Herbs

The name bittersweet nightshade is directly linked to the taste of its berries, first sweet, then bitter. The same happens to its properties, which possess a mixture of toxic and …

Pedanius Dioscorides, the Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author (1st century A.D.), already warned that the flowers and leaves of the oleander plant are “deadly” poisonous for dogs, donkeys, mules, …

The poisonberry plant belongs to the Solanaceae family, the same family as the potato, and both plants contain the same active component: solanine in their leaves and fruit. This plant …

The physicians of ancient Greece and Rome regarded the betony plant as a kind of panacea. It is believed that Roman Emperor Nero’s physician wrote a list of forty-seven diseases …

The name of the field scabious plant comes from the Latin word scabies (which means, precisely, scabies). From the Middle Ages onwards, it has been used to treat diverse skin …

The Madonna lily is an ornamental plant cultivated since ancient times. A ceramic glass found on the island of Crete (17th century B.C.) on which a Madonna lily was painted …

Every year, a new stem grows from the rhizome of Solomon’s seal plant, and when it dries and disappears in winter, it leaves a mark as if it were a …

Ancient Mexican natives used prickly pear leaves as poultices to heal wounds and bruises. Spanish colonists brought it to Europe, spreading quickly throughout the Mediterranean basin. Prickly Pear Scientific Facts …

Pedanius Dioscorides, in the first century A.D., already mentioned the celandine plant and remarked that swallows restore the sense of sight to their chicks by touching their eyes with a …

The hounds tongue plant has been used from the 16th century onwards as part of some famous French pills (at that time) discovered by the renowned French surgeon Ambroise Pare …