Bulk Herb Catalog

July 6, 2022

Bulk Herb Catalog

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If you’ve been into Open Harvest you may have noticed our extensive collection of bulk herbs, both culinary and supplementary. The first time I saw the supplements I was overwhelmed and very unsure of what I was looking at, so I began a little research project. Below is a compilation of information from the Mountain Rose Herbs website that can serve as a handy educational guide for you as you peruse the supplemental herbs that we carry.

If you are interested in a more in-depth look at these and other herbs and their uses, I recommend Prescription for Herbal Healing by Phyllis A. Balch. You can find more valuable perspectives on herbalism by studying Indigenous herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Aruvedic tradition. If you are looking for resources within our community, check out the Prairie Herbalists Conference, happening July 23-24 in Stanton, NE (Link: http://www.redroadherbs.com/new-page-5). Some of our local vendors like Red Road Herbs and Prairie Star Botanicals will be there!

Table of Contents:
Ashwagandha Root
Beet Root Powder
Calendula Flower
Catnip
Chamomile
Chlorella Powder, Japanese
Comfrey Leaf
Dandelion Root
Echinacea Angustifolia Root
Elder Berries
Eleuthero Root
Feverfew
Ginger Root
Holy Basil, Rama
Horsetail
Irish Moss Powder
Kelp Powder
Lavender Flowers, English
Lemon Balm
Licorice Root
Maca Powder
Mugwort
Mullein Leaf
Nettle Leaf
Passionflower
Pau d’Arco Bark
Peppermint Leaf
Psyllium Husk
Raspberry Leaf
Red Clover Blossoms
Rosehips
Rosebuds
Skullcap
Spirulina
St. John’s Wort
Slippery Elm Bark Powder
Turmeric Root
Valerian Root
Wheatgrass Powder
Yarrow

Ashwagandha Root

Botanical Name: Withania somnifera

Ashwagandha, occasionally spelled ashwaganda, is a highly regarded root in Ayurvedic medicine. It has been employed as an adaptogen and tonic herb and is incorporated into many herbal formulations. Our ashwagandha powder is ground from organically grown Withania somnifera roots. Ashwagandha root powder can be tinctured, added to culinary recipes, and encapsulated.

Ashwagandha is native to India where it grows in the wild. It is also cultivated throughout the country for larger production needs. Ashwaganda is a highly revered botanical used in Ayurveda and is praised for its adaptogenic and tonic properties. In many Asian countries, all parts of the plant are utilized, and the tender leaves are eaten as a gentle nourishing herb. It has been part of their repertoire for millennia. ‘Ashwagandha’ literally means ‘smelling like a horse’ which most likely refers to its actual scent.

In Ayurveda it is a helpful sleep aid and used to balance various conditions that arise from ‘vata dosha’ imbalances. It is believed to encourage youth and vitality. It is considered a grounding and nourishing herb and supportive to female well-being. Bitter, sweet, astringent in flavor and energetically warming (mildly).

Ashwagandha is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen and a nervine to help cope with stress and supports overall cognitive health*.

Precautions
Not for use in pregnancy except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/ashwagandha-root

Beet Root Powder

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris

Beets have existed for thousands of years, but the beet root we know today was only hybridized about 300 years ago. Beta vulgaris is typically enjoyed as a vegetable for its earthy, yet sweet taste, and nutritious value. Our organic non-GMO beet root powder can be added to culinary dishes or blended into smoothies, juices, and herbal formulas.

In ancient times, beets had elongated roots like carrots and the globular red beet we now eat was only hybridized about 300 years ago. Beets have the highest sugar content of all the vegetables and are becoming popularly used as a sweetening substitute. Beet juice and beet powder are used to flavor carrot, celery, and other vegetable juices, and also to color a variety of foods.

Beets, or at least the leaves of the beet, have been used since before recorded history. Charred beet roots were found among Neolithic remains at an excavation site in the Netherlands. The Sea beet, the ancestor of the modern cultivated beet, was probably domesticated somewhere along the Mediterranean. Both the roots and leaves have been used since the time of the Romans. In the Talmud, the rabbis recommended “eating beet root, drinking mead, and bathing in the Euphrates” as part of a prescription for a long and healthy life. During the middle ages, Platina in his De Honesta (1460) noted that beet root was good for bad breath, especially “garlic breath”.

Although the leaves were consumed for many centuries, the root itself was not widely consumed until French chefs recognized its culinary potential in the early 19th century.

Ingredients: Organic beet root powder and silicon dioxide.

Precautions
No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/beet-root-powder

Calendula Flower
Botanical Name: Calendula officinalis

Calendula officinalis is an annual herb bearing an edible orange or yellow daisy-like flower. Naturalized throughout most of the world, calendula flower is a cheerful ornamental plant employed by many herbalists for its beneficial properties. Calendula flowers can be infused in oils and incorporated into lotions, creams, and balms. They brighten herbal tea blends and make a tasty calendula tea infusion.

Calendula is a well-known herb and uplifting ornamental garden plant that has been used topically, ceremonially, and as a dye and food plant for centuries. It is also commonly referred to as marigold or pot marigold. Calendula is an annual herb bearing the characteristic daisy-like flowers of other members of the Asteraceae family, having bright orange or yellow terminal flower heads and pale green leaves. Native to Southern Europe, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and in the region spanning the Canary Islands to Iran, calendula is now naturalized in much of the world and is commonly grown in gardens.

Calendula is cultivated in the Mediterranean countries, the Balkans, eastern Europe, Germany, India, Poland and Hungary. Smaller amounts are grown in North America, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. The best time to harvest flowers is in the summer, in the heat of the day when the resins are high and the dew has evaporated. Carefully dry flowers at low temperature in order to keep their vibrant color.

In medieval Europe, calendula was widely available and was known as “poor man’s saffron” as it was used to color and spice various foods, soup in particular. It was used not only to color foods, but also as a dye to color hair and to make butter look more yellow. Believed to be first cultivated by St. Hildegard of Bingen, an herbalist and nun practicing herbalism in the 11th century in present day Germany, calendula is a mainstay in a variety of European historical herbal texts. A Niewe Herball, from 1578, by English botanist Henry Lyte states that calendula ‘… hath pleasant, bright and shining yellow flowers, the which do close at the setting down of the sun, and do spread and open again at the sun rising’ referring to the flower’s well known propensity to open in the day and close at night or on overcast days.

Nicholas Culpepper, a 17th century botanist, herbalist and astrologist, mentioned using calendula juice mixed with vinegar as a rinse for the skin and scalp and that a tea of the flowers comforts the heart. Astrologically associated with the sun and the fire element, calendula was believed to imbue magical powers of protection and clairvoyance, and even to assist in legal matters. Flowers strung above doorposts were said to keep evil out and to protect one while sleeping if put under the bed. It was said that picking the flowers under the noonday sun will strengthen and comfort the heart.

Calendula was used in ancient times in India as well, and according to Ayurvedic healing principles is energetically cooling and has a bitter and pungent taste. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) calendula (called jin zhan ju) is considered energetically neutral and drying and is used to support healthy skin. Traditionally, in North American indigenous cultures, it has been employed to combat the occasional upset stomach. Traditional use mirrors many of our contemporary applications of this plant.

Precautions
Persons with allergies to other members of the Asteraceae family (such as feverfew, chamomile, or Echinacea species) should exercise caution with calendula, as allergic cross-reactivity to Asteraceae plants is common. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/calendula

Catnip
Botanical Name: nepeta cataria

Catnip leaf is well known for its gentle and calming properties as it has been employed in traditional western folk practices for centuries. Nepeta cataria is a member of the mint family and features a square stem, heart-shaped leaves, and small fragrant pink to white flowers on a terminal spike. The leaves can be tinctured, steeped into a relaxing catnip tea, and added to herbal tea blends.

The ultimate feline herb, for centuries cats have been going crazy over this plant. It makes them happy and spunky yet has a more calming effect on people. Catnip has been used in European folk medicine for generations as a calming agent for body and mind. It is gentle and is very useful for children and infants.

Catnip is a gray-green perennial with the square stems and terminal flower spikes typical of the Mint or Lamiaceae family. It has fuzzy, heart-shaped, toothed leaves and grows 2-3 feet tall. It is native to the dry and temperate Mediterranean area in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and was introduced to the many parts of the world, particularly North America, by European settlers, and is now widely naturalized and cultivated extensively in gardens and for commerce.

Used in traditional medicine in Europe for centuries, and first mentioned in the poetic 11th century herbal, De viribus herbarum, catnip was prized for its ability to calm occasional nervousness and promote restful sleep. It was employed as a relaxant and diaphoretic and was thus helpful in cases of occasional restlessness Considered extremely useful for children, it was often used to support healthy digestion and soothe the stomach. Further, it was applied externally as a poultice. Catnip may be made into a juice too for topical application as was the practice by Nicholas Culpepper (a 17th century botanist, avid astrologer, physician, and herbalist). It is mainly the flowering tops, dried for tea or fresh as an essential oil that are used, but there are accounts of the root being used too. According to Maude Grieve, author of A Modern Herbal (which isn’t really that modern anymore as it was published in 1931) the root can be overstimulating, so perhaps its best to stick with the above ground parts. The leaves and young shoots were added to sauces and stews for flavor (which somewhat resemble a mix of mint and pennyroyal).

Catnip was part of American folk medicine and Native American healing systems and employed as a gentle tea for children in cases of occasional upset stomach or sleeplessness. Catnip was used by the Hoh, Delaware, and Iroquois tribes for children’s complaints due to its mild nature. The Cherokee used the plant similarly to other indigenous groups and also considered it to be an overall strengthening tonic. They chose this herb when a relaxant was needed in cases of irritability or sleeplessness, just like the Europeans. In the southwestern United States, catnip or ‘nebada’ amongst the Spanish speakers, was utilized in traditional folk medicine to allay a range of digestive challenges. It was considered particularly useful for soothing the stomach and enhancing digestion in infants. Also, it was sold as a brandy infusion with ‘hinojo’ or fennel as a digestive tonic. Catnip is useful for soothing stomach complaints and therefore good in a laxative formula with harsh herbs like senna. Some herbalists find it helpful to balance physical manifestations such as occasional indigestion that stem from emotional issues or the “gut level”. This herb is energetically considered to be slightly warming and thus useful as a diaphoretic to bring on perspiration.

One version of an old adage regarding the relationship between cats and catnip is this: ‘If you set it, the cats will eat it. If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.’ This folk myth suggests that when plants are grown from seed, or ‘sown’ cats don’t bother the plant, but when they are transplanted, cats will destroy it. The feline’s attraction to this plant is curious indeed, and in fact, referred to as the “the catnip response.” It is not just observed in domesticated housecats, but also in jaguars, tigers, leopards, lions, and several other large cats. It elicits behaviors such as chewing and head shaking, rolling around on the floor, and even arouses sexual desire; this response lasts from fifteen minutes to one hour. They are responding to the scent of nepetalactone in catnip, the aromatherapeutic element being more powerful than taking it internally.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/catnip

Chamomile
Botanical Name: Matricaria chamomilla

Our organic chamomile flowers are harvested at the peak of freshness. Matricaria chamomilla is a well-known blossom in the herbal world and is renowned for its gentle actions. German chamomile is most often prepared as an infusion of chamomile tea, and the flowers are widely used in hair and skin care recipes.

Chamomile promotes relaxation and supports digestive health*.

Chamomile is a gentle herb known throughout most of the world which has been used continually for many centuries. It is often ingested as a tea for calming purposes and to soothe the digestive tract and is mild enough to be administered to babies. Chamomile is soothing to the skin and is often found in lotions and hair products. It is known in commerce as Matricaria recutita and by its synonym Matricaria chamomilla. Common names include German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, mayweed, sweet false chamomile, and true chamomile.

A member of the Asteraceae family, these aromatic herbaceous plants have white daisy like flowers and scent reminiscent of apples or pineapple. In fact, the common name “chamomile” is derived from the Greek word kamai which translates to “on the ground” and melon which means apple. Accordingly, the Spanish name Manzanilla, means “little apple.” M. chamomilla is an annual that can grow up to 24 inches whereas the similar C. nobile is a perennial low growing groundcover growing no more than ten inches high. M. chamomilla is native to Europe and western Asia.

Chamomile was used in ancient Egypt and was given as an offering to their gods. Chamomile has been utilized extensively in Europe as somewhat of a panacea which supported digestive health. Common preparations were teas, baths and sitzbaths, gargles, inhalations, and compresses. Germans refer to this herb as alles zutraut meaning ‘capable of anything.’ Matricaria chamomilla and Chamaemelum nobile are similar and have been traditionally used interchangeably to some degree, although differences in taste and action have been noted. In the Mexican folkloric tradition, manzanilla was used to support healthy respiratory function and for soothing the stomach and easing digestion. In the highlands of southern Mexico, the Tzeltal Maya make a chamomile tea containing an orange and a lime leaf to lift the mood.

Native Americans have used this and related species since their introduction to the Americas, often utilizing the entire plant. The Aleut drank teas to alleviate gas, and also considered the plant a cure-all. Drinking the tea was a Cherokee trick for “regularity.” The Kutenai and Cheyenne got creative, the former making jewelry and the later, perfume, out of the pulverized dry flowers.

Chamomile has magical implications for attracting money and, accordingly, as a hand rinse for gamblers needing good luck. Cosmetically, chamomile has also been used as a rinse for accentuating highlights and lightening blonde hair. Topically, this herb has an emollient effect and is softening and soothing to the skin. It has also been used as a perfume and flavoring agent for liqueurs such as Benedictine and vermouth.

According to an herbalist Matthew Becker, the type of person who responds best to chamomile is one “who complains often…for fretful children…and for adults who act like children.” The genus name Matricaria stems from the Latin word matrix meaning ‘womb’ hinting at its beneficial effects for women. Chamomile possesses what Rosemary Gladstar describes as “soft power” to assuage occasional stress and tension. She suggests not only sipping chamomile tea while bathing in it, but also tucking a chamomile sachet under the pillow at night to promote restful sleep.

Precautions
Persons with allergies to other members of the Asteraceae family should exercise caution with chamomile. The infusion should not be used near the eyes. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/chamomile-flowers

Chlorella Powder, Japanese
Botanical Name: Chlorella vulgaris

Cultivated in Japan using concrete-lined ponds, our Japanese chlorella powder has a mild algae flavor. Chlorella vulgaris is a single-celled algae and considered to be among the Earth’s oldest living organisms. Chlorella is enjoyed for its healthful qualities and can be added to spice blends, popcorn, and egg dishes. Chlorella powder can also be added to smoothies, encapsulated, or tinctured.

Our Japanese chlorella powder is cultivated in concrete-lined ponds in a pristine area of Japan. This chlorella powder has a more mild algae flavor and makes a deep green brew when added to water.

Chlorella is a single celled algae that some scientists believe may be among the Earth’s oldest living organisms, but it was only in the 1960’s that Japanese scientists began to study chlorella as a tool of good health. Natural health enthusiasts know chlorella well as an excellent source of general nutrition. This chlorella has a cracked outer cell wall which is broken by a high impact cryogenic jet-spray process that pulverizes the algae’s cell wall for enhanced digestibility.

Precautions
Not for use during pregnancy or if breastfeeding except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Some individuals experience nausea or stomach discomfort, discontinue use and consult your healthcare practitioner. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/japanese-chlorella

Comfrey Leaf

Botanical Name: Symphytum officinalis

Symphytum loves to grow in damp, grassy soils. It is distinguished by a scorpioid inflorescence of bell-shaped flowers, and large, angular, hairy leaves. Comfrey leaf has a long history of use for its beneficial properties in topical preparations throughout traditional Western herbalism.

Comfrey leaf has been used since Roman times, dating back thousands of years. This herb has been utilized in folk medicine throughout Europe and North America and has been widely cultivated. Much debate surrounds the safety of comfrey due to various parts and preparations containing potentially toxic alkaloids. It is important to understand that the part used, species, and time of harvest all come in to play when determining the safety of this herb. A large body of traditional use supports its safety and efficacy if used intelligently and cautiously.

A member of the Borage or Boraginaceae family, comfrey’s relatives include both borage (Borago sp.) and heliotrope (Heliotropium sp.). The Symphytum genus contains about 35 species, all of which can be used interchangeably, although pyrrolizidine alkaloid content varies between species and are highest in Russian comfrey (S. x uplandicum) and prickly comfrey or (S. asperum). Comfrey has large, rough, hairy, and lance-shaped leaves with whitish, pink, or purple flower spikes which have a slight heliotrope like curl typical of this family. It is native to much of Europe, and various regions in Asia such as the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Turkey, and is commonly found as a weed in temperate northern latitudes.

Precautions
Not for internal use. Do not apply to broken or abraded skin. Do not use when nursing. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/comfrey-leaf

Dandelion Root

Botanical Name: Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion is a treasured botanical with a long history of use in traditional herbal practices worldwide. This perennial herb has a sunny flower head that is composed of hundreds of tiny flowers, deeply cut leaves that form a basal rosette, and a thick taproot. Our dandelion root is organically cultivated in the United States. Taraxacum officinale can be decocted as dandelion tea, added to herbal tea blends, made into dandelion extract, or infused into body care recipes.

Dandelion was traditionally used in many systems of medicine to support digestive and gastrointestinal health.* Additionally, dandelion was traditionally used to support liver health, healthy urinary funtion and has mild diuretic action.*

Dandelion is a sunny, subtle, yet incredible plant that has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is mentioned in traditional Arabian medicine in the tenth century. It has been used for centuries in traditional medicine practices all over the world as a restorative tonic, edible food, and in herbal beers and wines.

Dandelion bears a sun-yellow flower head (which is actually composed of hundreds of tiny flowers) typical of the Asteraceae family, that closes in the evening or during cloudy weather and opens back up in the morning, much like its cousin calendula. When the flower is closed, to some, it looks like a pig’s nose, hence one of its names, ‘swine’s snout.’ It is a perennial herb with deeply cut leaves that form a basal rosette, somewhat similar to another family member, the wild lettuce, and has a thick tap root which is dark brown on the outside and white on the inside. It is native to most of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, naturalized all over the world, and commonly found growing alongside roads and in lawns as a common weed.

Dandelion is produced commercially in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the former Yugoslavia, and the United Kingdom. However, dandelion grows practically everywhere, and is wild collected in a variety of climates, even in the Himalayas up to about 12,000 feet, where it is often gathered for use in Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional healing system of India). Dandelion will grow anywhere, but will produce more substantial roots in moist, rich, deep soil. Pharmacopeial grade dandelion leaf is composed of the dried leaves collected before flowering and the root collected in autumn or whenever its inulin content is the highest.

The use of dandelion was first recorded in writing in the Tang Materia Medica (659 B.C.E.), and then later noted by Arab physicians in the 10th century.

In the United States, various indigenous cultures considered dandelion to be a prized edible, a gastrointestinal aid, a cleansing alterative, and a helpful poultice or compress. The Bella Coola from Canada made a decoction of the roots to assuage gastrointestinal challenges; the Algonquian ate the leaves for their alterative properties and also used them externally as a poultice. Additionally, the Aleut steamed leaves and applied them topically to sore throats. The Cherokee believed the root to be an alterative as well and made a tea of the plant (leaves and flowers) for calming purposes. It is interesting to note that dandelion was used by the Iroquois as well. They made a tea of the whole plant, and also considered it be an alterative tonic. In the southwestern U.S., in Spanish speaking communities practicing herbalism, dandelion is called ‘chicoria’ or ‘diente de leon.’

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) it is referred to as ‘Xin Xiu Ben Cao’ or ‘Pu Gong Ying’ and considered to be energetically sweet, drying, and cooling. According to TCM, dandelion clears heat from the liver and has a beneficial effect on the stomach and lungs, and it can uplift the mood and support lactation.

The root was listed as official in the United States National Formulary, in the pharmacopeias of Austria and the Czech Republic, in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia, and the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia amongst others. Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar strongly promotes this herb, saying that it is “invaluable to women going through menopause.” Dandelion root’s benefit to the digestive tract is twofold as it contains inulin and is also a bitter digestive tonic which tones the digestive system and stimulates the appetite. It calms heat and also hot emotions and is thus helpful in those that are irritated.

The young dandelion greens (rather than the older ones which become too bitter) are wonderful in salads. These leaves can also be steamed like spinach (although they take a little longer to cook than spinach) and spiced with salt, pepper, and butter. Other savory spices such as nutmeg, garlic, onion or lemon peel can be added as well.

Dandelion root is considered energetically bitter, drying, and cooling.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/dandelion-root

Echinacea Angustifolia Root

Botanical Name: Echinacea angustifolia

Echinacea has become one of the most well-known herbs in American folk herbalism. A perennial member of the sunflower family, Echinacea angustifolia is one of nine species of echinacea native to North America. This specific variety has angular, narrow, hairy leaves and grows approximately one foot tall. Our organically cultivated echinacea root can be steeped as echinacea tea, tinctured, and infused into topical oils.

Echinacea was used extensively by traditional herbalists and Native Americans alike in North America for generations, echinacea eventually gained popularity in Europe in the 1900’s. One of its main uses is to support healthy immune function, although many of its historical uses were related to topical applications. It is now one of the most available dietary supplements in health food stores and continues to be a subject of many scientific studies investigating its immune support properties.

Nine species of Echinacea are native to the United States and southern Canada, with much of the population centered in Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. These species are perennial members of the sunflower, or Asteraceae, family and mostly prefer rocky, disturbed soils in open fields, prairies, and along railroad tracks. The material found in commerce is generally E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and occasionally E. pallida. E. purpurea is big bushy shrub, growing 4-5 feet tall, with vivid purple coneflowers (hence the common name ‘purple coneflower’). The leaves are wider than E. angustifolia, which has more angular and hairy leaves (the specific name refers to this, literally meaning ‘narrow-leaved), and grows to only around one foot in height. Often E. pallida and E. angustifolia are confused as they both have light pink petals and are used in a similar manner.

The genus name Echinacea is derived from the Greek ‘echinos’ which literally means hedgehog and refers to the appearance of the spiny seed head.

Echinacea was used at length by Native Americans and by traditional herbalists in the United States and in Canada. One of the first written accounts was by an equestrian from Louisiana who used this herb topically on horses. According to the ethnobotanical work, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, written in 1914 by Melvin Gilmore, “echinacea seems to have been used as a remedy for more ailments than any other plant.” A variety of tribes, including the Pawnee, Dakota, Omaha-Winnebego relied heavily upon this plant. It was used for situations ranging from swellings to distemper in horses. This herb was administered as a fresh juice, herbal smudge or smoke, and often either the leaf or root was simply chewed on. Echinacea was used traditionally for supporting the immune system and also for topical use.

The Eclectic physicians in the United States popularized Echinacea in the late 1800’s showing particular interest in E. angustifolia. John Uri Lloyd and John King were major proponents of this herb, extolling its virtues far and wide for several years until it became the single most widely used herb by the Eclectics. It was all the rage until the Eclectic schools closed down in the mid 1930’s at which point the popularity of echinacea declined in the United States. It fell out of fashion until the 1970’s when herbalists resurrected it. However, during this time, E. purpurea was gaining recognition in Germany. Ironically, E. angustifolia was the species that most traditional herbalists and Native Americans used, yet E. purpurea was the species that the Germans ended up researching and therefore the one that became the most popular, first in Europe, and then in the United States. Thus, the species which had the most substantiated historical evidence, has the least scientific research. As the story goes, in the 1950’s the Swiss naturopathic doctor, Dr. Vogel, came to the U.S. to study Echinacea in South Dakota. He brought seeds back which he believed were from E. angustifolia and gave them to a German doctor who planted them and made a preparation. Soon it was discovered that the species was actually E. purpurea which is why it became so popular and widely studied in Europe.

Dried root can be decocted as tea, added to herbal formulations, or used in tincturing.

Precautions
Persons with allergies to other members of the Asteraceae family should exercise caution with Echinacea, due to the presence of Echinacea pollen. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/echinacea-angustifolia-root

Elder Berries

Botanical Name: Sambucus nigra & Sambucus ebulus

Elder is a perennial shrub that can be found growing along hedgerows, forest perimeters, and in gardens as an ornamental. The elder berry has an extensive history of use and folklore in traditional western practices. For centuries, elderberries have been used to make preserves, wines, cordials, herbal infusions, and elderberry syrup.

Elder is a plant native to most of Europe, North America, and southwest Asia. Its flowers and berries have a long history of use in traditional European medicine. Elder berries have also been used for making preserves, wines, winter cordials, and for adding flavor and color to other wines. Most commonly, the flowers or berries of elder are employed for their healthful benefits. The dried fruits are less bitter than the fresh. Although the branches and leaves are poisonous, the small stem which is sometimes left on the berry is safe. Elder used to be a member of the Caprifoliaceae family, was moved into the Adoxaceae family, and was most recently classified in the Viburnaceae family.

Elder berry supports immune health to help you stay feeling your best and supports the body’s immune defenses to stay feeling healthy.*

Whole elder berries are typically prepared as teas, tinctures, syrups, wine, cordials, and even ketchup, often combined with propolis or echinacea.

Precautions
The raw fruit contains a component sambunigrin which may cause vomiting and severe diarrhea if ingested. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/elder-berries

Eleuthero Root

Botanical Name: Eleutherococcus senticosus

For millennia, Eleutherococcus senticosus has been incorporated into Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as Korean and Russian folk herbalism. Famous for its healthful and adaptogenic properties, eleuthero has become well known globally. Also called Siberian ginseng, it is a member of the Araliaceae family and grows in mountain thickets throughout Japan, China, Korea, and Russia. Eleuthero root is often made into a tea or extract.

Eleuthero is best known as being an adaptogen and has been part of the herbal repertoire in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It was also used in Korean and Russian folk medicine, not only for increasing stamina but for promoting overall health. Russian researchers brought attention to this impressive root in the 1960’s at which point its fame spread to the West. It can now be found lining the shelves in most health food stores in North America.

The Eleutherococcus genus contains over 30 species, some of which are grown ornamentally in the West. E. senticosus is a shrub growing from three to fifteen feet in height, with palmate leaves, and stems that are covered with bristles. It is an understory shrub occurring in mountain thickets and sparse forests up to around 2,500 feet in elevation, and is native to Japan, China, Korea, and the Far East of Russia. Eleuthero is a member of the ginseng or Araliaceae family alongside the famous American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and other relatives such as (Aralia spinosa) or Devil’s walkingstick. The Chinese refer to eleuthero by its older name, Acanthopanax senticosus, which is how it is listed in many Chinese herbal formulas.

The root is best harvested when the plant is dormant. Lateral rootlets should be cut off and the root thoroughly cleaned. Further, in China, the best part of the plant is considered to be the root cortex, thus the root bark can be discarded, if one wants to make a more potent preparation.

The eleuthero available commercially is mostly harvested from its natural habitats in northeast China and Russia. Experimental cultivation has started in Japan and Canada in the recent decades where it is grown in semiarid conditions resembling its natural habitat.

Listed in the Chinese Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica) over 2000 years ago, eleuthero has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia, yet was barely noticed by the rest of the world until Russian researchers began studying it in the 1960’s. In fact, the term ‘adaptogen’ came from Soviet scientist, N.V. Lazarev, who, in 1947 coined this term when describing eleuthero’s actions. He stated that an adaptogen increased “non-specific resistance of an organism to adverse influence.” It is also referred to as ‘Siberian ginseng’ and is often compared with the more familiar Panax ginseng or ‘true ginseng’ yet they differ substantially and therefore can’t be considered interchangeable.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) eleuthero root is used to invigorate qi (chi or energy), strengthen and nourish the spleen and kidney and to balance vital energy. Eleuthero has been used in China to support general health. Additionally, it has been employed when there is sleeplessness with too many dreams. It is considered pungent and slightly bitter in taste and is often prepared as a preparation in sweet rice wine. It is considered energetically warming, and relates to the spleen, kidney and heart meridians. Generally, it is just the root that is used; however some leaves of various eleuthero species have been used in herbal teas as well.

In the traditional medicine of northeastern Asia and far eastern Russia, eleuthero is called ‘shigoka’ and used as a tonic. It has also been used in traditional Korean medicine for its qi strengthening qualities.

Eleuthero is now widely utilized in the western herbalism to support general health and to improve endurance and stamina. It is prescribed for use in France, Germany, and Russia as well.

The taste is pungent and slightly bitter. Eleuthero is considered to be energetically warm.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/eleuthero-root

Feverfew

Botanical Name: Tanacetum parthenium

Tanacetum parthenium is an herbaceous perennial in the daisy family with small white flowers and pinnate leaves. Feverfew is native to Eurasia and has a long history of use in traditional European herbalism. The herb is typically tinctured, steeped as feverfew tea, or employed topically.

The daisy-like feverfew was once believed to have been used to save the life of someone who had fallen from the Parthenon, the temp of the goddess Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, hence its scientific name parthenium.

Precautions
Not for use in pregnancy. Feverfew may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae (Ragweed) plant family. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/feverfew

Ginger Root

Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale

Zingiber officinale is an aromatic and tropical herb that is widely cultivated in many equatorial countries. A zesty and warming spice, ginger root has been used to flavor culinary dishes and beverages for millennia. Our organic dried ginger can be made into syrups, infused as ginger tea, blended into herbal formulas, and tinctured.

Ginger root supports healthy digestion and helps relieve occasional upset stomach and nausea.*

Ginger has been valued as a zesty spice and a reliable herb for centuries, with the first recorded uses found in ancient Sanskrit and Chinese texts. It has also been utilized in Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Unani Tibb traditional medicine practices and is now a widely known herb in most parts of the world. It is a flavoring agent in beer, soft drinks, candies, and a staple spice and condiment in many countries. Ginger essential oil has been used in a vast array of cosmetics and perfumes.

A member from the Zingiberaceae family which also contains turmeric (Curcuma sp.) and cardamom (Amomum sp. and Elettaria sp.), ginger is a tropical, aromatic, perennial herb which is most likely native to tropical Asia (yet has been cultivated for so long that the exact origin is unclear). The part used is its fleshy rhizome, often mistakenly referred to as a root. Ginger is widely cultivated in many tropical countries. It is believed that the Spaniard, Francisco de Mendosa, transplanted ginger from southeast Asia or the ‘East Indies’ in 1547 to the ‘West Indies’ (most of the Carribbean) and Mexico. The Spanish cultivated it extensively and then exported it in large amounts to various countries in Europe. Prior to this, ginger used in Europe was obtained from Arab spice traders.

The genus name is a derivation of the Latin gingiber, which originated from the Sanskrit srngaveram, which breaks down to the word for horn or srngam and the word for body which is vera, denoting the horn-shape of its root.

Ginger has risen to be among the top twelve spices most consumed in the United States, replacing fennel seed. Presently, the main producers of ginger are India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Thailand, although other countries such as Jamaica produce it as well. The ‘white ginger’ is the peeled rhizome that is often produced in Jamaica and the ‘black ginger’ or unpeeled rhizome, is mostly from Sierra Leone and China.

When it comes to just the pure essential oil, the main producers are India and China, and the major importing countries are the United States, Europe, and Japan.

The first recorded use of ginger goes as far back as its appearance in the ancient Chinese herbal Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, written by emperor Shen Nong around 2,000 B.C.E. and the ancient Sanskrit text of India, the Mahabharata, around 400 B.C.E. In the latter text, a recipe with stewed meat and ginger is described. In Ayurveda (the traditional healing system of India) one of the many Sanskrit names for ginger is shunthi or sunthi thought to be derived from the ancient city that bears the same name mentioned in the epic Indian text, the Ramayana (which was from around the same time as the Mahabharata). This city was thus considered an ancient capitol of the ginger trade by 200 B.C.

There are various accounts of ginger being exported from India to the Roman empire around 2000 years ago. At this time, it was used for both a flavorful spice and herb. Ginger has been in continuous use ever since in Europe, and was prized during the reign of King Henry the VIII in the 1500’s. By the 16th century, one pound of ginger was worth one sheep in England.

Ginger was prized in love spells for its ‘heating up’ qualities and has been considered a love herb since ancient times. It was believed that ginger could hasten the success of any spell and that planting a ginger root would ensure financial abundance.

In the book Herbal Emissaries: Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West, Steven Foster writes: Ginger is truly an herbal emissary in the broadest sense. Perhaps no other herb, except garlic, crosses all barriers, cultural, historical, and geographic–food versus medicine, Western versus Oriental, scientific versus folk tradition. Ginger is a universal herb in all respects.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and is believed to affect lung, spleen, heart, and stomach meridians.

It is called gan jiang, referring to the dried, older winter rhizome, or shen jiang, which is the fresh, young and tender rhizome. As having two different names for ginger implies, fresh and dried ginger are considered to have very different qualities. Ginger is believed to be more moistening when fresh and also to be energetically warm, whereas the dried root is energetically hot, and more drying. Both have been employed in cases of diarrhea, vomiting and nausea, amongst many other uses. Fresh ginger is preferred in TCM for nausea, as the dried ginger is considered to be too heating. Fresh ginger is valued as a diaphoretic and aid in expelling toxins.

Ginger is still a very important herb in Europe and is extensively imported in Germany. It is approved in the Commission E monographs and found in countless preparations all over Europe. Ginger has been and is still extensively used as a flavoring: as a condiment in the form of a paste, sliced and pickled, or powdered, as flavoring agent for soft drinks and ginger beer, distilled into an essential oil, and also as a candy or lozenge. There are many different types of ginger ranging from light colored Jamaican ginger, to the darker, more pungent African ginger often used in the production of essential oils.

In TCM ginger root is considered hot, acrid and in Ayurveda–pungent, sweet. Dried root for use in tincturing, infusions, and topical applications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/ginger-root

Holy Basil, Rama

Botanical Name: Ocimum tenuiflorum

Rama tulsi is the most common type of tulsi, or holy basil, which is grown in India. Employed for its beneficial properties, holy basil leaf is a well-used and revered herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Ocimum tenuiflorum is a member of the mint family and cousin to sweet basil and features a purple stem with maturing leaves that remain green. Rama holy basil is known for its mellow flavor. The leaves are usually steeped as holy basil tea or tulsi tea and incorporated into herbal infusion blends.

Holy basil supports immune health to help you stay feeling your best.*

Holy basil has been revered throughout India for thousands of years. Ayurvedic texts describe holy basil as a pillar of holistic herbal medicine and a goddess incarnated in plant form (the mother medicine of nature). Many traditional Hindus worship an alter bearing a holy basil plant that is placed in the courtyard of their home or in another prominent location. Today holy basil remains one of the most cherished of India’s sacred plants. The leaves smell of peppermint, cloves, licorice and/or lemon. There are three types of tulsi sold by Mountain Rose Herbs: Krishna, Rama, and Vana. All varieties belong to the mint family and are cousins of sweet basil.

Krishna (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is known for its peppery crisp taste. The plant has dark green to purple leaves, stems, and blossoms. It is cultivated in the Indian plains, as well as private homes and gardens around India, and is named after the blue skinned God as the dark purple leaves resemble this color.

Rama (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is known for its cooling and mellow flavor. The plant has green leaves, white-to-purplish blossoms, and a green or purplish stem. It is cultivated in the Indian plains, as well as private homes and gardens around India.

Vana (Ocimum gratissimum), aka. “forest type”, is known for its fragrance. The plant has green leaves and stem, with white blossoms. It is found in the Himalayas and plains of India. Grows wild in Asia and Africa and is used medicinally there as well.

Holy basil is traditionally taken as an herbal tea or mixed with ghee. Holy basil, or tulsi, is an important symbol in the Hindu religion and it is a significant herb in ayurvedic medicine.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/rama-holy-basil

Horsetail
Botanical Name: Equisetum arvense

Horsetail is an ancient plant dating back to approximately 350 million years ago. Due to its unique expression, common names also include scouring rush, bottle brush, and shavegrass. Equisetum arvense is considered a nutritious herb and is usually decocted as horsetail tea and infused into herbal vinegars and tonics.

Horsetail has a recorded history going back to the Devonian period. The plant at that time was as tall as a modern palm tree. Horsetail, not to be confused with cat-tail, is possibly the most abundant source of silica in the plant kingdom, so much in fact that the herb can be used for polishing metal. It got the name “scouring rush” from this very application. It has had other uses during the ages including as an ingredient in shampoos, skincare products, and in dietary supplements. Horsetail belongs to the Equisetaceae plant family.

Precautions
Not for use in persons with kidney disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/horsetail

Irish Moss Powder
Botanical Name: Chondrus crispus

Irish moss, or sea moss, is a species of red algae that thrives in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Chondrus crispus has been used around the world in a variety of applications, from culinary recipes and beauty formulations. This red seaweed naturally contains carrageenan, a substance widely used for its thickening and stabilizing properties. Our organic Irish moss powder can be encapsulated, added to smoothies, or used in seaweed-based broths and soups.

Irish moss is a tough and stringy red, yellow, or purple seaweed growing up to 6 inches (250 mm) high on rocks in tidal pools along the northern Atlantic. Tide pools are an isolated pocket of seawater in the ocean’s intertidal zone. It is harvested to make carrageenan, a thickening agent for jellies, puddings, and soups, and is a traditional herbal remedy in Ireland.

Precautions
Seaweeds contain naturally high levels of iodine. This product is harvested from the sea therefore occasional shell fragments may be present in the product. Consumption of this product may cause a serious or life-threatening reaction in persons with allergies to fish or shellfish. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/irish-moss-powder

Kelp Powder
Botanical Name: Ascophyllum nodosum

Our kelp powder is harvested in the pristine waters off the coast of Iceland. Ascophyllum nodosum is a large, common, cold water seaweed in the Fucaceae family. Sea kelp is enjoyed for its nutritious qualities and can be added to most foods including smoothies, soups, salad dressings, and rice dishes. Additionally, kelp powder can be encapsulated or used in body creations such as herbal bath bombs and bath powders.

Kelp is an underwater plant with a majestic form, deep green color and a high nutritional yield. Commonly referred to as “seaweed” this botanical beauty is not from the common “seaweed” but rather a different classification of plant entirely. Care and importance should be taken when consuming kelp and one should know its origin. Many of the world’s oceans are suffering from pollution, so it is best to use a Kelp product from clean, pristine and protected ocean. Hawaii, Iceland, Canada, and the North West United States are all choice locations for quality Kelp products. Kelp is a great source of nutrients and can be added easily to any diet from both the digitata and nodosum varieties.

Powdered kelp can be easily included in practically every dish. You may sprinkle it on entrees, soups, salads, and it makes a marvelous drink in the form of a “green smoothie”. Also adds well in teas and in iced drinks. Encapsulated kelp is also available as well as the liquid extract from the fresh plant.

Precautions
Seaweeds contain naturally high levels of iodine. This product is harvested from the sea. Consumption of this product may cause a serious or life-threatening reaction in persons with allergies to fish or shellfish. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/kelp-powder

Lavender Flowers, English
Botanical Name: Lavandula Angustifolia

English lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia, is not actually native to England but to the Mediterranean. Lavender flower is a favorite for its sweet, relaxing, floral aroma, and the flowers and leaves have a long history of use in traditional western herbalism. Dried lavender flowers can be added to potpourri blends, used as a cooking or baking spice, and incorporated into body care recipes.

For years we have sold both Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia as Lavender flowers. We are now excited to be able to offer you both of these beautiful flowers. In general, they can be used interchangeably; however some people do prefer one over the other.

Lavandula angustifolia is the classic lavender that most people are familiar with. It can also be found on the market as Common Lavender, French Lavender (when it comes from France), True Lavender, or Lavender. You may also see it labeled as Lavandula officinalis. This little greyish purple flower is known for its sweet floral aroma. The genus Lavandula is in the mint family.

Lavender is an aromatic perennial evergreen shrub. Its woody stems bear lavender or purple flowers from late spring to early autumn, although there are varieties with blossoms of white or pink. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, but now cultivated in cool-winter, dry-summer areas in Europe and the Western United States. The use of Lavender goes back thousands of years, with the first recorded uses by the Egyptians during the mummification process. Both the Greeks and the Romans had many uses for it, the most popular being for bathing, cooking, and as an ingredient in perfume. Lavender was used as an after-bath perfume by the Romans, who gave the herb its name from the Latin lavare, to wash. During the Great Plague of 1665, grave robbers would wash their hands in a concoction called Four Thieves Vinegar, which contained lavender, wormwood, rue, sage, mint, and rosemary, and vinegar; they rarely became infected. English folklore tells that a mixture of lavender, mugwort, chamomile, and rose petals will attract sprites, fairies, brownies, and elves.

As a spice, lavender is best known as an important aspect of French cuisine and is an integral ingredient in herbs de Provence seasoning blends. Lavender may be used on its own to give a delightful, floral flavor to desserts, meats, and breads. The flowers can also be layered within sugar to infuse it with its distinctive aroma for use in cookies and candies.

Similar to cilantro, some individuals perceive the taste of lavender in a manner that is undesirable within cuisine. An estimated 10% of the population interprets lavender to have a soapy and unsavory flavor. For this reason, it may be wise to exercise caution while using lavender as a flavoring agent.

Lavender has been thought for centuries to arouse passions as an aphrodisiac and is still one of the most recognized scents in the world.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/english-lavender-flowers

Lemon Balm
Botanical Name: Melissa officinalis

Melissa officinalis is a lemon-scented perennial in the Lamiaceae family with serrated heart-shaped leaves. For centuries, lemon balm has been used for its beneficial properties and has been highly esteemed for its emotional and spiritual effects. Melissa has traditionally been used as a gentle nervine and in baths to support healthy skin. It is often used to promote a sense of calm and can be brewed into a citrusy lemon balm tea, incorporated into other herbal tea blends, and included in body care recipes.

Used since ancient times to calm the heart and the body, lemon balm with its delicate lemony flavor uplifts the spirit and any culinary dish it is added to. It has been used to sweeten jam, jellies, as an addition to salad, and as a flavoring for various fish and poultry dishes and liqueurs. Further, lemon balm is used for making perfumes, in cosmetics, and in furniture polish manufacturing. It is often found as a tea in combination with other relaxing herbs such as valerian, as an essential oil, and also in ointments for topical applications.

Native to the Mediterranean and various regions in N. Africa, Asia, and Europe, lemon balm is a lemon-scented, aromatic, perennial with serrated heart-shaped leaves and whorls of small blue, yellow, or white flowers typical of many members of the Lamiaceae family. It is widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the world in temperate areas.

The use of lemon balm goes back thousands of years to the time of the ancient Romans and Greeks. One of its first recorded uses was as a wine infused liniment. Dioscorides (a Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist practicing in the 1st century in Rome, who authored the herbal De Materia Medica), mentions its use in this way, and it was also employed in this same manner in Ayurvedic medicine. St. Hildegard of Bingen, an herbalist and nun born in 1098 C.E. in present day Germany said, “Lemon balm contains within it the virtues of a dozen other plants.” According to Nicholas Culpepper (a botanist, avid astrologer, physician, herbalist, and author of the Complete Herbal, written in 1653), said dried lemon balm may be made into a fine ‘electuary’ with honey. He wrote that it was ruled by the planet Jupiter and associated with the zodiac sign of Cancer, therefore having an association with the water element and thus an effect on emotions.

Lemon balm was traditionally used to uplift the spirits. As Culpepper mentioned, some of its properties were spiritual in nature. This herb was used in spells to heal broken hearts and also to attract romantic love.

In an ancient text of the Middle East recounting Azerbaijani folk medicine practices called the Tibbname, a bath in lemon balm tea was believed to support heart health and to promote healthy skin. It was a common practice to apply lemon balm externally or to take internally for its relaxing effects. Melissa officinalis, and its cousin, M. parviflora, have been utilized in Ayurveda to calm the stomach and balance mood, and has been utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), in which it is considered energetically cooling and drying, for thousands of years as well. According to herbalist Matthew Wood, “melissa will generally calm most people.” Carmelite water, or ‘eau des Carmes’ as it is called in France, was a distilled alcoholic digestive tonic containing lemon balm, lemon peel, nutmeg, and angelica root, formulated by the Carmelite nuns (Roman Catholic religious order) from the Abbey of St. Just in the 14th century. It was used for centuries in Europe to support healthy digestion and is still available today.

Melissa, the generic name, is the Greek word for ‘honeybee,’ named such because of the bee’s love of the this beautifully scented herb. In ancient mythology, the group of nymphs called ‘melissai’ were credited as those who discovered honey. Their symbol was the bee, and it was believed that they metamorphosed into bees at times, and at one such point, a swarm of these nymph-bees were believed to have guided wanderers to the ancient land of Ephesus (now Turkey).

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/lemon-balm

Licorice Root
Botanical Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Glycyrrhiza glabra is an herbaceous legume that is native to the Middle East, southern Europe, and India. Licorice, sometimes spelled liquorice, is a favorite ingredient to sweeten herbal tea blends and is often used as a flavoring agent in candy. Licorice root has been an important herb in Eastern and Western traditions of herbalism for thousands of years. The root can be decocted as licorice tea and infused as licorice extract.

Licorice root is one of the most widely used herbs worldwide and is the single most used herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine today. It was used by the Egyptians as a flavoring for a drink called Mai-sus, and large quantities were found in the tomb of King Tut for his trip into the afterlife. Pliny the Elder recommended it to clear the voice and alleviate thirst and hunger. Dioscides, when traveling with Alexander the Great, recommended that his troops carry and use licorice to help with stamina for long marches, as well as for thirst in areas of drought. In the Middle Ages it was taken to alleviate the negative effects of highly spicy or overcooked food. It was also used for flavoring tobacco, and as a foaming agent in fire extinguishers and beer.

In a recent survey of Western medical herbalists, licorice ranked as the 10th most important herb used in clinical practice. An astonishing number of Chinese herbal formulas (over 5,000) use licorice to sweeten teas and to “harmonize” contrasting herbs. Its first documented use dates back to the time of the great Chinese herbal master Zhang Zhong Zhing, about 190 AD, but it was certainly used for many centuries prior to this. In 1914 the Chicago Licorice Company began to sell Black Vines, the first in a very long line of licorice based modern candies. The whole sticks and slices may be chewed straight and are pleasant tasting.

In compassion to Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), Glycyrrhiza glabra is sometimes referred to as Russian licorice, Spanish licorice, or Turkish licorice.

Precautions
Not for use in pregnancy except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Not for use in persons with hypertension, liver disorders, edema, severe kidney insufficiency, low blood potassium, or heart disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/licorice-root

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/licorice-root

Maca Powder
Botanical Name: Lepidium meyenii

Our maca powder is ground from the roots of Lepidium meyenii, a plant native to the high-altitude peaks of Peru’s Andes Mountains. Maca is a staple food for the native Quecha. The plant is adapted to harsh weather conditions, surviving where little else can grow. Maca root is regarded for its adaptogenic properties and can be blended into smoothies, incorporated into baking recipes, encapsulated, or tinctured.

Maca is a Peruvian food staple made into cookies, flan, smoothies, syrups, and liquor. It has a rich history of traditional use as a panacea and is referred to as ‘Peruvian ginseng.’ Specifically, it is prized for its adaptogenic and nutritive qualities. It was introduced to North America, Europe, and Japan in the late 1990’s precipitating a stream of scientific studies.

Maca has a fleshy hypocotyl (the stem of a germinating seed’s leaf) and has a rough pear-shaped to rectangular root that varies in color from red, to yellow, to black. It is a member of the Brassicaceae family and has small off-white flowers similar to many other cruciferous species. Maca grows in the Junin plateau of Peru in very hostile high-altitude environments at 11,000-15,000 feet where temperatures plummet below 14 degrees and high winds and hot sun prevail. It is native in the Puno and Moquegua regions in the Andes Mountains of Peru and is the only cruciferous vegetable native to this area. According the author of Lost Crops of the Incas, “even most of the Indians of the Andes barely know this plant, which is so restricted in its distribution….in this stark, inhospitable region, maca makes agriculture possible as maca survives in areas where little else can grow.”

It is now cultivated in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, where many regions within these countries are severely economically depressed. Maca cultivation offers new sources of income and has become a major subject of commercial and scientific interests in the last few decades. In the 1990s, as interest piqued in North America cultivation increased profusely. Maca was considered a top selling herbal supplement listed in the top 21-40 rankings in a 2012 report showing a nearly 23% increase from prior years.

Maca has been in continual use for thousands of years and used as a love charm to inspire romantic interests for at least 500 years. The Inca were thought to have started cultivating this root 2,000 years ago as it was considered by them to be not only a highly valuable food source, but also a sacred gift from the gods. The Spanish encountered maca when they noticed that their horses were struggling with the extreme environment. As the story goes, the Inca suggested they try maca. These passionate Latin conquistadors couldn’t help but notice the impressive effects on their animals, and so, they just had to try it for themselves.

In Peru, the sweet, spicy, root is considered a delicacy. Many Peruvians prefer the taste of the yellow root, considering it sweeter. It is utilized as a typical grain flour and made into cakes, flan, smoothies, beer, and even a porridge called ‘mazzamora.’ The dried root will last for seven years. Maca is considered a highly valuable commodity amongst the indigenous people in this area, and in Peru and other neighboring countries, where it has a long traditional use. The dried roots are exchanged for other food staples such as rice, with communities dwelling at lower elevations. This is often how they reach markets as far away as Lima, Peru.

During the mid-1500’s, the Conquistadors in Peru required payments in the form of maca root, thus it was writ: Lima, January 12, 1549: “I Pedro, Lawyer Of the Gasca of the Council of his majesty and of the Holy Inquisition, president, and ruler of provinces of Peru by his majesty…”…entrust this Joan Tello, the Runato chiefdom with their main towns and Indians of Chinchaycocha…… send the tributes that Iuso Iran declared by the form and order that is followed: in each a year trezientas (30) MACA loads ….and one hundred loads of potatoes… “.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/maca-powder

Marshmallow Root
Botanical Name: Althaea officinalis

Marshmallow has been used for millennia as an edible food and for its soothing properties. Althaea officinalis is in the mucilage-heavy Malvaceae family and is an herbaceous perennial that can be found growing alongside marshes, seas, riverbanks, and other equally damp areas. Our marshmallow root is organically cultivated in the United States. It can be decocted or cold infused as marshmallow root tea. This demulcent makes a wonderful addition to herbal syrups, infusion blends, and body care creations.

Known throughout the ancient Egyptian, Arab, Greek, and Roman cultures, this herb has been used continually for at least 2000 years. In traditional folk practices it was given to soothe and moisten mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts, and also as an external poultice. This plant has been used in beverages, desserts, candies, cosmetic creams, and was the “root” of the original marshmallow confectionery. Marshmallow root provides natural mucilage that supports, soothes, and moistens mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts.*

Marshmallow is in the mucilage containing Malvaceae family. It is an herbaceous perennial and grows to a height of 2-5 feet with soft, velvety, and irregularly serrated leaves. Its flowers which form clusters at leaf axils or panicles, and are similar to, yet smaller than, other flowers in the related Malva genus. This plant grows in salt marshes, by the sea, along riverbanks, and other equally damp areas, hence its common name ‘marshmallow.’ The generic name Althaea, (a name shared with an ancient Greek goddess who was yet another lover of Dionysus) was derived from the Greek word ‘altheo’ meaning to heal or cure, suggesting its beneficial properties. The name of the of genus Malva, and of the Malvaceae at large, is derived from the Latin ‘mollis’, or the Greek ‘malake’ meaning soft, most likely related its softening and beneficial qualities.

rosea(garden variety hollyhock) is very similar to marshmallow and may be used interchangeably, yet its roots are considered an adulterant to marshmallow root in commerce. A variety of other Malvaspecies have high mucilage content and are thus beneficial to some degree as well. Marshmallow is native to northern Africa, western and central Asia, the Caucasus, China, and in much of Europe from Denmark and the UK south to the Mediterranean. It is naturalized in the U.S, Europe, and Australia in ‘marshy’ areas.

Originally grown in monasteries and country gardens in medieval times, this popular herb is now cultivated for commerce in Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, France, and Bulgaria. The mucilage content in the root varies greatly and is generally highest in fall and winter and is therefore best to harvest during these times. Wild marshmallow is considered a threatened plant in Germany and other parts of Europe. Due to its scarcity, there are restrictions on the importation and exportation of wildcrafted plants.

Most of the mallows are considered edible and have been used as a food source. The Romans considered a dish of mallow a delicacy. Further, the 16th century Italian physician and botanist, Prosper Alpinus, reported that the Egyptians also ate mallow. Mallow was boiled and fried with onions and butter in the Arabic speaking countries of the middle east and Asia in times of famine or crop failure. The use of the herb spread from Greece to Arabia and India, where it became an important herb in the Ayurvedic and Unani healing tradition. In Ayurveda, the root was used to reduce vata (dry constitutional type) and increase kapha (wet constitutional type) and was considered to be energetically cold, sweet tasting, and moistening.

According to naturopath John Lust (the nephew of naturopathic pioneer Benedict Lust), “Althea’s particular excellence is in soothing irritated tissues.” He further praises the tea of leaf and flower as a superb gargle, and a cold infusion of the root to soothe the throat. The roots contain a greater amount of mucilage than leaves and thus each lends itself to slightly different preparations and uses. The leaves are diuretic and expectorant and are used to relieve lung dryness and to soothe the urinary tract. Various herbalists have differing ideas regarding the best use of the root and plant. According to the late Michael Moore, the leaves of the similar plant A. rosea, are best topically as a poultice, and the root, for urethral stimulation. David Hoffman suggests the root to support digestion and for topical applications, and the leaf for supporting the lungs and urinary system. According to herbalists Paul Bergner and Simon Mills, marshmallow stimulates a “vital reflex” which instructs the body to moisten the mucous membranes.

Just as the ancients did, we too can eat all parts of the marshmallow. The seeds, leaves, and flowers can all be put in salad. The leaves are tasty steamed like kale or collard greens, and the root can be boiled and then fried.

As the story goes, marshmallows are one of the oldest desserts known to man, with accounts of ancient Egyptians making candies of marshmallow root and honey. These delicacies were naturally reserved for the gods and royalty. However, the first confection which resembled our modern-day treat was made in France around 1850. Made by hand until 1900, marshmallow root was added to corn syrup, egg whites, and water and was heated, and poured into molds. By 1955 there were 35 manufacturers in the US creating what we know today as the puffy, white, indispensable addition to s’mores.

Precautions
Should be taken with at least 250mL (8 oz) of liquid. Orally administered drugs should be taken 1 hour before use or several hours after, as marshmallow may slow the absorption. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/marshmallow-root

Milk Thistle Seed
Botanical Name: Silybum marianum

Silybum marianum is an annual in the Asteraceae family that grows three to seven feet tall with lettuce-like leaves and spikey, purple flowers. The plant has been used for centuries as a food and for its healthful properties. Milk thistle seed has a long tradition of use in western herbalism and is typically decocted as milk thistle tea. It can also be powdered for tinctures or encapsulated.

Milk thistle has been revered for thousands of years as an effective herb. However, early on all parts of the plant were used for a variety of purposes. The leaves were extensively utilized and often eaten as a vegetable.

Milk thistle supports the liver’s natural detoxification process.*

Silybum marianum grows as an annual or biennial from three to seven feet in height, has smooth, shiny, lettuce-like leaves with white veins and spines along the margins, and a solitary purple flower that can grow up to two and a half inches in diameter. It is native to the Mediterranean region and southwestern Europe and has been widely cultivated for hundreds of years. In the U.S, it is considered a noxious weed in several states, particularly in the Pacific Northwest in states such as Washington. It is a member of the vast sunflower or Asteraceae family, which encompasses a wide variety of well-known plants such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa), the common daisy (Bellis perennis), the blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), and artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), to name a few. Many of the common names, and the outdated Latin name, refer to the belief that the milk of the Virgin Mary dropped on the plant leaving behind the milky white ‘marbling’ that give the leaves their very distinctive coloration.

Harvest seeds by cutting off flower heads at the end of the growing season, often May-July, when white cottony fibers (pappus) appear. Dry flower heads in a warm, sunny place for around a week. Put in a burlap bag and tumble the bag around. Then chop the flower heads to remove seeds, and winnow in the open air.

In ancient Greece and Rome, it was the leaves that were utilized for their beneficial properties. However, Dioscorides does mention the usefulness of the seeds, as they were helpful for venomous stings and bites such as snake bites. Another, association, however peculiar, is made with snakes. An old wives’ tale suggested that a man wear milk thistle around his neck in order to inspire aggression among snakes. It is rather curious why anyone would want to do such a thing…

Nicholas Culpepper, the 17th century botanist, avid astrologer, physician, herbalist, and author of the Complete Herbal (1653 CE), also concluded that both milk thistle and blessed thistle shared similar qualities. Culpepper, alongside many other herbalists of the time, also recommended boiling the young, tender plant as it had virtue as a spring tonic or alterative. During those times it was often eaten like boiled cabbage (after removing the spines, of course). The flowerheads, similar and related to the artichoke, were eaten as well. All parts of the milk thistle plant were utilized, including the root. Eventually, milk thistle seeds were incorporated into the Eclectics practice (physicians who practiced a branch of American medicine popular in the 1800-early 1900’s which made use of botanical remedies) as a remedy for “congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys.”

Each flower can produce up to 190 seeds, averaging 6,350 seeds per plant in its lifetime! This is great news for the herbalist, but not so great news for those waging a war against invasive species. (weeds).

Precautions
Milk thistle may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae (Ragweed) plant family. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/milk-thistle-seed

Mugwort
Botanical Name: Artemisia vulgaris

For millennia, mugwort has been a source for flavoring beverages and food and has also been used for its beneficial properties. There is much traditional folklore surrounding the plant and it has been reported to encourage dreaming. Artemisia vulgaris is an aromatic plant that grows along creek banks and waysides. This member of the Asteraceae family is known for the silvery shine underneath its leaves. Mugwort herb is commonly brewed into mugwort tea and can also be used as incense, incorporated into dream pillows, and infused into botanical vinegars.

Mugwort is a common plant in the British Isles; its angular, purple stalks growing more than three feet in height. It bears dark green leaves with cottony down undersides. Mugwort is said to have derived its name from having been used to flavor beer before the wide use of hops. The botanical name is derived from Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, fertility, and the forests and hills. Roman soldiers were known to put mugwort in their sandals to keep their feet from getting tired. Native Americans equate mugwort with witchcraft. They believed that the rubbing of the leaves on the body are said to keep ghosts away, and a necklace of mugwort leaves is said to help protect against dreaming about the dead. It has been believed that John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort in the wilderness for protection. Other magical attributes include protection for road weary travelers, and general protection against the evils of the spirit realms.

Many have reported that if mugwort is used as a tea before bed, or even just sprinkled around your pillow, a person may have lucid dreams that night.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/mugwort-herb

Mullein Leaf
Botanical Name: Verbascum Thapsus

Verbascum thapsus is a fuzzy-leaved, herbaceous biennial in the Scrophulariaceae family. In its second year of growth, a flower spike emerges with bright yellow, densely clustered flowers. Although the plant is considered a weed that thrives in compacted, poor soils, mullein leaf has been traditionally used for its many beneficial attributes since the time of Dioscorides, over 2,000 years ago. Mullein herb can be macerated into mullein extract, brewed as mullein leaf tea, or made into syrup.

The silvery green leaves and bright yellow flowers of mullein have been utilized for thousands of years in herbal traditions. This gentle herb has been used extensively in European and North American folk medicine and thus has a plethora of folk tales associated with it.

Mullein is a biennial herbaceous member of the Scrophulariaceae family, bearing silvery green and extremely fuzzy leaves, and growing up to eight feet in height. In the first year it appears as a basal rosette of leaves, and in the second year, it sends up huge flower spikes with many bright densely clustered yellow flowers which only open for one day. Its generic name, Verbascum, is thought to be derived from the Latin word ‘barbascum’ with ‘barba’ meaning beard and referring to the hairy leaves. It has over 200 hundred species including V. nigrum and V. blattaria, many of which can be used interchangeably. It is native to northern Africa, the Canary and Madeira Islands, many regions in Asia and Europe, and now widely naturalized throughout the world and growing as a weed in disturbed soils. It will grow in compacted poor soil. The deep root helps to help break up the soil and then when the leaves die, the dead foliage adds nutrients to the soil. Interestingly enough, often it improves soil, making it good enough for other plants to thrive, and then moves on and quits growing there.

Mullein is weedy and thus widely available, the only major thing to consider is that harvesting is best in areas that are free of pollutants. Collect the large basal leaves that are close to the ground at most any time of year, and collect flowers in the summer, mid-morning after dew has dried.

Dioscorides, a Greek physician pharmacologist and botanist, practicing in the 1st century in Rome, who authored the herbal De Materia Medica, was one of the first to recommend mulleins use in lung conditions around 2,000 years ago. It was used as a hair wash in ancient Roman times; the leaf ash to darken hair, and the yellow flowers for lightening it. The leaves were dried, rolled and used as wicks for candles and the entire dried flowering stalks were dipped in tallow and used for torches, hence the names ‘candlewick plant’ or ‘torches’. According to Maida Silverman in her book A City Herbal, ” The great respect and love formerly accorded to mullein can be inferred from the number and variety of the folknames for it.”

Mullein leaf, flower and root, with its litany of folk uses ranging from ‘nature’s toilet paper’ to an effective apotropaic (fancy word meaning that which wards off evil spirits), have been used extensively in folk medicine. Its magical qualities were numerous, going way beyond simply warding off evil but also was thought to instill courage and health, provide protection, and to attract love. In fact, it was believed that wearing mullein would ensure fertility and also keep potentially dangerous animals at bay while trekking along in the wilderness. Further, allegedly a practice for men in the Ozark mountains to attract love consisted of simply pointing the mullein’s flowering stalk towards the direction of his love’s house and seeing if the stalk went upright again indicating her reciprocated love. Mullein, like so many herbs of European origin, were introduced by the colonists and then incorporated into the Native American healing tradition. The root was made into a necklace for teething infants by the Abnaki tribe, the Cherokee applied the leaves as a poultice for cuts and swollen glands, and other tribes rubbed the leaves on the body during ritual sweat bathes. Additionally, the flowers were used internally as teas and topically as poultices. The Navajos smoked mullein, referring to it as “big tobacco” and the Amish were known to partake as well. Presently, mullein can be found at health food stores often prepared as soothing leaf tea or an ear oil made of the infused flowers.

According to King’s American dispensatory (a book first published in 1854 that covers the uses of herbs used in American medical practice), “upon the upper portion of the respiratory tract its influence is pronounced.” Mullein was prescribed by Eclectic Physicians (a branch of American medicine popular in the 1800-early 1900’s which made use of botanical remedies) who considered it to be an effective demulcent and diuretic, and a mild nervine “favoring sleep.”

Precautions
Small hairs on mullein leaf may cause mechanical irritation in the mouth and throat if not filtered out of extracts prior to consumption. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/mullein-leaf

Nettle Leaf
Botanical Name: Urtica dioica

Urtica dioica is an herbaceous perennial in the Urticaceae family. The plant is known as “stinging nettle” because of its hollow hairs (tricomes) on the leaves and stem that cause a stinging sensation upon contact. Originally native to Europe, nettles can now be found worldwide in wet environments and moist soils. Our organic nettle leaf is harvested from large, deep-rooted stands in Europe and infuses into a tea that is dark and rich in flavor. Nettle leaves are harvested in the spring, once the plant has had time to mature but before it goes into flower. The leaves can be steeped as nettle tea, incorporated into herbal infusion blends, and added to soups and broths.

Nettle has been used worldwide for centuries in a variety of countries and cultures. It has been eaten as a wild food plant, applied topically to the skin, and drunk as an herbal tea. It was used extensively for its fibers and was woven into cloth. Nettle fibers were considered to be high quality and comparable to flax or hemp in Northern Europe.

Nettle supports healthy urinary function and has mild diuretic action and helps to maintain upper respiratory health.*

Our European nettle leaf is collected from long standing organic populations. When steeped as tea, it has a lovely amber hue and a rich vegetal flavor. If you prefer a lighter flavored nettle leaf, our organic North American nettle will be the perfect fit.

Nettle is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant. The soft, green leaves are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem and have a strongly serrated margin. The leaves and stems are very hairy with nonstinging hairs, and, in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs (trichomes), whose tips come off when touched, causing paresthesia. Urtica dioica belongs to the Urticaceae family.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/nettle-leaf

Passionflower
Botanical Name: Passiflora incarnata

Native to the southern United States, Passiflora incarnata is now widely cultivated throughout the US and Europe. Passionflower is utilized for its gentle calming properties. This vining plant has showy, intricate flowers, which caught the eye of Spanish missionaries who correlated the inflorescence with the Passion of the Christ, and thus dubbed the name passion flower. Our organic passionflower can be tinctured, steeped as passionflower tea, and incorporated into herbal infusions.

Passionflower is cooling to the body, calming to the mind, and soothing to the spirit. It quells disquietude, calms the ruminating mind, and can promote natural relaxation and helps in coping with stress.* This plant is gentle yet profound. It can be administered as a soothing tea for children or the elderly and can help to calm a restless mind. Other common names include apricot vine, maypop, and wild passionflower.

incarnata, in the Passifloriaceaefamily is a perennial climbing vine with generally 3 lobed, palmate leaves sporting, according to the late herbalist Michael Moore, “complicated but comely flowers.” Indeed, the flowers are quite striking, flamboyantly displaying five stamens and three stigmas which “protrude from the flower’s center like the antennae of a spaceship” writes Steven Foster. Further, there are five petals and sepals, and a collar of threadlike, frilly, lavender colored, coronal filaments. One begins to see where the “passion” came from…however, actually, the name has more virtuous origins. The story goes that in 1569, in Peru, a Spanish doctor, Nicolas Monardes ‘discovered’ this plant. It eventually made it into the hands of Spanish missionaries who saw the flower as a physical representation of the crucifixion of Christ. The three stigmas represented the ‘nails of crucifixion’, the coronal filaments were the ‘crown of thorns’, the five stamens were the wounds, and the ten sepals were representative of ten of the disciples (Judas and Peter got left out due to their overall poor behavior). Thus, this flower was used as a teaching tool, to tell the story of Christ to the indigenous people. P. incarnatais native to the Southeast of the United States ranging south from Virginia to Florida and as far west as Texas, Mexico and Central and South America. This vine grows in relatively poor sandy soil and prefers full sun and a trellis or fence to wrap itself around. It often grows in disturbed areas and, in spite of its majestic appearance and usefulness, considered a weed. There are a multitude of species, over 500 in fact, many of which are native to the Americas. One such species P. edulis, is the tasty tropical “passion fruit” which is eaten as a fruit and made into juice in Mexico and south to its native stomping grounds in Brazil and neighboring countries. It is used as a common flavoring in the United States. Several other species such as P. foetida, P. Mexicana, and P. tenuiloba in the southwest of the United States and P. lutea in the southern U.S. have been used similarly to P. incarnata.

Passiflora sp. has a rich history of traditional use dating back to pre-historic times. Seeds that were thousands of years old were found around Virginia, where the Algonkian Indians thrived. Early European settlers have records of the Algonkian Indians eating the passionflower fruit. The Cherokee used P. incarnata root extensively for a variety of purposes. Additionally, various parts of the plants, including the fruits, were made into a beverage, and the leaves and young tendrils were boiled or fried and eaten. Various indigenous groups were known to use the plant as a topical poultice. P. incarnata has had documented uses in Europe going back to 1787. In the spirit world, passionflower has been used as a magical charm to attract friendships and to bring peace, and the leaves can be placed in a house to illicit harmony and lessens discord.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/passion-flower

Pau d’Arco Bark
Botanical Name: Tabebuia impetiginosa

Tabebuia impetiginosa is a towering deciduous tree native to tropical regions of the Americas. Pau d’arco is used for its inner bark, referred to as “taheebo” or “lapacho”. This tree bark has been employed for thousands of years in the traditional healing practices of native tribes throughout these regions, including the Incas who also made bows out of the tree. Pau d’arco bark can be tinctured, incorporated into topical skin care regimes, or decocted as pau d’arco tea.

One of the best known, but least understood, herbs from the Amazon Rainforest, pau d’arco is a key ingredient in the tribal medicine chest. The pau d’arco tree is a huge canopy tree that grows up to 125 feet high, with pink to violet colored flowers. Its history of use is thought to go back to the Incas, and several tribes have been using it to make bows for centuries. Several native names in fact mean “bow stick” or “bow stem”.

Typical preparations include tea and liquid extract. Like cat’s claw, pau d’arco tincture should be taken in water with a little lemon juice so tannins can be absorbed through the colon. Tabebuia impetiginosa belongs to the Bignoniaceae plant family.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/pau-darco

Peppermint Leaf
Botanical Name: Mentha x piperita

Mentha x piperita is a flowering perennial that is native to Europe and has since spread worldwide. Peppermint is a natural hybrid of spearmint and water mint. It is used for its healthful properties and has many applications in food. Peppermint leaf is commonly steeped as a refreshing peppermint tea but is also popular in herbal tea blends and candies. Our peppermint leaves are organically cultivated in the United States.

Peppermint is a flowering perennial, usually growing between 12 and 35 inches in height. It is native to Europe and is actually a natural hybrid of spearmint and water mint. The herb is easy to grow in moist soil and is commonly cultivated around the world for its many applications in food and medicine.

The world’s most familiar “mint scent” is the aroma of peppermint. In Greek mythology, Menthe was turned into a peppermint plant when Proserpine, in a jealous rage, found out that Pluto was in love with her. Even earlier, Assyrians used peppermint as an offering to their fire god.

Peppermint contains an essential oil that is unique among mints for its quality and flavor. Artificial mint compounds do not effectively duplicate the aroma or medicinal properties.

Peppermint is one of the most popular herbs in teas, candies, and chewing gums. Cultivation and oil production started in the US in the 1790’s, and was a major export business by the mid 1800’s. The U.S. is still the world’s leading producer of peppermint oil, making an average of 4,117 tons annually. Some companies in Japan are said to pipe peppermint oil into their AC system to invigorate their workers and thereby increase productivity.

The oil of peppermint offers its cool, refreshing flavor and unmistakable aroma to a wide variety of foods and beverages. In the western world it is a common ingredient for candies, toothpastes, ice creams, pies and other desserts. The peppermint leaf itself is muddled and added to cocktails and is a popular ingredient in herbal teas when dried.

In cuisine of the Middle East, peppermint is noted for its contribution to savory dishes. It is added to spice rubs which are used to flavor lamb and other meats. It is also blended with yogurts, beans, and cheese.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/peppermint-leaf

Psyllium Husk
Botanical Name: Plantago ovata

Native to India and Iran, Plantago ovata also grows throughout the Mediterranean, western Asia, and the southwestern United States. The herb is cultivated for its beneficial, demulcent properties. Psyllium husks are the outer layer of the seeds and are commonly added as an ingredient to breakfast cereals. Psyllium husk has a neutral flavor and can be used as a thickener, incorporated into culinary dishes, or applied topically in skincare formulas.

Also called Indian psyllium and blonde psyllium, the plant belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. As a tea. The ground or whole husk must always be taken with at least 1 full glass of water. May also be taken as an extract or capsule form though rare. Because of its rather neutral flavor it may be added to most food dishes.

Precautions
Take with at least 250 mL (8 oz.) of water. Taking this product without adequate fluid may cause it to swell and block your throat or esophagus and may cause choking. Do not take this product if you have difficulty in swallowing. Other drugs should be taken one hour prior to consumption of psyllium or several hours after consumption, as psyllium may reduce the absorption of certain drugs due to the mucilage content and the increased speed of passage through the intestines. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/psyllium-husk

Raspberry Leaf
Botanical Name: Rubis idaeus

Recognized for its sweet fruits and pleasant tasting leaves, raspberry has been a cherished plant for hundreds of years. Native to many parts of Europe, North America, and western Asia, Rubus idaeus is an easily cultivated member of the Rose family. Raspberry leaves are generally drunk as a delicious raspberry leaf tea, with a flavor that resembles black tea. Red raspberry leaf is also popular in herbal infusion blends for both its taste and healthful qualities.

Raspberry leaves are among the most pleasant tasting of all the herbal remedies, with a taste much like black tea, without the caffeine. Raspberries were said to have been discovered by the Olympian gods themselves while searching for berries on Mount Ida. The first real records of domestication of raspberries comes from the writings of Palladius, a Roman agriculturist. By Medieval times it had a great many uses, including the juices which were used in paintings and illuminated manuscripts. King Edward the 1st (1272-1307) was said to be the first to call for mass cultivation of raspberries, whose popularity spread quickly throughout Europe. Teas of raspberry leaves were given to women of the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Mohawk nations in North America, and have earned approval of the authoritative British Herbal Compendium.

To make raspberry leaf tea, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of boiling water over 1 or 2 teaspoons (3-5 grams) of dried leaf. Close the teapot and allow to stand for 10 minutes, then sweeten to taste. Drink warm. Many herbal teas include raspberry to “stabilize” the other ingredients. May also be taken as a capsule, though rare.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/raspberry-leaf

Red Clover Blossoms
Botanical Name: Trifolium pratense

Trifolium pratense is a member of the pea family with alternate, three lobed leaves and dark pink, densely packed flowers. Native to Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa, red clover flower is now naturalized worldwide and is often found in meadow spaces. Red cover blossoms make a lovely, nourishing addition to herbal tea blends and extracts.

The flower heads are collected in full bloom, during the summer months. Druids believed that it could ward off evil spells and witches, while Medieval Christians believed that the three lobed leaves were associated with the trinity and the four lobed leaves as a symbol of the cross. Red clover belongs to the pea family.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/red-clover-blossoms

Rosehips
Botanical Name: Rosa canina and Rosa rubiginosa

Rose hips are the fruits of the rose which appear in early summer and ripen into late autumn. Our rosehips are harvested from organic stands of Rosa canina and Rosa rubiginosa then carefully dried. When fresh, rosehips have a tart flavor and can be consumed as food. Dried rosehips can be infused into herbal syrups and steeped as rosehips tea.

Rose hips develop on wild roses as the flowers drop off. The rose hip, also called the rose haw, is actually the fruit of the rose. These fruits are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C available. Rose hips have a tart flavor and can be used to make jelly, jam, soup or oil, or can be alternatively used to flavor tea. During World War II, the British government used collected rose hips to make rose hip syrup as a source of vitamin C to replace citrus fruits that were impossible to get. Rose hips have a long history of use in traditional medicine.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/rosehips

Rosebuds
Botanical Name: Rosa damascene

Rosebuds can be used in a host of beneficial applications. They make a beautiful addition to herbal potpourris, sachets, pillow mixes, and body sprays. Roses have been valued for their beauty, perfume, and healthful properties for hundreds of years. Our pink rose buds are harvested from organic stands.

Organic rose buds have become increasingly difficult to source over the years, narrowing the availability of this product. While we strive to consistently bring you the best quality rose buds, variations in appearance can occur between lots. Rose buds can fluctuate from tightly closed buds to loosely-open with petals almost falling off.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/rose-buds

Skullcap
Botanical Name: Scutellaria lateriflora

Skullcap is a hardy perennial found near marshes, meadows, and other wetland habitats. Like the environment it grows in, skullcap herb has been known to instill a sense of gentle calm. Historically, it has been used in traditional folk practices to promote wellbeing and relaxation during times of occasional distress. Scutellaria lateriflora makes a wonderful evening infusion of skullcap tea and is commonly macerated as skullcap tincture.

Skullcap is an herbaceous perennial mint with ridged leaves and tiny flowers that can range in color from purple and blue to pink and white. The two-lobed flowers resemble the military helmets worn by early European settlers, hence the herb’s name. A hardy plant, it grows 1 to 4 feet (25 cm to 1 m) high, thriving in the woods and swamplands of eastern North America. Settlers in the late 1700’s promoted the herb’s effectiveness as a cure for rabies, giving rise to one of its common names, mad dog weed. This claim was later discarded, and herbalists began to focus on the plant’s considerable value. Skullcap is a comforting herb. It is used to promote emotional well-being and relaxation during times of occasional distress.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/skullcap-herb

Spirulina
Botanical Name: Arthrospira plantensis

Arthrospira platensis is blue-green algae that is harvested and dried for its healthful value. Spirulina is cultivated and consumed throughout the world as a source of food and nutrition. Our organic spirulina powder can be sprinkled on food or added to spice mixes, smoothies, green drinks, and juices.

For centuries, the native peoples of Mexico, Africa and Asia have eaten spirulina and made it one of their major sources of protein. The blue green algae is plentiful in lakes and inland bodies of water that are warm and alkaline. The plant’s chemical makeup is 65% amino acids, including the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA). The high concentration of amino acids has made spirulina a popular nutritional supplement for those who are unable to obtain sufficient calories and protein through diet alone, particularly athletes who burn calories at a high rate. In addition to amino acids, spirulina is also a rich source of numerous other nutrients, including many essential vitamins and minerals. Research into the medical benefits of spirulina is ongoing, but there is no doubt about its nutritional benefits.

Precautions
Not for use during pregnancy or if breastfeeding except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Some individuals experience nausea or stomach discomfort. If this occurs, discontinue use and consult your healthcare practitioner. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/spirulina-powder

St. John’s Wort
Botanical Name: Hypericum perforatum

Hypericum perforatum is an herbaceous perennial that grows wild along roadsides and in disturbed meadows. Native to Europe, Saint John’s wort has naturalized in temperate climates around the globe. Its bright yellow flowers are reminiscent of the sun and are traditionally harvested in the peak of summer between June and August. St. John’s wort has a long history of use in traditional Western herbal practices. Typical preparations include steeping as tea, oil infusion, and extract.

St. John’s Wort helps promote a healthy mood and emotional balance.*

Hypericum perforatum is one of many species known commonly as St. John’s wort, and is the species most commonly associated with herbal preparations. It is native to Europe but has since been naturalized to other temperate climates around the world, with particular prominence in North America. The plant is a creeping perennial, producing star-shaped yellow flowers containing long, abundant stamens. St. John’s wort is traditionally harvested near the beginning of the flowering cycle on St. John’s Day, which falls annually on June 24th. The flowers continue blooming throughout the summer and may be freely harvested throughout the season.

Considered a holy herb, St. John’s wort was employed for a number of folkloric uses during the Middle Ages. It was once believed that the herb helped to protect people from curses, demons, and lightning.

In contrast to its many uses, some countries have identified St. John’s wort as an invasive species and noxious weed. Though useful to humans, it can be dangerous to livestock, sprouting up in pastures and causing photosensitivity to the grazing animals that feed upon it. St. John’s wort belongs to the Hypericaceae plant family.

Precautions
Not to be used during phototherapy. Fair-skinned persons should avoid excessive exposure to sunlight during use. May decrease the blood levels of certain orally administered drugs. Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking with medications. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/st-johns-wort

Slippery Elm Bark Powder
Botanical Name: Ulmus rubra

For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used slippery elm bark for its beneficial and soothing properties. Slippery elm is a large, deciduous tree native to eastern North America known for its mucilaginous, strengthening, and nutritive properties. Our slippery elm powder is finely ground from the inner bark of Ulmus rubra. It can be applied topically, infused into skin care products, or steeped into a mucilaginous drink.

The slippery elm is a large, deciduous tree that is native to North America from Texas to Manitoba, and from Florida to Quebec. When growing in well-drained soils, it can reach a height of 60 feet (20 meters). The inner bark of the branches is collected in spring. Slippery elm bark added to room temperature water has a slippery and mucilaginous consistency. Native Americans used soaked slippery elm bark as natural bandages. Many tribes also wrapped slippery elm around stored food to prevent spoilage. Slippery elm also served as a food during famine and for making porridge for small children and elderly persons. Slippery elm belongs to the Ulmaceae family.

Teas, infusions, topical preparations. Up to 5 tablespoons (15 grams) of slippery elm bark can be dissolved in a cup (240 ml) of water. Sometimes found encapsulated and as a liquid extract.

Precautions
Slippery Elm should be taken with at least 250mL (8 oz) of liquid. Orally administered drugs should be taken one hour prior to or several hours after consumption of slippery elm. The mucilage may slow the absorption of orally administered drugs. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/slippery-elm-bark-powder

Spearmint Leaf
Botanical Name: Mentha x spicata

Spearmint is a hardy perennial mint with bright green serrated leaves. Mentha x spicata was originally native to the Mediterranean but is now common worldwide. This mint is most commonly infused as spearmint tea and makes for an uplifting addition to herbal infusion blends. Spearmint leaf is also used as a flavoring agent in culinary creations.

Spearmint has served as an important medicinal herb for millennia. The Bible records that the ancient Pharisees paid tithes to their Temple in anise, cumin and spearmint. The sixteenth century English herbalist Gerard quotes the Roman historian Pliny, “The smell of Mint does stir up the minde and the taste to a greedy desire of meate.” Beginning in about the fourteenth century, spearmint was used for whitening teeth, and its distilled oil is still used to flavor toothpaste and chewing gum, although it is not as commonly used as peppermint.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/spearmint-leaf

Turmeric Root
Botanical Name: curcuma longa

Curcuma longa is a perennial, rhizomatous plant in the ginger family that is native to India and southeast Asia. Known for its bright orange-yellow color, turmeric root is employed as both an earthy spice as well as a dye. For thousands of years, turmeric root has been used in Ayurveda for its healthful properties. Our organic turmeric can be used to flavor foods like curries and rice dishes or beverages like golden milk and turmeric chai.

Turmeric supports healthy joint mobility.*

Indigenous to India, turmeric is now cultivated in tropical regions throughout the world. Turmeric is an important herb in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has a history of use spanning millennia and is considered energetically hot. The aromatic, dried rhizome tastes mildly pungent and is slightly bitter. It remains a significant herb throughout southern Asia and has gained in popularity in the United States. Turmeric root’s main constituent, curcumin, is thought to be responsible for many of the rhizome’s wellness-supporting properties and results in its brilliant yellow color.

Used for thousands of years as a spice, turmeric remains a popular ingredient in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. It is especially recognized in Indian cuisine and is often added to curry powders, lentils, and potato dishes. The colorful and fragrant rhizome adds a unique and earthy flavor to stocks, sauces, and rice dishes. Because of its vivid hue, it has also been used as a food coloring in mustards, popcorns, cheeses, and yogurts.

Curcuma longa is a member of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family. In fact, turmeric goes by the name of yellow ginger in some cultures as its knobby rhizome is said to resemble ginger. Turmeric is an herbaceous perennial growing to a height of one meter. It has large, lanceolate leaves, dense spikes of tubular flowers and fleshy, tuberous roots. Native to India and Southeast Asia, turmeric thrives in the high humidity and warm climate of the tropics. Turmeric also goes by the common names of Indian saffron and yellow ginger.

Turmeric has integrated itself into herbalism, food, and other cultural traditions. Saffron and the turmeric powder have both been used to dye the robes of Buddhist priests and Indian saris. Turmeric is occasionally referred to as Indian saffron for its golden color, although it differs greatly in taste and price. Turmeric powder has also been used as ritual offerings in Hinduism.

Dried turmeric root can be added to tea blends for an earthy flavor. A popular culinary spice, turmeric can also be infused into rice dishes and soups. The dried root can be used in gargles, tincturing, and as a natural dye.

For some added inspiration, we have several tea recipes on our blog using turmeric root. Try making golden milk or chai tea with turmeric. Decocting the root is another way to extract turmeric’s beneficial properties. We enjoy a soothing tea or root decoction made with turmeric.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/turmeric-root

Valerian Root
Botanical Name: Valeriana officinalis

Valeriana officinalis is a member of the Caprifoliaceae family and known for its general calming effects. Valerian has pleasant, sweet smelling flowers and pungently aromatic roots. Despite the strong odor, valerian root has been used since the times of ancient Greece and in traditional European folk practices. Commonly infused as valerian tea, the roots can also be mixed into herbal tea blends or tinctured.

Valerian promotes natural relaxation and helps in coping with stress.*

Valerian is a perennial plant, native to Europe and parts of Asia. It grows in meadows and woodlands within moist, temperate climates and has since been naturalized in North America. The plant grows up to two meters high and produces small clusters of white or pink flowers. The flowers have a sweet, pleasant scent, in distinct contrast to the roots of the plant. The root system consists of a vertical rhizome and an abundance of smaller rootlets which are harvested and dried at temperatures less than 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

The roots have a pungent odor, considered unpleasant by many and sometimes compared to the smell of sweaty socks. Cats are highly attracted to the scent in the same way that they are catnip, having a tendency to bite the root and rub against it. The odor is also attractive to rats, as legend has it that the Pied Piper of Hamelin used valerian to attract the rats when luring them out of town.

Precautions
Caution is advised during the use of barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and other sedative drugs, as valerian has the potential to increase the effects of some sedatives. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from https://mountainroseherbs.com/valerian-root

Wheatgrass Powder
Botanical Name: Triticum aestivum

Wheatgrass is comprised of the freshly sprouted shoots of wheat known for its nutritious qualities. Our organic wheatgrass powder is ground from non-GMO Triticum aestivum. The green powder is often consumed mixed with a little water and taken as a ‘shot’ but it can also be blended into teas, smoothies, green drinks, and juices.

Wheatgrass is the freshly sprouted shoots of grains of wheat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is used interchangeably with barley grass. Wheat grass is grown by soaking the seeds in clean water for 6-12 hours until they sprout and grow shoots approximately 2 inches (5 cm) long. Wheat grass has a superior content of antioxidants and organic phosphates. Wheatgrass is also called common wheat and is a member of the Poaceae family.

Typical preparation consists of a level tablespoon (3-4 grams) of powder added to teas, smoothies, or cereals, daily. Sometimes found in encapsulations.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/wheatgrass-powder

Yarrow
Botanical Name: Achillea millefolium

Yarrow is an herbaceous perennial with featherlike leaves and clusters of tiny, fragrant white to pink flowers. It can be found cultivated in gardens and along fields, mountains, and roadsides as a common weed. Achillea millefolium has a long history of use for its healthful properties in traditional Western herbalism. Dried yarrow leaf and yarrow flower are combined for use in skin care creations and herbal tea blends. Our organic yarrow leaf and flower can also be used in tincturing.

Yarrow is a flowering perennial, common in North America but also native to Europe and Asia. Also called milfoil, its leaves are soft and highly segmented with a characteristic appearance that is almost feather-like. Yarrow grows stalks during the summer months, with a height that is dependent upon the seasonal rainfall. During dry years, these stalks may only grow a foot or two, preserving energy in its roots. Clusters of tiny white flowers grow atop the stalks, emitting a distinctive and characteristic aroma.

Yarrow received its Latin name Achillea from the legendary Greek hero Achilles. According to the common legend, Achilles’s mother dipped him into the river Styx by the ankle in an effort to make him invulnerable. Fighting many battles as a seemingly invincible warrior, Achilles used yarrow to treat the wounds of his fellow soldiers. He later died from a wound to his heel, as it was the one unprotected part of his anatomy.

Precautions
Not for use in pregnancy except under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Persons with allergies to other members of the Asteraceae family should exercise caution with yarrow, as allergic cross-reactivity is common in Asteraceae plants. Processed in a facility that also produces tree nuts. Tree nut fragments may be occasionally present. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

Information extracted from: https://mountainroseherbs.com/yarrow

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