Plants are listed in alphabetical order by common name. Click on the common name to see a photograph of the plant.
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| Common name | Latin name | Growth cycle | Part used | Toxicity | Traditional Use |
| Ma Huang, Ephedra | Ephedra sinica | Perennial | Twigs | X |
Used short term for cold, damp asthma, it is a bronchodilator and decongestent. It was misused as a stimulant and now is only available in TCM formulas. It also "opens the exterior" and promotes sweating in colds and flu. |
| Maral root | Rhaponticum carthamoides or Leuzea carthamoides | Perennial | Root | O |
A Siberian perennial with remarkable metabolic and tonic effects. It has been studied by Russian scientists and used in the Russian athletic training program for decades. A potent adaptogen that helps athletes increase endurance, reflexes, and concentration, and gives faster recovery from exertion. Studies show that the root extract greatly increases the work capacity of muscles and normalizes blood sugar levels quickly after exertion and improves memory and learning. Contains ecdysteroids which have anabolic-like growth promoting effects without the side effects associated with drugs. Used for cardiac endurance after myocardial infarction and with congestive heart failure. |
| Marshmallow | Althea officinalis | Perennial | Root and leaves | O |
The leaves are less effective. Heals hot, dry inflamed mucous membrane tissue. Marshmallow is generally for the urinary and slippery elm for the GI tract and intestines, but you can cross use them, especially since marshmallow is a renewable resource and slippery elm is threatened. |
| Mayapple, American Mandrake | Podophyllum peltatum | Perennial | Root | XX |
Not to be used except by a trained herbalist. For puffy face, full oppressed pulse (bounding), tongue has yellowish coating, GI stimulant and alterative, chronic constipation, lack of bile secretion, with clay colored stools. Major cholagogue, used in cancer formulas. Externally for warts, HPV warts, escharotic (caustic); use gum resin. |
| Meadowsweet | Filipendula ulmaria | Perennial | Flowering herb | O |
Helps combat gastric irritation with hyperacidity. It is an herbal aspirin substitute (anti-inflammatory, anodyne, febrifuge). Attractive European wildflower with sweet almond scented yellow-white or reddish flowers. Contains salicylic acid, chemically similar to acetylsalicylic acid. Useful for flu, gout, rheumatism, arthritis, fever, etc. It was once added to herbal beers and wine. |
| Mint, Peppermint, Spearmint | Mentha spps. , M. piperita, etc. | Perennial | Leaf and essential oil | O |
Mint species hybridize easily with each other. Useful for colic, stomachache with gas and nausea. A great children's remedy. For kids with headaches or irritability with teething or irritability with colds and flu, use with chamomile. A popular flavoring. Excellent cooling tea in the summer heat. |
| Monkshood, Wolfbane, Processed Aconite | Aconitum carmichaeli, Aconitum uncinatum (native spp) | Perennial | Root | XXX |
Not to be used except by a trained herbalist. Mildly toxic when dried and processed, but the unprocessed root is very toxic; touching it can kill you. The processed root is 1/10 as toxic. In TCM, processing consists of washing and steaming. Use other herbs to detoxify – licorice, red date, ginger. Useful for shock, heart attack, MI, and CHF where the limbs are cold, sweaty, pale, with shallow breathing. Diaphoretic. Used with Chinese Red Ginseng. In TCM, used for deficient heat (yang) with coldness, chills, small fast pulse, early stages of fevers. |
| Motherwort | Leonurus cardiaca | Perennial | Leaf, flowering herb | O |
Treats anxiety, primarily an anxiety herb (with Blue Vervain) especially for premenstrual syndrome anxiety, menopausal anxiety, anxiety attacks mild to moderate, irritability especially associated with hormonal cycles imbalance. Thyroxin antagonist for hyperthyroidism, especially with palpitations and/or anxiety and/or nervous irritation. Heart tonic, palpitations associated with menopause or hyperthyroidism, mild to moderate hypertension, people who when stressed get palpitations. The Latin name translates as “lion hearted.” |
| Mountain Mint | Pycnanthemum muticum | Perennial | Flowering herb | O |
Loaded with menthol, excellent for bug bite balms to stop itching. Bees love it. |
| Mullein, Flannel Leaf, Candle Plant | Verbascum thapsus | Biennial | Root, flower, leaf, seed | O |
Flowers: earaches (otitis media) for children, for the pain not infection. Leaf: non-irritating expectorant. In cough syrups. Root: facial nerve pain (with St. John's Wort and Piscidia). Seed: renal failure, kidney tropho-restorative and lung tropho-restorative. |
| Nasturtium | Tropaeolum spps. | Annual | Flowering herb | O |
Rich in mustard oils, antibacterial, and antiasthmatic. Native to Peru, nasturtium is a common edible garden flower with peppery taste. The plant is antibiotic, antiseptic, aperient, diuretic and expectorant, especially useful in breaking up congestion in the respiratory passages and chest during colds and used for asthma. The tea is used externally and internally as an antiseptic. (Tropaeolum majus in photo.) |
| Nettle, Purple or Red Dead | Lamium purpureum | Perennial | Herb | O |
The leaves are edible. Red nettle is not used medicinally, but the White Dead Nettle (Lamium album) is used. Young leaves can be boiled as veggies. The flowering plant is decocted as a blood tonic, astringent, for cystitis, hemorrhoids, and burns. An infusion is an astringent wash for eczema, to stop bleeding and as a tonic for reproductive organs. It is used for pelvic congestion (Europe), and as a uterine tonic, astringent, hemostatic, expectorant and demulcent. |
| Nettle, Stinging Nettle | Urtica dioica | Perennial | Root, leaf, seed | O |
Seed: Kidney food, kidney problems, kidney degeneration, kidney trophorestorative. Leaf: Blood Tonic for anemia, tonic to capillaries, varicose veins, for papery skin. Mineral rich, in many bone, hair and skin tonics. “When in doubt give Nettles.” Dried or cooked it is an excellent wild food. Root: Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). |
| New York Ironweed | Vernonia noveboracensis | Perennial | Root | O |
The root is a blood tonic. It is used to regulate menstruation, relieve pain after childbirth and also in the treatment of stomach aches and bleeding. An infusion of the roots has been used as a mouth wash to make loose teeth firm. |
| Obedient Plant, False Dragonhead | Physostegia virginiana | Perennial | Leaf | O |
A cold remedy, and a native plant that bees and butterflies love. |
| Oregano | Origanum vulgare | Perennial | Leaf | O |
Culinary uses. As a tea for coughs, muscle spasms, nervous headaches and menstrual pain. The essential oil is a powerful antiseptic. |
| Partridge Berry, Squaw Vine, Checkerberry | Mitchella repens | Perennial | Leaves & herb; not root | O |
Threatened. For boggy uterus, and a tendency towards menorrhagia or uterine prolapse. Also used for bladder prolapse. In Mother’s Cordial. Tea was used as a wash for sore nipples. |
| Passion Flower | Passiflora incarnata | Perennial | Leaves, vines, flowers | O |
The fruit is edible but not for medicine. Relieves insomnia due to circular thinking. Good for psychosomatic stress related diseases such as tension headache, bruxism, stress induced backaches (w/Skullcap) or backaches exacerbated by stress. |
| Pellitory-of-the-Wall | Parietaria judaica, P. officinalis | Perennial | Whole flowering plant | O |
A cooling and soothing Mediterranean herb with diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. Treats chronic urinary diseases, cystitis, and bladder and kidney stones. Is a kidney trophorestorative like its cousin stinging nettle. |
| Pennyroyal, American | Hedeoma pulegioides |
Annual self-seeding | Herb | O |
Both plants are used for menstrual cramps with scanty flow and stuck blood. Delayed menses with stuck blood (not for pregnant women) secondary to stress, travel or illness, menses late. The essential oil of pennyroyal is toxic, but the tea and tincture are not. |
| Pennyroyal, European | Mentha pulegium | Perennial | Herb | O |
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| Peony, White | Paeonia albiflora and P. lactiflora, not cultivars | Perennial | Root | O |
For deficient blood with impaired memory, and muscular spasms. Used in Women’s Four Herb Tea for reproductive problems and imbalances. It includes White Peony Root, Bai Shao, Dang qui (Angelica sinensis), Ligusticum, and Rehmannia. The tea tastes terrible. It can be altered for other problems. For fibroids, add cinnamon and white tree peony. (P. lactiflora shown in photo.) |
| Perennial Hibiscus, Mallow Hibiscus, Swamp Rose Mallow | Hibiscus moscheutos and spps. | Perennial | Root and leaves | O |
See Marsh Mallow uses. |
| Perilla, Purple, Shiso, Beefsteak leaf | Perilla frutescens | Annual | Herb | O |
Decorative green or purple foliage reminiscent of coleus. Cinnamon scented leaves are popular in Japan for flavoring raw fish, bean curd, pickles and tempura. Also used to give scarlet color to pickled plums and preserved ginger. Is specific for food poisoning secondary to seafood, carminative. |
| Periwinkle, Lesser | Vinca minor | Perennial | Leaf | O |
Treats vasoconstrictive migraine, increases circulation to the brain, aids in dementia. Vinca rosea is the Madagascar periwinkle that vinblastine (childhood leukemia) and vincristine (Hodgkin’s), chemotherapy drugs isolated from; traditionally used for diabetes. |
| Phlox, Garden | Phlox paniculata | Perennial | O |
Native species are used by Amerindians, but I planted garden phlox just because it’s pretty. |
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| Pieris, Mountain Fire, Andromeda | Pieris japonica | Perennial | XX |
This plant has no medicinal use. The buds and flowers are toxic. It is a pesticide and parasitacide. I plant it because it is so beautiful and is an early bloomer. | |
| Pine, Mugo Pine | Pinus mugo pumilio | Perennial | Inner bark, needles, resin, pitch | O |
The pitch was used on cuts and sores. Antidiarrheal. Root decoction as a drawing plaster. Ceremonial medicine. Antiasthmatic, balsamic, cardiotonic, expectorant. |
| Pink Root, Indian Pink | Spigelia marilandica | Perennial | Root | O |
Vermifuge, anthelmintic. Eclectics used for heart in homeopathic doses, esp. rheumatic endocarditis. |
| Plantain | Plantago major, P. lanceolata | Perennial | Entire plant | O |
Used externally as a vulnerary, plantain is a great wound plant for bites and stings, internally and externally, especially venomous bites. Internally, juice the leaves and take 1 tbsp at a time, making it up fresh each time. Used for inflammatory condition of the mucous membranes, esophagitis, gastritis, gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, IBS. |
| Pleurisy Root, Butterfly weed | Asclepias tuberosa | Perennial | Root | O |
Specific for pleurisy – inflammation of pleural sac – and other lung conditions with fever, lung congestion and painful breathing. A threatened species. |
| Poison Ivy | Toxicodendron radicans, formerly Rhus radicans | Perennial | Leaves | X |
Leaves which come in contact with the skin can cause a contact dermatitis, the severity of which varies greatly from person to person. Poison ivy is also an emetic. It was used for running or nonhealing sores. Used in homeopathy for poison ivy rash. Is the “Cherokee Chief of the Warrior Society of Plants” which protects disturbed areas so that the earth can heal. You can use Jewelweed or Spotted Touch Me Nots (Impatiens capensis) as a prophylaxis if you know have been exposed to poison ivy, but not after an outbreak. Jewelweed is also good for Nettle rash. |
| Poke, Poke Weed, Inkberry | Phytolacca americana | Perennial | Roots and berries | X |
Used for chronic lymphatic congestion with enlarged painful lymph nodes or acute mastitis, chronic tonsillitis. A common alterative, and an ingredient in Hoxey, Eli Jones Cancer and Scrophularia formulas, it stimulates elimination of waste via the bowel, kidney, lymph and liver. |
| Poppy, Celandine | Chelidonium majus | Perennial | Entire fresh plant | O |
Liver/Gallbladder herb. Called the “Opium of the Gallbladder” and has an affinity for the gallbladder, stops gallbladder spasms. Orange latex extruded from the stems is a favorite wart remedy. |
| Poppy, Icelandic | Papaver nudicaule | Perennial | Young leaves and petals | O |
The young basal rosette of leaves are eaten raw. The leaves prevented scurvy during polar expeditions. Petals and unripe ovaries are edible raw. The seeds are used as a nutty condiment. It contains opiates and is given as an analgesic. |
| Poppy, Opium, Oriental Poppy | Papaver somniferum, P. orientale | Annual | Latex and seeds | XX |
Not to be used except by a trained herbalist. The many alkaloids are used to relieve pain and assist sleep, especially in terminal illness. It is the source of opium and the narcotic alkaloids, morphine and codeine, used to control pain, coughs and diarrhea. It has culinary uses. Nothing works better for acute diarrhea (paralyzes cilia). Beautiful ornamental plant. The young leaves are edible. The seeds are still widely used on breads and pastries, curries and in cakes. Opium is the air dried latex of the opium poppy. It is obtained through an incision made on the green capsule just before maturity. The oriental poppy is cultivated as an ornamental and the green unripe capsules, though acrid, are eaten as a condiment in Armenia. Highly addictive and a controlled substance. |
| Prickly Pear Cactus | Opuntia ficus indica | Perennial | Fresh fruit and flowers | O |
The fruit lowers blood sugar. The pads are edible and demulcent. The flowers are astringent. |
| Primrose | Primula vulgaris | Perennial | Flowers, leaves | O |
The flowers are used in foods and salads, and in tea for headaches and mildly sedative. The root is an expectorant cough remedy. Soaked dried leaves are soothing to eyes. The related species Cowslip (Primula veris) is an Antispasmodic for coughs and a mild sedative. |
| Pulsatilla, Pasque Flower | Pulsatilla patens and Pulsatilla pratensis; old names Anemone patens, Anemone pulsatilla, Pulsatilla vulgaris, P. spp. | Perennial | Whole fresh flowering plant | X |
For depression or nervousness associated with dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, or PMS. Useful fo pervasive dark fears, tendency to burst into tears, anxiety, nervous headache, insomnia with nervous exhaustion (chronic fatigue syndrome), palpitations caused by anxiety. Anxiety of all types. Also painful prostatitis (Mitchell) and inner eye disease (Weiss), glaucoma and iritis. For feelings of fear and a sense of doom, use with cactus. |
| Red Clover | Trifolium pratense | Perennial | Flower and top three leaves | O |
For lymphatic congestion and swelling especially breasts, e.g. cystic breast disease. A mild, non-toxic, pleasant tasting yet very effective herb with an extremely long history of use as alterative and cancer remedy, before Harry Hoxsey (Merck, Thayer’s, Pennock, and Wyeth all manufactured red clover or Trifolium compounds for a cancer remedy). Use for all cancers, especially estrogen sensitive cancers. |
| Red Root, New Jersey Tea | Ceanothus americanus | Perennial | Entire root | O |
The leaves were used as a tea substitute during the Revolutionary War. Red Root is a profound lymphatic agent, the strongest except for Poke. Other milder lymphatic remedies are Cleavers, Burdock root and Red Clover. Used for congested or stagnant lymph nodes, and cystic breast disease, thins lymph and increases drainage and lymph circulation and nutrition via the lymph and decreases lymphatic viscosity. For cancers, especially lymphatic cancer and CLL Leukemia. Might increase platelet count. For bacterial and viral conditions with swollen lymph nodes, e.g. Mumps, Mono, cytomegalovirus, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Cat Scratch fever (s/s swollen lymph nodes secondary to Chlamydia, mimics leukemia, also lethargy and enlarged spleen). Enlarged spleen from viral causes or splenomegaly in general. For enlarged liver with increased portal circulation e.g. cirrhosis; improves circulation to liver (cirrhosis). Most species are interchangeable, but fresh root to be used for medicine has a wintergreen odor, and a good pink red color. |
| Rehmannia, Processed; Chinese Foxglove | Rehmannia glutinosa | Perennial | Root | O |
Deficient Yin and Xue, especially relating to the kidney and the female reproductive system. Major blood building tonic. In Taoist medicine, it is a great women’s tonic and is one of the four herbs in Women’s Four Herb Tea. |
| Rhubarb, Chinese—Gansu Strain, Da Huang, Turkey Rhubarb | Rheum officinale, R. palmatum | Perennial | 6-7 yr old roots | O |
Esteemed for 5000 years as a safe purgative. The action is brisk, healthy and non-constipating. It has marked anti-tumor properties and is one of four ingredients in the Essiac anti-cancer formula. The history of rhubarb has more than a fair share of intrigue and colorful characters. For centuries the true source and identity of medicinal rhubarb was concealed to protect traders supplying the European market. Even today in China, the botanical identity of the crude drug sold in the herb market is usually unclear. The Gansu strain is the best medicinal rhubarb. |
| Rose, dog | Rosa canina | Perennial | Hips, flowers & essential oil | O |
The hips of the dog rose are loaded with vitamins readily absorbed by the body. The oil is used as a mild sedative, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory remedy. |
| Rose, Apothecary | Rosa gallica officinalis | Perennial | Flowers & essential oil | O |
This is the oldest rose in cultivation, since before 1300 A.D. It was used for inflammations, stomachache, headache, and toothache, for insomnia and for “purification of the mind.” The petals are used for rosewater, in perfumery, cosmetics, and as an antidepressant. Besides, it just smells so good. |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis |
Tender perennial | Leaf | O |
A strong carminative, antibacterial and cholagogue, rosemary is great for digestive disturbances where you feel green and queasy, and for headaches with depressed, dull thoughts. Herb for stimulating the mind, stimulating memory, thought and creativity, as it stimulates circulation to the brain, e.g. for tension headache, mild depression, vertigo, head colds, as a tea and inhalation for bronchodilating activity. Culinary uses. |
| Roseroot, Rhodiola, Golden Root, Artic Root | Rhodiola rosea, Sedum rosea | Perennial | Root | O |
A medicinal herb first studied by the Russians decades ago. Roseroot is only the second North American herb after Ginseng to be recognized as an Adaptogen, an herb with the ability to restore the body and mind after physical and mental exertion and stress. Its rose-scented roots contain unique compounds that are thought to account for the adaptogenic properties. Research also shows the roots improve learning and memory and act as a tonic. In folkloric medicine, the leaves were used like aloe to treat cuts and burns. and the Eskimos used a decoction of the flowers for stomach and intestinal discomfort and for TB. Traditionally used in Tibetan medicine for nourishing the lung and treating lung conditions such as hemoptysis, coughs, pneumonia. For chronic stress, depression, immune depletion from overwork or excessive exercise, altitude sickness, and fatigue. For muscle spasms, and sciatica, muscle strains, and sprains, as liniment or in bath. Internally moves blood, emmenagogue. Not pleasant tasting. Herb of Grace. Can cause photosensitivity. |
Sage Herbal Healing, LLC • 302.235.2185 • Donna
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