Herbal witch and influencer: "Survival Siglinde"

With a broad dialect, quick wit and always in a pink T-shirt and short jeans, "Survival Siglinde" explains, for example, why rosehip sausage is healthy and making out after eating Gundermann is not the best idea. Christine Rauch from Erfurt is behind the fictional character in the video clips. With "Sörweiwl Siglinde" - as she pronounces the heroine's name - she now inspires thousands and imparts knowledge about wild plants.

Nearly 74,000 people follow her on Instagram and almost 21,000 on TikTok. Some of her videos have already broken the million-click mark and catapulted Rauch into the ranks of other well-known nature and plant influencers such as "Robinga Schnögelrögel".

The fact that Rauch has now also published a non-fiction book shows just how well received she is as Siglinde with her idiosyncratic style. Together with Erfurt-based illustrator Erni Donnerberg, she has published "Wilde Pflanzen essen" (Kosmos Verlag), a cheeky and colorful guidebook in which she presents individual wild plants, their properties and possible uses.

"Herbal witch family"

Rauch's interest in greenery comes naturally: "My mother comes from a family of herb witches, we used to have a large garden that allowed us to provide for ourselves." But before she got to grips with the local plant world professionally, the 48-year-old business administration graduate first went into business - with a detour to China.

A kidney disease brought her back to plants. To get rid of the stones in the long term, she kept changing her diet and eventually ended up with edible wild herbs. As a certified consultant for self-sufficiency with edible wild plants, she and her company now make pesto from watercress, for example, and offer foraging walks, cooking courses and seminars on wild greens.

Going viral with nettle legs

But how did Siglinde get involved? An intern wanted to make videos for her company, explains 48-year-old Rauch. This is how the fictional character was created. The video for the baptism of fire with shorts in the nettle bath was the breakthrough. "The video took off like Schmidt's cat," says Rauch about the reactions online.

In her fictional character, she sees herself as an "infotainer" - she wants to entertain and impart knowledge. "My aim is not to be dogmatic: it should be fun and pick people up." However, there are a few things that those who want to look for wild herbs in nature themselves should bear in mind, says Rauch: "Don't eat anything you don't know and remember the hand bouquet rule: only take as much as you can fit in one hand."