Digestion

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)

The Hops plant is native to Europe, Asia and North America. This climbing plant is well known for its use in the brewing industry as the Hops are using for flavouring beer. The Hops are essentially the flowers of the plant, which are often termed ‘strobiles’ and are used in herbal medicine. Medicinal Properties of [...]

Continue Reading Herb Hops (Humulus lupulus)

This small, aromatic, evergreen shrubby plant is native to the Mediterranean region and now cultivated world-wide. It has been used for thousands of years to improve memory and aid digestion, and as a preservative for meats. The leaves and terminal twigs are used in cooking and herbal medicine, the extracted oil is also commonly used [...]

Continue Reading Herb Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Parsley is a herb commonly known for its culinary use. Used by the Greek physician, Galen for disorders of the womb and bladder. Parsley tea was also used in the trenches of World War I for soldiers suffering kidney complications following dysentery. The root, leaves and seeds have medicinal properties in herbal medicine, but today [...]

Continue Reading Herb Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Also known as toothache tree, it is native to Canada and America. northern prickly ash is Z. americanum and southern prickly ash is Z. clava-herculis. In both cases the bark is used in herbal medicine and berries are also of some use. Another species growing in Asia is called Chinese prickly ash, Z. bungeanum. Medicinal [...]

Continue Reading Herb Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Zanthoxylum americanum)

Coleus or makandi originates from India and is related to the mint family of plants. A plant traditionally used in Ayuvedic medicine for heart, lung and digestive disorders. The root of this plant is used in herbal medicine. Medicinal Properties of Coleus Coleus root contains a chemical called forskolin, which is the key active constituent. [...]

Continue Reading Herb Coleus (Coleus forskohlii)

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)

Mastic gum (mastic or gum) is the gummy extract from the stem and main leaves of the shrub-like tree, Pistachia Lentiscus, which grows mainly in Greece and Turkey. The tree originates from the Greek island of Chios. Mastic gum has been used for around 3,000 years, and today it is widely used as a food [...]

Continue Reading Herb Mastic Gum (Pistachia lentiscus)