Botanical Name: Bidens tripartita. The plant’s genus name Bidens derives from Latin words “bis” meaning two and “dens” meaning teeth, referring to the two reflexed prickles located on the seed coats which allows the seeds to spread by adhering to human clothing or animal fur. The species name Tripartite derives from Latin words “tres (three) […]
Medicinal Herb Profiles
Spignel – Health Benefits and Uses as a Medicinal Herb and Spice
Botanical Name: Meum athamanticum. Spignel is the only member (monotypic) belonging to the plant genus Meum. Other Common Names: Spignel, baldmoney, wood spignel, spicknel, spikenel, mew, meu, bearwort, fenouil des Alpes (French), meo (Spanish), bjørnerod (Danish), Bärwurz (German), snauskjoldblom (Norwegian), sköldpaddsört (Swedish). Habitat: Spignel is native to the mountainous areas of Western Europe and Central […]
Balmony – Benefits and Uses
Botanical Name: Chelone glabra. Other Common Names: Turtlehead, white turtlehead, turtlebloom, bitter herb, salt rheum weed, shellflower, snakehead, galane glabre (French), chelone (Spanish), skjoldblomst (Danish), Kahle Schildblume (German), snauskjoldblom (Norwegian), sköldpaddsört (Swedish). Habitat: Balmony is native to Eastern and Central North America and Canada, from Newfoundland to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Georgia and […]
Blackberry Lily Medicinal Uses
Botanical Name: Belamcanda chinensis, Iris domestica. The plant was assigned the Latin name Belamcanda chinensis up until the year 2005 when it was assigned a different name Iris domestica due to new evidence regarding its molecular DNA sequence. Other Common Names: Leopard flower, leopard lily, she-gan (Chinese), yakan (Japanese), leopardblomst (Danish). Habitat: Blackberry lily is […]
Yellow Loosestrife – Medicinal Applications and Benefits
Botanical Name: Lysimachia vulgaris. Other Common Names: Loosestrife, garden loosestrife, yellow willowherb, herb willow, willow-wort, wood pimpernel, lisimaquia amarilla (Spanish), lysimaque vulgaire (French), Gewöhnlicher Gilbweiderich (German), strandlysing (Swedish), ranta-alpi (Finnish), almindelig fredløs (Danish), fredløs (Norwegian). Habitat: Yellow loosestrife is native to Europe and North Asia but was introduced to North America in the 1900s for […]
Fringe Tree Uses as a Medicinal Herb
Botanical Name: Chionanthus virginicus. The English common name of the plant “fringe tree” stems from the cord-like shape of the flowers. The genus name Chionanthus derives from the Greek words “chion” which means snow and “anthos” which means flowers. Other Common Names: White fringetree, snowdrop tree, old man’s beard, Grancey graybeard, chionanthus, flowering ash, white […]
Soapwort Benefits, Uses and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Saponaria officinalis. Other Common Names: Soapweed, bouncing bet, wild sweet William, Fuller’s herb, lady’s washbowl, leatherwork, hierba jabonera (Spanish), saponaire (French), Echtes Seifenkraut (German), såpnejlika (Swedish), þvottajurt (Icelandic), rohtosuopayrtti (Finnish), sæbeurt (Danish), såpeurt (Norwegian). Habitat: Soapwort is originally native to Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor and Western Siberia. However, the plant has […]
Cornflower – Medicinal Uses and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Centaurea cyanus. Other Common Names: Bachelor’s button, blueblow, blue cap, blue poppy, bluebonnets, bluebottle, hurtsickle, kornblomst (Danish), Kornblume (German), blåklint (Swedish), Kornblom (Norwegian), kornblóm (Icelandic), azulejo (Spanish), bleuet, casse lunette (French), ruiskaunokki (Finnish). Habitat: Originating in Mediterranean Europe and Western Asia, cornflowers must have entered Great Britain sometime during the Iron Age, where […]
Lesser Periwinkle – Medicinal Uses and Benefits
Botanical Name: Vinca minor. The closely related species greater periwinkle (Vinca major), a much larger plant, is used in a similar manner in herbal medicine and has the same medicinal properties as lesser periwinkle. Other Common Names: Common and dwarf periwinkle, vinca, running-myrtle, blue buttons, devil’s eye, joy on the ground, sorcerer’s violet, pervinca minore […]
Summer Savory – Health Benefits and Herb Uses
Botanical Name: Satureja hortensis. Other Common Names: Garden savory, ajedrea de jardin (Spanish), hsiang po ho (Chinese), Bohnenkraut (German), sarriette des jardins (French), sommersar (Norwegian), sommarkynde (Swedish), sar (Danish), Kesäkynteli (Finnish). Habitat: Summer savory is probably native to the eastern Mediterranean and countries around the Black Sea. It is widely cultivated as a spice and […]
