Herbs

Do not mistake the poisonous black briony plant for sarsaparilla, a creeping plant with red berries (those of sarsaparilla are edible). The difference between the two plants is that the …

The sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) is one of the most distinctive native trees of eastern North America, with a rich history of use spanning centuries. Its aromatic root bark and …

If you’ve come here looking up mountain holly as a herbal remedy, start with the one fact that matters most. The plant usually sold and decorated with under that name …

Dioscorides stated in his writings that the bird’s tongue tree leaves help people who have been snake bit. Laguna and Mattioli, both Dioscorides translators and commentators in the 16th century, …

The meadow saffron is an attractive flower with a completely innocent appearance. However, it contains a potent poison, which may have positive effects only under medical supervision. Meadow Saffron Scientific …

The cowslip plant is the source of one of the most stubborn naming mix-ups in herbal medicine, and the confusion has real safety stakes. In North American field guides and …

Black mustard seeds are challenging to see just by looking at them, but they are an excellent example of the power of small things when we let them develop. Black …

The outstanding botanist Font Quer was impressed by “the fact that such a widely used arnica plant, which has had such an unusual fame among physicians and common people, was …

According to phytotherapy, all vulnerary plants can heal and cicatrize wounds. The term vulnerary comes from the Latin word vulnum (wound). The kidney vetch has been regarded as the vulnerary …

Are you someone who has ever been amazed by that purple-colored carpet covering meadows and bushes in late summer? This is the Heather plant, which is highly valued by bees …