Herbs

Bilberries, Vaccinium myrtillus, are very similar to their American cousins blueberries and huckleberries-- and like all members of the Vaccinium species, they're high in antioxidants due to the rich blue-red pigments responsible for their unmistakable color.

Bilberry Leaf - Vaccinium myrtillus. The bilberry bush is marked by small leathery leaves, similar to that of the myrtle bush, and clusters of deep purple berries. The leaves are often steeped in water to release their tannins and provide a delicious cup of antioxidant rich tea.

Birch Bark - Betula alba. Birch Bark, well known for its uses in building and tanning by Native Americans, has also been employed as a poultice and steeped into tea for its cleansing properties.

Buckthorn Bark - Rhamnus frangula. Buckthorn, also known as Frangula, is native to Europe, the Mediterranean, Northwest Asia and Northern Africa. Proper aging of the bark is required to allow its primary active constituent, anthrone, to oxidize. Buckthorn, also known as Frangula, is native to Europe, the Mediterranean, Northwest Asia and

Northern Africa. Proper aging of the bark is required to allow its primary active constituent, anthrone, to oxidize and prevent intestinal cramping when taken as a tea.

Calendula - Calendula officinalis. Calendula has been used an herbal remedy and as coloring and flavoring for food in Central and Southern Europe since the 1100s. Commonly known there as marigold, calendula is an annual flower native to the northern Mediterranean countries. It's well known for its skin-soothing properties — this gentle herb is used as an ingredient in all types of skin care preparations, including salves, body washes, creams, ointments and lotions.

Centaury Centaurium erythraea. Centaury is widespread plant of Europe and parts of western Asia and northern Africa. The triangular leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem and the erect inflorescences emerge from the stem and grow parallel to it, sometimes tangling with the foliage. Each inflorescence may contain many flowers. It flowers from June till September.

Chaste Tree Berries - Vitex agnus-castus. Chaste tree berries are often used as a female tonic. They benefit both the body and the mind through their balancing and normalizing properties, and they're often used for support during change-of-life periods.

Chestnut Leaf - Castanea sativa. Chestnut Leaf, commonly known as Horse Chestnut, is a deciduous tree native to Asia. Its leaves are odorless and astringent, and are traditionally prepared as a tea.

Chickweed Herb - Stellaria media. Chickweed is a low growing annual native to Europe that is common fare for chickens, hence the name. It is often prepared as a soothing ointment or skin cream.

Chicory Root - Cichorium intybus. Chicory is the long, thin taproot of a perennial plant closely related to endive. Native to Europe, it is naturalized throughout the U.S. It can be eaten fresh as a vegetable, and dried it makes a satisfying tea.

Chicory Root Roasted - Cichorium intybus. A hardy perennial best known for its association with coffee, it produces a more 'roasted' flavor, with no caffeine. Some coffees offer blends with up to 30% chicory, which cuts down on the caffeine content.

Coltsfoot Leaf - Tussilago farfara. Coltsfoot, also know as coughwort, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and Asia, though common throughout North and South America, where it was introduced by early settlers as a medicinal plant.

Daisy Bellis perennis is a common European species considered the archetypal species of that name. Many related plants also share the name "Daisy", so to distinguish this species from other daisies it is sometimes qualified as Common Daisy, Lawn Daisy or occasionally English daisy. It is native to western, central and northern Europe. The species is widely naturalised in North America, and also in South America. Bellis perennis has astringent properties and has been used in folk medicine

Cowslip Primula veris The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney . Cowslip is used by herbalists as a diuretic, an expectorant, and an antispasmodic, as well as for the treatment of headaches, whooping cough, tremors, and other conditions.

Dandelion Leaf - Taraxacum officinale. Dandelion is native to all temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Though viewed as a nuisance weed by many, the fresh leaves are a tasty and nutritious addition to salads.

Dandelion Root - Taraxacum officinale. The root of the common dandelion, long prized by herbalists for its cleansing action, is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Almost every herbal tradition has noted it as a useful tonic for the liver and gallbladder.

Elder Berries - Sambucus nigra. Elder berries are dark purple fruits with a sweet-tart, fruity flavor. They make tasty, warming winter cordials, teas, syrups and wines. Elder berries contain bioflavonoids and vitamin C.

Elder Flowers - Sambucus nigra. Elder flowers come from the same plant as elder berries and, like the berries, contain bioflavonoids. Elder flowers are used in teas, skin care salves, lotions and washes, cosmetics, and to make a soothing gargle.

European Wild Apple Malus sylvestris is a species of Malus (crabapple), native to Europe from as far south as Spain, Italy and Greece, Albania to as far north as Scandinavia and Russia. Its scientific name means "forest apple", and the truly wild tree has thorns. Both species are native in most European countries and they occur in a scattered distribution pattern as single individuals or small groups.

Eucalyptus Leaf - Eucalyptus globulus. Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree native to Australia. The leaves contain eucalyptol, a common flavoring ingredient in commercial mouthwash, cough drops and vaporizer fluids.

Eyebright Herb - Euphrasia officinalis. Eyebright, is a semiparasitic plant with roots that attach to some grasses. Eyebright herb is often used in a poultice.

Feverfew Flowering Tops - Tanacetum parthenium. Feverfew is a daisy-like perennial that can be found growing throughout the United States and Canada. As the name suggests, it was historically used for fevers, though current research is studying its efficacy for head health.

Gentian Root - Gentiana lutea. Gentian grows in mountainous regions throughout the world and takes 7-10 growing seasons to mature. Use of this herb has been documented for over two thousand years, primarily in digestive bitters and teas.

Gravel Root - Eupatorium purpureum. Gravel Root is an herbaceous perennial plant native to North America. The name originated at a time when kidney stones were often referred to as kidney gravel.

Hawthorn Berries - Crataegus species. Hawthorn Berries, also referred to as haws, have been used since the 19th century to tonify the heart. In addition the deep red berries are loaded with antioxidants.

Hawthorn Leaf & Flowers - Crataegus species. Hawthorn is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, native to Europe, Asia and North America. They feature brownish-white flowers, rose-like leaves, and deep red berries. A preparation of the leaves and flowers is a popular tonic.

Horsetail Herb (Shavegrass) - Equisetum arvense. Horsetail is also known as scouring rush, shavegrass, bottlebrush or pewter wort. Because of its large quantity of silica, it was used to clean metal. Our horsetail consists of the sterile, aerial parts harvested in the summer months between June and August.

Juniper Berries - Juniperus communis. Juniper Berries are spicy, sweet, with a piney aroma. They are delicious in stews and soups and with meats (especially wild game). They also give gin its distinctive flavor and are a common flavor ingredient in bitters.

Lady's Mantle Herb - Alchemilla xanthochlora . A member of the rose family, lady's mantle is a perennial herb found throughout North America, Europe and Asia. It is used in skin creams to soften and clean the skin. The herb has been historically associated with female health, hence the name lady's mantle.

Lavender Flowers - Lavandula angustifolia. The fresh, sweet aroma of lavender has relaxing and uplifting qualities that leave users with a sense of calm and balance, making it one of today's most popular scents. Lavender is a gentle, multi-purpose herb. Lavender flowers have been used throughout history, to encourage love and passion, as a soothing

component in skin care, hair care and cosmetic products, and in an array of perfumes, colognes and bath products.

Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis. Lemon balm is a sweet, lemony scented herb in the mint family that's native to Europe and the Mediterranean region. Its subtle lemon flavor with mint and herb undertones makes it a popular relaxing tea.

Lemongrass - Cymbopogon citratus. Lemongrass has a fresh, light, lemony flavor and scent that is a staple in many ethnic cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian. It's also used in hair and skin care products and for scenting perfumes and room sprays. Lemongrass tea is perhaps the most popular use of lemongrass herb. It's delicious hot and cold, and it combines well with many other herbs in herbal tea blends.

Life Everlasting Flowers - Helichrysum species. Life Everlasting, also known as strawflower or Helichrysum, is a member of the sunflower family. Native to Africa, Europe and Asia, it is used as a bitter tonic and the yellow flowers are used in herbal crafts such as potpourris and wreaths.

Linden Flowers - Tilia europaea. Linden flowers include this plant's small yellowish flower and oblong flower bracts, which look like leaves. They are called lime flowers in Europe, where they are popularly used as a soothing herbal tea

Lungwort Leaf - Pulmonaria officinalis. Lungwort is a flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. It contains allantoin, the same constituent in comfrey that makes it valuable for use in salves and ointments for damaged skin.

Marshmallow Herb & Root - Althaea officinalis. The leaves, flowers and the root of A. officinalis all have medicinal properties. The leaves, which are collected in summer as the plant begins to flower, have demulcent, expectorant, diuretic, and emollient properties. It is generally used in ailments of the lungs and the urinary systems, specifically in urethritis and kidney stones. The root, which is harvested in late autumn, has demulcent, diuretic, emollient, and vulnerary properties. It is generally used for

digestive and skin problems, specifically inflammations of the mouth

Mistletoe Herb - Viscum album. Mistletoe is an evergreen parasitic vine that grows attached to and within the branches of a host tree. There are several species, with the European species held in highest regard by herbalists.

Motherwort Herb - Leonurus cardiaca. Motherwort is literally mother’s herb, a name the plant acquired because of its historical use by anxious mothers. The plant is large, easy to grow, and quite striking -- but prickly. The leaves are most often used in herbal teas.

Mugwort Herb - Artemisia vulgaris. Mugwort is a bushy plant with gray-green, very bitter-tasting leaves. One of its more interesting uses is in sleep pillows, where its inclusion is said to encourage vivid dreaming. It's also used as a bitter tonic.

Mullein Leaf - Verbascum Thapsus. The large, velvety leaves of the mullein plant make a soothing herbal tea. As an ingredient in salves and poultices, they have the same soothing effect on the skin.

Nettle - Urtica dioica. Stinging nettle is a perennial herb originating in Eurasia, but now naturalized over much of the world. Its many documented uses, from as far back as the Bronze Age, led to its seed being carried to numerous regions by settlers, where the plant soon escaped cultivation. The whole stinging nettle plant is valuable — leaves, seeds and roots. Its uses include food, traditional remedies, a fiber source, a dye plant and a rejuvenating spring tonic.

Olive Leaf - Olea europaea. Olive trees are small evergreens native to the Mediterranean from which olives, olive oil and olive leaves are obtained. Olive leaf was the first botanical cited in the Bible as a natural healer, "The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."

Pennyroyal, European - Mentha pulegium. Pennyroyal is a perennial herb in the mint family, native to Europe and Asia. Like the other mints, it helps soothe digestion and is often added to dog bedding and patio sprays to deter infestations of pests.

Peppermint Leaf - Mentha piperita, Mentha x piperita. Peppermint is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe, it is now widely cultivated throughout the world. Sometimes referred to as "the world's oldest medicine" it has been used for centuries to settle tummy upset and freshen breath.

Plantain Leaf - Plantago major or lanceolata. Plantain, also known as Greater Plantain or Common Plantain, is a small herbaceous plant native to Europe and Asia. It is often found growing near stinging nettles, where an extraction of the juice from its leaves brings quick relief to the pain inflicted by the nettle.

Raspberry, Red Leaf - Rubus idaeus. Red raspberry leaf is used to make a tasty tea and is often combined with other tea herbs to give the beverages a more robust flavor. Raspberry contains tannins that give it an astringent flavor and make it a wonderful toning herb.

Red Clover Blossoms - Trifolium pretense. Red Clover is a perennial native to Europe, Asia and Africa. It's most recognizable use is as a fodder crop, however its phytoestrogen content has made it a popular supplement for women.

Rosehips - Rosa canina. Rosehips, or Rose Haws, are the fruit of wild roses, also known as the "dog rose". Their high Vitamin C and antioxidant content make them a popular addition to a variety of herbal tea blends.

Saint John's Wort - Hypericum perforatum. Saint John's Wort, so-called because it is traditionally harvested on St. John's Day, is a striking perennial herb indigenous to Europe. It is one of the most popular medicinal herbs in the United States with its primary use being to balance the mood.

Shepherd's Purse Herb - Capsella bursa-pastoris. Shepherd's purse gets its name from the shape of the herb's fruit, which resembles purses Europeans once hung from their belts. Shepherd's purse can be found almost anywhere in the world. It has long beleived to be an astringent agent.

Sage Salvia officinalis. Sage is a small perennial evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times as an ornamental garden plant. As a

kitchen herb, sage has a slight peppery flavor. The strongest active constituents of sage are within its essential oil, which contains cineole, borneol, and thujone.

Winter savory Satureja montana is a perennial herb native to warm temperate regions of southern Europe. It is a semi-evergreen, semi-woody subshrub growing to over 230 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1-2 cm long and 5 mm broad. The flowers are white. Winter savory has been purported to have antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, and digestive benefits. It has also been used as an expectorant and in the treatment of stings. The plant has a stronger action than the closely related summer savory. A sprig of the plant, rubbed onto bee or wasp stings, brings instant relief. The plant is harvested in the

summer when in flower and can be used fresh or dried. The essential oil forms an ingredient in lotions for the scalp in cases of incipient baldness. An ointment made from the plant is used externally to relieve arthritic joints.

Spearmint Leaf - Mentha spicata. A parent of peppermint and one of the oldest mints cultivated, spearmint is used to flavor all types of foods, such as jellies, jams, candies, sauces, desserts and fruit dishes. It is also used to flavor and fragrance toothpaste, mouthwash, lozenges and chewing gum. Spearmint makes a refreshing herbal tea and is delicious iced or hot.

Thyme Thymus vulgaris is a low growing herbaceous plant, sometimes becoming somewhat woody. It is native to southern Europe. Thyme adds a distinctive aromatic flavoring to sauces, stews, stuffing, meats, and poultry – almost anything from soup to salad. In medieval times the plant symbolized courage, and to keep up their spirits, knights departing for the Crusades received scarves embroidered with a sprig of thyme from their ladies. There was a popular belief, too, that a leaf tea prevented nightmares, while

another held that tea made of thyme and other herbs enabled one to see nymphs and fairies.

Herbalists of the Middle Ages regarded thyme as a stimulant and antispasmodic, and recommended sleeping on thyme and inhaling it as a remedy for melancholy and epilepsy.

Thyme Thymus Capitatus an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.2 m (0ft 10in) by 0.2 m (0ft 10in).It is in flower from Jul to September. It is noted for attracting wildlife. The plant prefers light and medium soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers neutral and basic soils. The leaves, and especially the essential oil contained in them, are antiseptic, deodorant and disinfectant. The plant can be used fresh at any time of the year, or it can be harvested as it comes into flower and either be distilled for the oil or dried for later use. The essential oil

should not be used in aromatherapy because it is irritant to the mucous membranes

Wild Thyme Thymus serpyllum is native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate sub shrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3–8 mm long. It is a source of oil of Serpolet by distillation, and is used as an aphrodisiac in herbal medicine. It is also used against coughing.

It is used as a seasoning for many meat dishes (being commonly used in beef stews), cabbage or green salads, and vegetable dishes containing zucchini and eggplant. The dried leaves are used for a herbal tea throughout Europe and the United States

White Oak Bark - Quercus alba. White oak bark, one of the strongest natural astringent herbs available, has been used by Native American cultures for hundreds of years, to treat wounds and intestinal problems. White oak bark is also rich in tannin, and is used by tanners for tanning leather.

White Willow Bark - Salix species. Several species of willow are used to produce willow bark herb, Salix alba, S. Fragilis, S. daphnoides and S. purpurea. All contain adequate levels of the important constituent, salicin, to allow their use as the herb. Salicin was isolated and synthesized into acetylsalicylic acid in the 1850's and eventually marketed as aspirin in the late 1890's by Frederich Bayer & Co.

Witch-hazel Leaf - Hamamelis virginiana. Also known as hazel nut, snapping hazel, spotted alder, and tobacco wood-- Native Americans used witch hazel leaves and bark as a poultice . This herb is a widely known all-around astringent, its uses ranging from facial care to soothing aching feet.

Wormwood Herb - Artemisia absinthium. Wormwood is one of the bitterest herbs known and provides the bitter flavor in vermouth. Its essential oil contains thujone as a major constituent; thujone is harmful in large amounts. Wormwood is used in closet and drawer sachets, as a bitter aromatic and as an ingredient in liniments.

Yarrow Herb - Achillea millefolium. In Europe, yarrow is sometimes called the "herb's herb," because it is believed to benefit the herbs or plants that grow around it.In traditional Chinese medicine, yarrow is considered a bitter, pungent, cold herb that expels heat. It is also a bitter tonic.