Herbs

The bladder senna plant (Colutea arborescens) is a Mediterranean shrub with puffy, balloon-like seed pods that has wandered in and out of folk medicine for centuries, mostly as a mild …

The young buds on the wild hops plant can be consumed in the spring as if they were asparagus. However, be aware of its root and red fruit, which are …

Native Mexicans used the jalap plant as a laxative, and Spanish conquistadors introduced it to Spain, spreading it all over Europe. Healing Properties and Warning The jalap root contains several …

Johan Kunzle wrote about the hedge bindweed plant: “We have to give Thanks to God since He literally put at our feet such a precious remedy as this.” Healing Properties …

Cassia fistula — also known as the golden shower tree, Indian laburnum, or aragvadha in Ayurveda — is a tropical legume whose long, brown seed pods contain a sticky black …

If you want the real story on chestnut benefits and side effects, it helps to separate what good evidence supports from what tradition simply repeats. Chestnuts (Castanea sativa and related …

Ancient authors did not know the medicinal properties of the black alder tree. Saint Hildegard, a German St. Benedict abbess of the 12th century, was the first to write about …

The leaves of the damiana plant, which have a pleasant aromatic flavor, were used in Mexico as a substitute for tea and enjoyed deserved fame as an aphrodisiac. Damiana Plant …

If you’ve come across water lily in an herbal remedy list, it’s probably filed under “calming” or, more specifically, as something used historically to lower sexual desire rather than raise …

Cassia angustifolia, introduced to Europe by the Arabs in the 11th century, was one of the most appreciated purgative plants. With it, lunatics were drastically purged, with results less successful …