the effects of cardiac medications and sedatives (Duke, 2002).
Herb-Drug Interactions
Harvest Readiness
[11]
[11]
[11]
External Identifiers
References & Sources
- Fierascu, R.C., Fierascu, I., Ortan, A., Fierascu, I.C. and others (2019) 'Leonurus cardiaca L. as a Source of Bioactive Compounds: An Update of the European Medicines Agency Assessment Report (2010)', BioMed Research International, 2019, pp. 4303215. doi:10.1155/2019/4303215 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4303215 - Wojtyniak, K., Szymanski, M. and Matlawska, I (2013) 'Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort): a review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology', Phytotherapy Research, 27(8), pp. 1115-1120. doi:10.1002/ptr.4850 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4850 - Kuchta, K., Volk, R.B. and Rauwald, H.W (2013) 'Stachydrine in Leonurus cardiaca, Leonurus japonicus, Leonotis leonurus: detection and quantification by instrumental HPTLC and 1H-qNMR analyses', Pharmazie, 68(7), pp. 534-540. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23923634/ Preclinical
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23923634/ - Kuchta, K., Volk, R.B. and Rauwald, H.W (2012) 'Leonurus japonicus, Leonurus cardiaca, Leonotis leonurus: a novel HPLC study on the occurrence and content of the pharmacologically active guanidino derivative leonurine', Pharmazie, 67(12), pp. 973-979. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23346757/ Preclinical
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23346757/ - Koshovyi, O., Raal, A., Kireyev, I., Tryshchuk, N. and others (2021) 'Phytochemical and Psychotropic Research of Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) Modified Dry Extracts', Plants (Basel), 10(2), pp. 230. doi:10.3390/plants10020230 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020230 - Angeloni, S., Spinozzi, E., Maggi, F., Sagratini, G. and others (2021) 'Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Crude and Purified Leonurus cardiaca Extracts', Plants (Basel), 10(2), pp. 195. doi:10.3390/plants10020195 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020195 - Sadowska, B., Wieckowska-Szakiel, M., Paszkiewicz, M. and Rozalska, B (2019) 'Molecular Mechanisms of Leonurus cardiaca L. Extract Activity in Prevention of Staphylococcal Endocarditis - Study on in Vitro and ex Vivo Models', Molecules, 24(18), pp. 3318. doi:10.3390/molecules24183318 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24183318 - Kuchta, K., Hladikova, J., Thomsen, M., Nguyen, A.D. and others (2025) 'Phenolic and Iridoid Glycosides from Leonurus cardiaca L. and Their Effects on the alpha, delta, and gamma Subtypes of the PPAR System', Molecules, 30(2), pp. 419. doi:10.3390/molecules30020419 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30020419 - Pereira, O.R., Catarino, M.D., Afonso, A.F., Silva, A.M.S. and Cardoso, S.M (2019) 'Hepatoprotection of Leonurus cardiaca L., Leonurus japonicus Houtt. and Leonurus sibiricus L', Antioxidants (Basel), 8(8), pp. 267. doi:10.3390/antiox8080267 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8080267 - Kuchta, K., Ortwein, J. and Rauwald, H.W (2014) '1H-qNMR for direct quantification of stachydrine in Leonurus japonicus and L. cardiaca', Fitoterapia, 96, pp. 8-17. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2014.03.023 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2014.03.023 - Plants For A Future 'Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort)'. Available at: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Leonurus+cardiaca Traditional / reference
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Leonurus+cardiaca - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (2010) 'Community herbal monograph on Leonurus cardiaca L., herba'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-leonurus-cardiaca-l-herba_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-leonurus-cardiaca-l-herba_en.pdf - Kowalchik, C. and Hylton, W (1998) 'Rodale'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Rodale - Prajapati, N.D., Purohit, S.S., Sharma, A.K. and Kumar, T (2003) 'A Handbook of Medicinal Plants'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A%20Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Plants - Shang, X. et al (2014) 'The genus Leonurus: traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology', pp. 43--63. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=The%20genus%20Leonurus%3A%20traditional%20uses%2C%20phytochemistry%20and%20pharmacology - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar, M. and Hosseinzadeh, H (2024) 'Therapeutic potential of hypnotic herbal medicines: A comprehensive review', Phytotherapy Research, 38(6), pp. 3037-3059. doi:10.1002/ptr.8201 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8201 - Block, K.I., Gyllenhaal, C. and Mead, M.N (2004) 'Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care', Integrative Cancer Therapies, 3(2), pp. 128-148. doi:10.1177/1534735404265003 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735404265003
Selected studies & references
All 16 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.