Category Plants

Scientific name:  Melissa officinalis Other names: Lemon Balm, balm Mint Part used: Leaves Origins & Properties Lemon Balm is native to south-central Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia. The plant grows up to two feet and has light yellow…

Scientific name:  Rheum rhabarbarum Part used: stalk, roots Origins & Properties Rhubarb is native to central Asia, and awareness of its medicinal qualities as physic goes back five thousand years in China, and it was commonly used among Arabs, Greeks and…

Scientific name:  Ascophyllum nodosum Other names: Brown Seaweed, Norwegian kelp Part used: Thallus Origins & Properties A common large brown seaweed, dominant on sheltered rocky shores. The species has long strap like fronds with large egg-shaped air bladders at regular intervals.…

Scientific name:  Ananas Sativa Other names: Ananas comosus, Pineapple Part used: Fruit Origins & Properties Ananas is a genus of plants in the Bromeliad family, native to South America and Central America. Pineapples contain vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and dietary…

Scientific name:  Thea sinensis, Camellia sinensis Part used: Leaves Origins & Properties Tea originated in China, probably near the Yunnan/Vietnam border. Cultivation of the plant then spread through China and into Taiwan and Japan. Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub,…

Scientific name:  Fucus Vesiculosus Other names: Kelp, Bladderwrack, bladder fucus Part used: Thallus Origins & Properties It lives on rocks, cliffs, beaches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean colder waters. It can take several days out of water by secreting a mucus…

Scientific name: Vaccinium myrtillus Other names: Airelle – Dyeberry – Bilberry Part used: Leaves, Fruit Origins & Properties The blueberry, also known as bilberry plant, is a low-growing shrub native to northern Europe, but is now also found in parts of North…

Scientific name:  Borago Officinalis L Origins & Properties Borage is a beautiful flowering plant that grows in the wild in the Mediterranean. It is cultivated and used widely throughout Europe for its healing properties and for a nice addition to…

Scientific name:  Panax ginseng Other names: Asian Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, Guigai Part used: Roots Origins & Properties Asian ginseng grows in northern China, Korea, and Russia; its close relative. Dried, unprocessed ginseng root is called white ginseng, and steamed, heat-dried root…