Botanical Name: Eupatorium cannabinum L. The genus name Eupatorium can be traced back to the ancient Greek king Mithridates Eupator (120-63 BC), who apparently was the first to use species in this genus as a medicine. The species name cannabinum is only due to the resemblance the leaves have to hemp leaf (Cannabis sativa) because […]
Medicinal Herb Profiles
Heather – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Calluna vulgaris, Erica vulgaris. Other Common Names: True heather, common heath, broom heather, Scots heather, ling, common ling, lyng, beitilyng (Icelandic), heidekraut (German), fraoch (Gaelic). Habitat: Heather is widespread in temperate areas throughout the northern hemisphere. It can be found in heathlands, moors, bogs and mountain slopes. It prefers mildly acidic soils and […]
Hawthorn Benefits and Uses for Heart Diseases and Other Ailments
Botanical Name: Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna. Crataegus is a large genus of plants that belong to the rose family (Rosaceae) and contains around 280 species. About 60 species are native to Europe and Asia and more are endemic to North America. These species cross breed easily with each other and thus exhibit an endless variety. […]
Gymnema Sylvestre – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Gymnema sylvestre. Gymnema means “naked” and sylvestre “from the forest” in Latin). Other Common Names: Gurmarbooti, gurmar, gurmari, gudma, periploca of the woods, meshasring and mesbasringi. Habitat: Gymnema sylvestre is found in the tropical forests of India and Southeast Asia. It thrives in tropical temperatures with plentiful moisture. Plant Description: This is a […]
Guarana – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Paullinia cupana. Other Common Names: Guarana kletterstrauch, guaranastruik, quarana, quarane, cupana, Brazilian cocoa, uabano, uaranzeiro. Habitat: The plant thrives in the lush Amazon rainforest. It requires tropical temperatures and plentiful rainfall to flourish. Plant Description: Guarana is a creeping shrub that can grow to 12 meters in height. The bright red fruit is […]
Grindelia – Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Grindelia camporum, G. cuneifolia, G. squarrosa. Other Common Names: Gum Plant, gum Weed, tar Weed. Habitat: The plant is indigenous to the southwestern part of the United States of America and Mexico. It is found in prairies, plains and along the sides of roads. Description: Grindelia is a perennial herb with leafy stems […]
Great Mullein – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name of Great Mullein: Verbascum thapsus. Other Common Names: Common mullein, Aaron’s rod, Adam’s flannel, feltwort, Jacob’s staff, old man’s flannel, blanket leaf, bullock’s lungwort, cow’s lungwort, hare’s beard, lady’s foxglove, ice leaf, Peter’s staff, shepherd’s club, candlewick, flannel leaf, flannel mullein, flannel plant, hedge taper, Indian tobacco, Jupiter’s staff, torch-wort, velvet dock. Habitat: […]
Great Burnet – Side Effects and Health Benefits
Botanical Name: Sanguisorba officinalis. Other Common Names: Greater burnet, garden burnet, official burnet, burnet bloodwort, common burnet, salad burnet, sanguisorba, Grosser Wiesenknopf (German), pimprenelle officinale (French), pimpinela mayor (Spanish), blóðkollur (Icelandic), blodtopp (Swedish). Habitat: Great burnet is a widespread plant in Europe, North Africa and temperate areas of Asia. It is cultivated in northern and […]
Gotu Kola – Side Effects and Benefits
Botanical Name: Centella asiatica. Other Common Names: Indian pennywort, pennywort, Asiatic pennywort, antanan, pegaga, brahmi, chi-hsueh ts’ao, man t’ien hsing. Habitat: Gotu kola is native to Australia, Pacific Islands, Asia, South Africa, South America and other tropical climates. This perennial is found in shady, marshy areas. It can grow in shallow water or in moist […]
Golden Seal Root – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name of Golden Seal: Hydrastis canadensis. Other Common Names: Goldenseal, eyebalm, ground raspberry, orangeroot, yellowroot, yellow puccoon, Indian dye, eye root, jaundice root. Habitat: Golden seal is found in the northeastern United States in shady woodland areas at the edges of forests in rich, moist soil. This plant prefers slightly acidic soils and will […]