Yarrow, a Delicious and Nutritious Panacea
Known for its lovely flat blooms and classic beauty, yarrow (Achillea millefollium) is a common garden perennial. Aside from that, it’s also popular for its amazing medicinal qualities. Some herbalists have even dubbed yarrow as a herbal panacea. This plant is commonly found in the temperate climate of the Northern hemisphere. It’s native to Asia, […]
Wood Betony, a Fascinating Herb with Many Benefits
Wood betony (Stachys officinalis) is a perennial grassland herb that’s native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. At first glance, people might dismiss wood betony merely as a pretty ornamental plant. However, this plant actually has a strong reputation of being a panacea since ancient times. People claim that this herb can cure anything, […]
St. John’s Wort, a Vibrant Edible Great for Depression
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering perennial plant that’s native to Europe. This plant can be distinguished by its yellow, star-shaped flowers which were said to first appear on St. John the Baptist’s birthday. For centuries, this plant has been used as a herbal remedy, mainly for skin problems, depression, and other mental […]
Motherwort, Calming and Relieving the Anxious Mind
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is an herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the mint family. This herb is native to Eurasia, but it can be found cultivated all around the world as an herbal remedy. Motherwort is most commonly used to treat heart diseases and women’s disorders. In the wild, they can be found easily in […]
Marsh Mallow, the Sweet Edible that Inspired the Candy
When you hear the word “marshmallow”, you will definitely think of a puffy, white candy. And while you wouldn’t be wrong, did you know that there’s a marsh-mallow plant (Althea officinalis)? This plant inspired the texture of the modern sweet treat. Ancient Egyptians used to make the dessert by mixing honey and nuts with the […]
Marjoram, an Aromatic Herb with Many Medicinal Uses
Often confused for oregano, its cousin, marjoram (Origanum majorana) is a wonderful aromatic herb on its own. Marjoram is a perennial herb that’s native to Western Asia and the Mediterranean region. It’s cultivated all around the world for its culinary and medicinal benefits. Edibility and culinary use Marjoram is often used as a substitute for […]
Echinacea, the Gorgeous and Useful Purple Coneflowers
Purple coneflowers or echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) boomed into popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s. This North American herb gained attention due to its medicinal benefits. At the height of its popularity, this herb can be found easily in pharmacies in the form of herbal supplements and as a part of various medications. Now echinacea […]
Blue Skullcap, a Small Medicinal Herb that Packs a Punch
Hearing the word skullcap, people might immediately think of helmets or even skeletons. However, the blue skullcap plant (Scutellaria lateriflora) is none of those things. Blue skullcap is a hardy perennial plant that belongs to the mint family. It’s native to North America and it has been cultivated for its medicinal properties. This plant got […]
American Witch Hazel, an Underrated Herbal Remedy
Despite being useful, the American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a very underrated plant. This flowering plant can be found growing across North America. Additionally, it’s been used to make a homeopathic remedy for skin problems and inflammations for centuries. Various Uses Witch hazel leaves, bark, and twigs are boiled and distilled to make medicine. […]
Musk Mallow, Dainty and Elegant Yet Very Nutritious
With delicate pink flowers, you might not have guessed it, but the beautiful musk mallow plant (Malva moschata) is edible. In fact, all parts of this plant are edible and good for your health. This includes its roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds. This elegant perennial plant is native to the British Isles, mainland Europe, and […]
Lemon Balm, the Refreshing and Fragrant Herb
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb from the mint family. It’s native to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, but it has been also naturalized in Europe, Asia, and America. The most distinctive feature of lemon balm is its refreshing fragrance that’s a mixture of citronella and mint. This plant typically grows up […]
Corn Salad, a Tasty and Nutritious Wild Edible
The inconspicuous corn salad plant (Valerianella locusta) was once considered a weed. It’s native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia where they can be found growing freely in grain fields. In fact, the name corn salad came from the fact that this plant usually grows as a weed in corn fields. But in the […]
Comfrey, Slightly Toxic but Holds So Many Health Benefits
With high nutrition contents, the common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is very popular among herbalists. This herb has exceptional medicinal properties. There’s a catch, though. This herb is slightly toxic. But its health benefits greatly outweigh its drawbacks. This plant is part of the borage family and it’s native to Europe. Comfrey grows in other places […]
Catmint, a Useful and Irresistible Herb
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2019. Updated April 2022. As its name implies, the catmint plant can be irresistible for cats. This perennial herb is known to induce a mild euphoria in animals, especially cats. Catmint is part of the mint family and there are several species that are native […]
Bee Balm, Great for Bees and Humans Alike
The bee balm plant (Monarda didyma) is a perennial native to North America. This plant is especially common in the Eastern US and can be found growing in woodlands area and along stream banks. They typically grow up to around 2’ to 4’ tall and clump together in a cluster. Most people recognize this plant […]
Borage, the Lovely and Tasty Starflower
The Borage herb (Borago officinalis) is a Mediterranean native that is also commonly found in different parts of Europe and in the UK. Borage can typically grow to be 2’ to 3’. Many people can recognize this herb from its beautiful star-shaped flowers. They are typically blue, but white and pink variants also exist. As […]
Hen of the Woods – Powerful Medicinal and Edible Mushroom
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in October 2018. Updated April 2022. The hen of the woods mushroom (Grifola frondosa) is one of the most, if not the most, commonly foraged mushrooms in the northeastern United States. Also often known as the maitake mushroom, hen of the woods is native to both the United […]
Cottonwood Buds are Medicinal, Leaves are Edible
Cottonwood Tree The eastern cottonwood tree (Populous deltoides) is a native North American tree that is common in eastern and central United States as well as southern Canada. Many people recognize this tree from the cottony substance that falls from the trees in early summer. This “cotton” acts as a sail to move the seeds as far […]
Hawthorn, an Ornamental Tree With Edible Fruit
Washington hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum) is a common ornamental landscape tree in the Eastern and Central United States. The genus Crataegus is a large genus including many species referred to as hawthorn tree, hawthorn apple thornapple, maytree, whitethorn and hawberry. Although this article focuses on the washington hawthorn tree the information here applies to many other species in the […]
Spruce – Surprisingly Edible Abundant Evergreen Tree
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in June 2014. Updated April 2022. Spruce trees (Genus: Picea) are a very abundant tree across the globe, especially in northern areas. In the United States, a common non-native species is the Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), and two of our native American species are White Spruce (Picea glauca) […]