Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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Protected territories in Latvia with medicinal and aromatic plants
- State Nature Reserves (5): Moricsalas (1912), Slitere (1921), Grini (1936), Krustkalni (1977),
Teichi (1982)
- National Parks (2): Gauja National Parka and Kemeri National Park
- Nature Parks (21): the most popular are "Tervete" Nature Park and "Daugavas Loki"
Nature Park
- Nature Reserves (211): these areas are natural complexes unaltered by human activity,
areas where rare and endangered species can be found.
Ex situ conservation of MAPs
The collections of medicinal and aromatic plants are held in five institutes:
- Botanical garden of Latvia at Salaspils (largest MAP collection)
- Botanical garden of the Latvian University in Rîga
- Latvia University of Agriculture in Jelgava
- State Selection Station at Skriveri
- Bulduri Horticultural College.
Collecting of wild medicinal plants
The following medicinal plants are regularly collected from the wild only: Filipendula ulmaria,
Tanacetum vulgare, Taraxacum officinale and Tussilago farfara.
Most of the marketed raw materials from the following species are collected from the
wild: Achillea millefolium (~70%), Bidens tripartita (~70%), Thymus serpyllum (~95%) and
Hypericum perforatum (~10%).
MAP cultivation in Latvia
Exact data on cultivation are not officially obtainable, since growers seem to be afraid to give
accurate information owing to high taxes. The Medicinal Plant Association in Latvia,
"Metra", consists of 95 members. Most growers with large cultivated areas are situated in the
districts of Limbazi, Valmiera, Cesis and Aizkraukle.
According to the statistical information of Metra, the area cultivated under MAPs in 2001
was about 200 ha, but according to the statistical information of the Central Statistical Bureau
of Latvia, the total area cultivated with MAPs is estimated to be about 300 ha (Table 1).
Table 1. Estimated area of cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants in Latvia
Species Total area (ha) Note
Valeriana officinalis 50 one farm has about 20 ha
Chamomilla recutita 60 one farm has about 30 ha
Hypericum perforatum 35
Mentha x piperita 30 one farm has about 10 ha
Calendula officinalis 20
Carum carvi 50
Origanum vulgare 20
Viola arvensis and V. tricolor 3
Artemisia absinthium 3
Salvia officinalis 2
Bidens tripartita 2
Helichrysum arenarium 2
Leonorus cardiaca 2
Other MAP species
10
(Hyssopus officinalis, Majorana hortensis,
Lavandula angustifolia, Thymus serpyllum, etc.)
Total 289