Because of Slovenia’s position between the Alps and the warm Adriatic, the country’s meadows are known for their abundance of plant life. Throughout history, many varieties of flowers have been widely used as folk remedies, and some are still recognized for their healing potential. One of them is the centaury, known in Slovenia as “tavžentroža.”

While its exact etymology is complicated (and refers to the ancient Centaurs), its name is appropriate because the fragile flower has long been known for its many uses. According to Slovenian folk tradition, the centaury can replace a thousand other healing herbs – hence its name --, and its dried flowers can cure everything from fever and anemia to liver disease, high blood pressure, and skin ailments. Indeed, the plant’s healing properties were even known to Hippocrates in ancient Greece, and it later became a mainstay of monastic pharmacies in an era when monks were still the primary healers in Slovenia and elsewhere in Europe.

The captivating, foot-high plant has long been known for its pink or scarlet blossoms that only appear on sunny days. This unusual characteristic, along with the fact that it rarely grows in groups, has meant that flower has traditionally been picked by only the most persistent of herbalists.

Unfortunately for the centaury, its very popularity among those pickers has made it an endangered species. It is now rare throughout Slovenia, even in areas whose climate is otherwise perfectly suited to the plant: high mountains and the windswept Karst plateau.

Its protected status now makes it off-limits to pickers, but sustainably grown centaury infusions have made an appearance in pharmacies – and for a very good reason: Many centuries after it was first used as an herbal remedy, the plant is recognized for its positive effect on digestion. Its acceptance by modern medicine means that this ancient remedy will likely be used to treat people for years to come.