Hart's Tongue Fern

People from the Kelmendi community living in the region of Kelmend in northern Albania have traditionally been gathering various wild plants and herbs for both food and medicine, including hart’s tongue fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium), known locally as bar mushknisë.

Harvested in summer, the plant is characterized by undivided, simple fronds, while the color usually ranges from yellow to green, depending on the plant’s exposure to light. Due to the characteristical shape of the plant’s lower leaf lamina, reminiscent of a human lung, the plant is believed to possess specific health benefits related to this organ and has, therefore, been dubbed the herb of the lungs.

In the Kelmend region, tea prepared with the plant’s leaves is enjoyed daily as a recreational beverage or used in traditional medicine as a remedy against various respiratory and lung issues. The use of this herb is, however, entirely neglected or unknown outside this region.