Scientific Name: Symphytum officinale. Common Names: Blackwort, bruisewort, common comfrey, knitbone, slippery root, boneset, yalluc, gum plant, ass ear. Distribution and Habitat: Comfrey is a plant indigenous to Europe and temperate parts of Asia. It has been suggested that its use can be dated back to 400 B.C. It has had various uses, not only […]
Poisonous Plants
Tansy Herb – Side Effects and Health Benefits
Botanical Name: Tanacetum vulgare. Other Common Names: Buttons, wild tansy, gold leaf tansy, ginger plant, bitter buttons, hineheel, scented fern, stinking willie. The common name, tansy, is likely derived from Greek words meaning “immortal”, which may refer to the long-lasting flowers or its traditional use in preserving dead bodies. Habitat: Although the plant is native […]
Mistletoe – Side Effects and Health Benefits
Botanical Name: Viscum album. Other Common Names: European, Christmas and oak mistletoe, druid’s herb, golden bough, holy wood, the kissing bush, herbe de la croix (French), Weissbeerige Mistel (German), muerdago (Spanish), mistelten (Danish), mistilteinn (Icelandic). Habitat: Viscum album grows in Europe, northwest Africa, and central Asia and Japan. It is a perennial, semi-evergreen parasitic plant, […]
Lily of the Valley – Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Convallaria majalis. Other Common Names: May lily, our lady’s tears, little maybells, fairy cups, muguet, lily constancy, ladder-to-heaven, and Jacob’s ladder. Habitat: England, Northern Asia, Eastern United States, and Europe. Description: Lily of the valley is native to Europe, but is found abundantly throughout the Eastern United States, Northern Asia and in England. […]
Henbane – Side Effects and Health Benefits
Botanical Name: Hyoscyamus niger. Other Common Names: Hogbean, Schwarzes Bilsenkraut (German), jusquiame (French), veleño negro (Spanish), villrot (Norvegian), bolmört (Swedish). Habitat: The plant is probably endemic to the Mediterranean countries and western Asia, but is now widespread in many parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The species has been introduced and naturalized in North […]
Dwarf Milkwort – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name of Dwarf Milkwort: Polygala amarella. Other Common Names: Bitter milkwort, rosettjungfrulin (Swedish), polygale amer (French), Sumpf-Kreuzblume (German), polígala amarga (Spanish). Habitat: Dwarf milkwort is indigenous to Europe, where the species has a wide distribution (mainly in Central Europe). Description: Dwarf milkwort is a small (around 10 cm high) perennial plant of the family […]
Boxwood – Health Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Buxus sempervirens. Other Common Names: Box, boxtree, buksbom (Danish), buis (French), Buchsbaum (German), boj (Spanish). Habitat: Boxwood is native to southern and western Europe (particularly the Mediterranean countries), West Asia and North Africa, but the plant is now cultivated worldwide. Description: Boxwood is an evergreen (the species name “sempervirens” means “always green”) shrub […]
Biting Stonecrop – Benefits, Uses and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Sedum acre. Other Common Names: Common stonecrop, golden carpet sedum, wall-pepper, welcome home husband though never so drunk, gul fetknopp (Swedish), helluhnoðri (Icelandic), orpin âcre (French), Scharfer Mauerpfeffer (German), pampajarito (Spanish). Habitat: The plant can be found growing wild in almost all of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Today it’s a popular garden […]