The name periwinkle mainly applies to a family of plants from Europe and the Middle East, but the name is also used for another genus Madagascar. The genus of the European periwinkle is Vinca; the genus of the Madagascar periwinkle is Catharanthus. The herbs share many of their medicinal properties. …
Roseroot is widely known by its botanical name: Rhodiola rosacea. Its nickname is the golden root. It is a succulent that grows only in cold parts of Asia and Europe and has been classified as an adaptogen. The term adaptogen means that roseroot can help with how well your body …
Aloe vera most likely originated on the Arabian Peninsula where temperatures are exceptionally high, and where there is little water. Aloe vera’s earliest mention is around 2200 BCE on clay tablets from Sumer. The tablets revealed that Sumerians knew how to use aloe for its laxative benefits and to aid …
Costmary goes by many names, including mint geranium (although it is neither a mint nor a geranium). It is also called alecost and Bible leaf. Costmary belongs to the Asteraceae family like dandelions and chamomile. According to some stories, costmary originated on the Indian subcontinent and made its way to …
The marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) is a plant in the mallow family that grows in marshy areas. It is native to Northern Africa much of Asia and most of Europe. It is naturalized in the US and Australia. In Ancient Egypt, the root of the marsh mallow plant was used …
Mullein is an herb native to North Africa as well as to Europe and parts of Asia. It is now naturalized throughout the temperate parts of the world and grows abundantly in wild spaces. You will often find it along roadsides and in old pastures. The seeds can remain viable …
Joe Pye weed is a native North American herb and was supposedly named after a Native American medicine man, but historians recommend taking this story with a grain of salt. According to some, the man named Joe Pye may have been a myth invented by New England colonists. Other names …
Orange mint is a cultivar of Mentha piperita citrata, making it a relative of peppermint. Mint herbs are native to the Mediterranean region but have been nativized first throughout Europe and then the world. Mint has been prized for much of recorded human history with the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and …