Witch hazel is from North America. Specifically, it is native to the Midwest part of the North American continent as well as to Canada. Like many medicinal plants from this part of the world, witch hazel was first used by …
St. John’s wort gets its name from the time of year that it gets its flowers, which is around St. John’s day (June 24). Hippocrates and Dioscorides wrote about the medicinal benefits of the herb, as did Pliny. While the …
The name periwinkle mainly applies to a family of plants from Europe and the Middle East, but the name is also used for another genus Madagascar. The genus of the European periwinkle is Vinca; the genus of the Madagascar periwinkle …
Roseroot is widely known by its botanical name: Rhodiola rosacea. Its nickname is the golden root. It is a succulent that grows only in cold parts of Asia and Europe and has been classified as an adaptogen. The term adaptogen …
Aloe vera most likely originated on the Arabian Peninsula where temperatures are exceptionally high, and where there is little water. Aloe vera’s earliest mention is around 2200 BCE on clay tablets from Sumer. The tablets revealed that Sumerians knew how …
Costmary goes by many names, including mint geranium (although it is neither a mint nor a geranium). It is also called alecost and Bible leaf. Costmary belongs to the Asteraceae family like dandelions and chamomile. According to some stories, costmary …
Read moreCostmary: A Mint Alternative In The Dandelion Family
The marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) is a plant in the mallow family that grows in marshy areas. It is native to Northern Africa much of Asia and most of Europe. It is naturalized in the US and Australia. In Ancient …
Mullein is an herb native to North Africa as well as to Europe and parts of Asia. It is now naturalized throughout the temperate parts of the world and grows abundantly in wild spaces. You will often find it along …