A true rarity – the high alpine Speick plant

It is well known that the more we learn about nature, the more fascinated we become. The same goes for the small, unimposing Speick plant which gave us our name.

All products of our series under the Speick brand, with the exception of the Made by Speick products, contain the unique extract of the Speick plant, a worldwide exclusive which grows wild in the high alpine region (lat. Valeriana celtica) – certified as being from biologically regulated wild harvesting. Today, it is almost exclusively found in the Nockberge Biosphere Park in Carinthia (Austria).

The conditions are ideal for the plant in this area: soil with no trees and very little lime at altitudes of approx. 1,800 m. Furthermore, the intense high-alpine light, clear air and mix of cold winters and warm summers give the plant its excellent growing power year after year. At the same time, the unique composition of its ingredients is very versatile and to this day cannot be synthetically reproduced.

A unique, fascinating scent

This graceful little plant grows to a maximum of 15 cm high. The blossoms are a pale yellow and blend in with the abundance of colourful alpine flowers. However, the characteristic scent is very noticeable, especially when the blossoms turn yellow from around the end of August. Walking across the alpine meadows on a warm, late summer’s day, you will instantly notice the plant’s bold, spicy scent. Even the surrounding earth seems to absorb this unique fragrance.

Carefully harvested by hand by alpine farmers


For our alpine farming families with harvesting licenses, the annual Speick harvest in the months of August and September is an important additional source of income in what is otherwise a frugal alpine farming existence. Speick is traditionally harvested during the “30 Days of Women and Herbs”, which is the time from Assumption Day on 15th August to The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary on 12th September.

The farmers carefully harvest the plants for us by hand and dry them in specially designed barns, known to the locals as Schober. Fair trade with our alpine farming families has always been a matter of course for us.

We obtain the unique essential oil by carefully extracting it from the dried plants and holistically integrate it into all of our Speick products.

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