Cold

Blackcurrants or quinsy berries are a common summer fruit, grown in the UK. They are nutritious and do have various medicinal properties. In addition, the leaves and seeds are sometimes used in herbalism. Action of Blackcurrant They contain approximately 4 times as much ascorbic acid as the equivalent weight of oranges, and so they provide [...]

Continue Reading Herb Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)

Lemon balm, balm or Melissa is an aromatic plant that originates from southern Europe, but now grows freely all over the world. It is often found as a popular plant in domestic herb gardens due to its pleasant lemon fragrance and attractive white flowers. It is best grown in a pot due to its invasive [...]

Continue Reading Herb Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Also known as lime blossom or linden flowers it is relative to the floral parts of the various species of the Tilia family. The most used are Tilia platyphylos (broad-leaved lime) and Tilia cordata (small-leaved lime). The trees are native to northern temperate climates such as Britain, Europe, Asia and North America. It should not [...]

Continue Reading Herb Lime Flowers (Tila Flos)

Peppermint is a natural hybrid of garden spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica) and was first cultivated in England in the middle ages. It now grows everywhere in Europe and is also cultivated in the USA. The two most popular varieties are white peppermint (green stems, light green leaves) and black peppermint (deep [...]

Continue Reading Herb Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

This is a blue gum and is a very large evergreen tree that originates from Australia and Tasmania, but is now grown world-wide and mainly used for its essential oil. The leaves contain the oil and this is used in herbal medicine as well as being the main food that koala bears eat. There are [...]

Continue Reading Herb Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globus)

Citrus aurantium is also known as bitter orange, green orange or sour orange. In traditional Chinese Medicine it is known as zhi shi and in Aromatherapy the essential oil is called neroli. The fruit of Citrus aurantium contains the active compounds used in herbal medicine. Medicinal Properties of Bitter orange Citrus aurantium contains an alkaloid [...]

Continue Reading Herb Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)

Including sweet or knotted marjoram is a small shrubby plant native to the Mediterranean region, Egypt and North Africa. It is now cultivated throughout the world and is a popular herb garden plant. The aerial parts of the plant are used for cooking and occasionally in herbal medicine. It should not be confused with Spanish [...]

Continue Reading Herb Marjoram (Origanum majorana)

Also known as wild pansy, this is a flowering plant native to Europe. The flowers are used in herbal medicine and offer valuable benefits to the skin. The other well known species of viola is sweet violet (V. odarata), which is sometimes used in herbal medicine for respiratory problems such as coughs, colds, catarrh and [...]

Continue Reading Herb Viola (Viola tricolor)

Petasites or butterbur is a woodland plant that is a member of the daisy family. It grows freely in damp conditions throughout Europe and the British Isles. Petasites means ‘large brimmed hat’, which is the best way to describe the large, round leaves. The root and leaves are used in herbal medicine. Action of Petasites [...]

Continue Reading Herb Petasites/Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)

This is probably a native to eastern Europe and is thought to be cultivated from the Hungarian plant, Cochlearia macrocarpa. It is now common throughout Russia, Europe and Scandanavia and is cultivated all over the world. The root is used as medicine and a food, particularly as a condiment for roast beef (horseradish sauce). Medicinal [...]

Continue Reading Herb Horseradish (Cochlearia armorica – Armoracia rusticana)