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Medicinal plants of the forest undergrowth. Part I. Shrubs and bushes

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ah.2026.5663
Submitted: February 4, 2026
Published: 15.06.2026

Abstract

Forests are an important habitat for medicinal plants used in traditional and conventional medicine. The possibility of maintaining these natural resources, and even developing natural habitats, depends on the application of appropriate management measures, the principle of sustainable development of species and the protection of endangered species. Forest shrubs and bushes known for their traditional uses are becoming an increasingly interesting source of bioactive substances. Contemporary research confirms the medicinal properties of many forest herbal raw materials. Due to the threat of natural habitat degradation, in vitro cultures have been recognised as an alternative renewable and continuous source of in vitro plant material for the isolation of bioactive substances. The paper presents six selected species of medicinal plants found in Polish forests: wild rosemary, black crowberry, common barberry, dogwood, common juniper and dyer’s broom, in biological, ethnopharmacological and phytopharmaceutical terms.

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