Mastering the language of the plants capacitates me to intermediate the relationships between plants and human fellows. Don’t ask me if I chose them or they hired me. It’s a kind of ‘all for one, one for all’ situation where we dynamically rotate our positions. As in a role-playing game, you are invited to choose a character you will embody or else that will lead you along various levels. In this turn of the page, we are on a mission with Dittany of Crete. An endemic plant to the island of Greek Gods and a ‘panacea’ of ancient healers, Dittany deserves to be introduced into the wider co-working space for the exploration and application of its healing abilities.
Origin and habitat
The profoundly beautiful and very aromatic Dittany, Origanum dictamnus, was dedicated to the ancient Cretan goddess Diktynna, sometimes also described as a mountain nymph, and was named after her. As etymological explanations go, we have another version here, splitting the word dictamnus. One part derived from Dikti, the mountains on the east of the island of Crete where Zeus was born, and the other part comes from the Greek word “thamnos” which means shrub.
Dittany can grow up to 1900 metres; considering its original habitat, it is a chasmophyte. This means the plant communities colonise rock faces’ calcareous cracks and fissures. The challenging conditions of its collection made it a dangerous adventure; hence, Diktamos, commonly known by locals, also got the name ‘erontas’. They said the collector must have the passion of ‘love’ to harvest Diktamos, conquer rocks and hang on cliffs, risking life and death.
Depending on its modern habitat in Crete, Dittany shows amazing geometries and ways of settling on the land or rocks. Dittany is a small perennial shrub with 20-30 cm branches; broader or more narrow leaves and the characteristics of the florescence distinguish a couple of varieties. Generally, the leaves are oval, covered by dense white hairs, have a touch of fine velvet, and are gorgeous all year around with their mineral blue hues of white-greenish-grey colour. The arrangement of flowers from summer to autumn are unique and breathtaking, with a combination of bordeaux, pink, deep rose and purple. It all has a somewhat modest and grounded appearance by the feel while truly royal in its full expression.
Ancient panacea
The history and significance of this medicinal plant were preserved and passed on to generations through tales and mythology and well documented by famous fathers of medicine, physicians and thinkers from antiquity. Ancient scholars and philosophers from Aristotle to Theophrastus attested the story of Cretan mountain goats, which would instinctively seek out for Dittany when wounded by an arrow, for its ability to help ‘eject’ the foreign object from the body and heal the wound. Hippocrates prescribed Dittany to help various ailments and especially praised it for diseases of the digestive system, spleen issues, rheumatism, uterus, to induce menstruation and to accelerate childbirth. The 1st century Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist Dioscorides who is considered ‘the father of pharmacognosy’ used the plant to heal soldiers’ wounds and broken bones in times of war.
Besides being a traditional medicinal herb used in the preparation of therapeutic and healing poultices, oils, balms and ointments – just like many other plants in the Lamiaceae family – Dittany was valued as a culinary herb, herbal tea, and in other extracted forms. It used to flavour wine in ancient times, and liqueurs in the Middle Ages produced by Benedictines and Trappist monks. Even today, it is still part of recipes for alcoholic beverages like vermouths and enjoyed worldwide. Dittany has a stimulating nature, mentioned as an aphrodisiac, and pleasing the eye it was offered to the Gods and put to decorate temples and gardens.
Sustainability status
Understandably, due to its praised benefits, Dittany was a sought-after commodity and has been collected for various uses or trades for thousands of years. In modern days, locals started to cultivate Dittany since around the 1920s due to the increasing demand and partly due to the cost that climbing accidents during the plant collection brought about. Soon, its systematic cultivation resulted in it no longer being an endangered species. However, the status keeps changing. Most likely, plants sold on the market today are from cultivated plants. At the time of this writing, the latest currently available data from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was from 2011 when Origanum dictamnus got assessed and listed as Near Threatened (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) & Pinelopi Delipetrou (University of Athens), 2011). Wild populations of Dittany, due to its rarity, are also protected by the Treaty of Bern, and its collection is prohibited.
Ethnopharmacology
Before we investigate the aromatherapy approach to Dittany, it’s a good start to take a look at ethnographic literature and ethnopharmacological studies (Plimakis, 1997; Skoula & Kamenopoulos, 1997; Havakis, 1978; Fragaki, 1969; Steinmetz, 1954), which list the most common therapeutic uses of the plant as follows:
Infusion: 20–30g of plant material in 0.5–1litre hot water. Uses: tonic, anti-convulsion, against tonsillitis, cold, cough and sore throats, diuretic, digestive, spasmolytic, against stomach and kidney discomforts. It has also been recommended traditionally, against liver diseases, diabetes and obesity.
Infusion/chewed crude plant parts: against gingivitis and toothache and as an emmenagogue and assisting childbirth (induction delivery). Moreover it is considered as an abortifacient while it also lessens the abdominal pains.
Decoction: 1.5–5g of dried/fresh Dittany in 250ml (about one glass) of boiling water. The plant should not be left in boiling water for long because its valuable components are destroyed. The decoction called ‘brastari’ in Crete should be used within 24 hours. Otherwise, it will prove useless. Dosage: 2 cups per day. Uses: headaches, neuralgia, gingivitis and toothaches, tonsillitis and sore throat, common cold and against cough. The decoction also has been used for digestion against stomachaches and as a diuretic against nephralgia and against arthritis. Finally it is considered to induce menstruation.
Tincture: made with 15–30 g of dried or fresh herb in 1 litre wine or “raki” (traditional Cretan drink) or 25% ethanol dilution. Uses: similar to the decoction.
Cutaneous use (externally): compresses, powder, plant parts crushed with water. Uses: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bleeding, cicatrizing, against bruises, carbuncles and ulcerations, against bad breath and sore throat, for wound healing and against headaches. Compresses on the underbelly are said to induce child-birth, and is also recorded as anti-epileptic.
Additionally, an ethnopharmacological study gives the following summary for the therapeutic uses of the herb, applied either by infusion or as an external application (cutaneous use as a compress or by washing): endocrine disorders – diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders – liver disorders, spasmolytic, stomach ulcer, metabolic disorders – cholesterol, neuropsychiatric disorders – brain stimulant, headache, skin disorders – antiseptic, sanative, urogenital system – diuretic, dysmenorrhoea, other – antibacterial activities, aphrodisiac, stimulant (Hanlidou et al., 2004).
From herbs to essential oil
I found references that in the early 20th century, there was a factory in the city of Heraklion on Crete producing and selling an anti-influenza medicine in the form of an oil, supposedly a blend of Bay laurel, Oregano, Sage and Dittany. The mixture was used as a rubbing oil according to the recommendations of doctors of the era.
Due to its medicinal and aromatic properties, Dittany has become known worldwide. With the aim of overcoming the limitations of availability, research institutes evaluated how the plants’ properties would differ once cultivated outside of Crete. The results were satisfying. At the same time, people on Crete are deeply connected to their land and its produce, and local cultivation of Dittany of Crete continues today with great passion and pride. There is a growing number of local producers on the island in several regions.
My first encounter with the small-scale production of the essential oil of Origanum dictamnus was in 2009, during my inaugural visit to Crete. An organic cosmetics company, with a strong background and network with pharmacies, marketed it as part of their small range of local oils. Despite the absence of Latin names on the charming vials, the oils lived up to their reputation, and I used them with complete satisfaction in my aromatherapy applications.
Micro-plantations on Crete
Fast forward 10 years – now living, researching and distilling myself on Crete – I found another producer of Dittany essential oil, just right in the next village where I lived! In my enthusiasm, I immediately bought a couple of bottles from Kosta and Litsa Kokolakis at Cretian Feast, who kindly showed me around their workshop. I was mesmerised as the couple took me out for a walk at their beautiful aromatic farm, where they cultivated Dittany amongst many other plants. It was just one day before I travelled to Hungary and made the first presentation of my Aromatic Adventures on Crete at the DROPS International Aromatherapy Conference in Budapest. My lecture could not miss to cover the antibacterial hotshots of Crete: Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Winter Savory, and, of course, Dittany of Crete.
On one side, with the renaissance of herbal teas and other naturals, there has been an increasing demand for Dittany and other medicinal plants. On the other hand, in order to get more people in touch with the green world, and also to increase their livelihoods, farmers like Kosta and Litsa started to open their land to the interested public, and offer visit opportunities to learn about their produce. A thankfully emerging form of educational tourism nowadays.
Recognised by local tour organisers, another farmer friend, Manolis Petakakis, also supplemented his agricultural field work with plant walks. He followed nature’s ways in the ever growing biodiversity on his estate called Lagkos. He developed a special cultivation, planting Dittany in the fissures of calcareous mountain walls and cliffs. It was quite a job. Time and time again when it comes to harvest, Manolis may act like the so-called “erondades’’ – the passionate Dittany collectors of the past, now in a more safe and gentle environment. Perhaps one of his secrets (other than living in harmony with nature) is that Cretan dittany is one of the strongest plants for maintaining good health and treating ailments. Accompanying Manolis’ work, I was passionately there and excited to do a documentary photography session when he did his first Dittany harvest in 2020. Little did I know that I would be entering the invisibly connected circle of Dittany farmers and distillers pioneering on Crete two years later…
The article was originally written for and published in the Winter issue 2024/11.4 of Aromatika Magazin, an online publication to support holistic living, the practice and professional education of aromatherapy, phytotherapy, naturopathy and related subjects. My special thanks and gratitude goes to Gergely Hollódi, editor-in-chief of this beautifully constructed aromatherapy periodical, and for his always encouraging support. Hope you would enjoy this post here. The original copy of the electronic magazine is available for download from the website of Aromatika Magazin.
PS: If you are on this journey of self-discovery, healing and empowerment and feel the call of the magical power of the plant world, you may want to check out what else I have for offer on my aromatic retreats page. With love, Ildiko
References:
Fielding, J. (2005). Flowers of Crete. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew.
Karpouzaki, A. (2021) Τα βοτανάκια μας – Herbs of Crete. Karpouzaki Anastasia. Greece
Daferera, D. J., Ziogas, B. N., & Polissiou, M. G. (2000). GC-MS Analysis of Essential Oils from Some Greek Aromatic Plants and Their Fungitoxicity on Penicillium digitatum. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 48(6), 2576– 2581. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf990835x
Daferera, D. J., Ziogas, B. N., & Polissiou, M. G. (2002). The effectiveness of plant essential oils on the growth of Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium sp. and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. Crop Protection, 22(1), 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0261- 2194(02)00095-9
Bazos, I. (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Delipetrou, I. (University of Athens). (2011, April 13). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Origanum dictamnus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/spe- cies/162352/5578153
Hanlidou, E., Karousou, R., Kleftoyanni, V., & Kokkini, S. (2004). The herbal market of Thessaloniki (N Greece) and its relation to the ethnobotanical tradition. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 91(2–3), 281–299. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.01.007
Liolios, C. C., Graikou, K., Skaltsa, E., & Chinou, I. (2010). Dittany of Crete: A botanical and ethnopharmacological review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 131(2), 229–241. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.06.005
Mitropoulou, G., Fitsiou, E., Stavropoulou, E., Papavassilopoulou, E., Vamvakias, M., Pappa, A., Oreopoulou, A., & Kourkoutas, Y. (2015). Composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activity of Origanum dictamnus (dittany) essential oil. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 26(0). https://doi. org/10.3402/mehd.v26.26543
Solomou, A. D., Fountouli, A., Molla, A., Petrakis, M., Manolikaki, I., & Skoufogianni, E. (2024). Ecology, Cultivation, and Utilization of the Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus L.) from Ancient Times to the Present: A Short Review. Agronomy, 14(5), 1066. https://doi. org/10.3390/agronomy14051066
