Origin and characteristics: The main harvest time for the basket flower plant, which is native to Southern, Eastern and Western Europe, but also to Central Asia, North America and Mexico, is June to August in Southern Europe. The dried flowers of the plant are used as the base drug for arnica oil. The lipid-soluble components from the flowers are gently dissolved in an extract of soybean oil, which is stabilized with vitamin E. Arnica oil is a yellowish, clear oil with a slight herbal odor.