Garlic has been used medicinally for hundreds of years to treat many conditions, such as sore throats, colds, blocked noses and infections, and to lower blood fats. According to an analysis by Australian researchers, garlic may be a useful addition to treatment for people with high blood pressure. The analysis combined eleven studies in which […]
Read moreHawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) belongs to the rose family and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a medium-sized, thorny, deciduous wild tree, 3–5 m tall, growing in woodland, with hard branches ending in sharp thorns. Its leaves are small, glossy and green, 2.5–6 cm long, lobed (3 to 7 lobes) and toothed. Fragrant white […]
Read moreChamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is an aromatic annual herb of the daisy family (Compositae), native to southern and eastern Europe and now grown in many countries. It is a much-branched plant, 15–60 cm tall, with finely divided, thread-like dark green leaves. From June to August it bears flower heads that smell of apples: white ray florets […]
Read moreCaraway (Carum carvi) belongs to the carrot family (Umbelliferae). It grows in dry meadows and on roadsides, and is also cultivated. It is a herb 30–100 cm tall with its own distinctive smell and feathery leaves. It flowers in May and June with white, rarely red, flowers, and in July produces small brown seeds that […]
Read moreAmmi belongs to the carrot family (Umbelliferae), with flowers arranged in umbrella-shaped clusters, five-part flowers and secretory canals that give these plants their typical smell. It prefers sandy clay soils and grows across the Mediterranean, North Africa and western Asia, where it can be sown between April and July. Like the carrot, it is an […]
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The gel inside aloe leaves has been used for thousands of years to treat wounds, skin inflammation, burns and other skin conditions, and the dried inner layer of the leaf (aloe latex) has been taken by mouth as a laxative. There is strong scientific evidence for aloe's laxative effect, which comes from the anthraquinone glycosides […]
Read moreHollyhock (Alcea rosea) belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae). It is a herb that grows into a perennial, reaching up to 3 m, with an upright, branching stem covered in rough hairs, and alternate, rounded, hand-shaped leaves with toothed edges. Clusters of flowers grow from the leaf joints between June and September, in purple or […]
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Oenothera is a genus of about 125 species of annual or biennial flowering herbs, native to North and South America. Their common names include evening primrose, suncups and sundrops. They range from 10 cm to 3 m tall. The leaves form a rosette at the base and spiral up the stem. The flowers open in […]
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