The Herbal Library

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Browse every herb in the database by name, category, or the body system it's traditionally associated with.

All categories Aromatic Culinary Medicinal

Results

30 herbs

No. 001Medicinal

American Ginseng

Panax quinquefolius

North American ginseng, a root studied for preventing colds. Taken for 8 to 16 weeks, it shortened colds in healthy adults in a small number of trials.

No. 002Medicinal

Andrographis

Andrographis paniculata

A bitter herb used across Asia for infections and fevers, and traditionally for skin inflammation and wounds. It has mainly been studied for colds and flu.

No. 003Medicinal

Bai Zhi

Angelica dahurica

Angelica dahurica root, used in China, Korea and Japan for colds, headache, blocked sinuses, toothache and skin sores. Research is in the lab and in animals.

No. 004Medicinal

Bee Balm

Monarda didyma

A red-flowered North American mint, also called Oswego tea, used by the Cherokee as a tea and as a poultice for colds and headaches. Human research is very limited.

No. 005Medicinal

Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

A North American wildflower long used as a tea for fever, flu, colds and coughs. In the lab, an extract stopped flu viruses from infecting cells, but it hasn't been tested in people.

No. 006Medicinal

Echinacea

Echinacea purpurea

A purple coneflower traditionally used to support the immune system, especially for colds.

No. 007Medicinal

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra

The European elder, whose berries are used in folk medicine for colds and flu and whose flowers are recognized in Europe for early cold symptoms. Raw berries, leaves and stems are poisonous.

No. 008Medicinal

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus globulus

Leaves of the eucalyptus tree, taken as tea or inhaled in steam, and recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for cough with a cold.

No. 009Medicinal

Eyebright

Euphrasia officinalis

A plant traditionally used on the eyes and in nasal ointments for colds. European regulators declined to approve it because its benefits aren't documented and home-made eye washes aren't safe.

No. 010Culinary

Garlic

Allium sativum

A pungent kitchen bulb traditionally used for heart and circulation health. Research suggests garlic supplements may lower blood pressure and cholesterol a little.

No. 011Medicinal

Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis

A North American plant with a bright yellow root, used by Native Americans on wounds and for skin and eye conditions. There isn't enough research to know whether it helps any health condition.

No. 012Medicinal

Grindelia

Grindelia robusta

Gumweed, a daisy-family plant whose above-ground parts are recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for cough with a cold in adults.

No. 013Medicinal

Isatis Root

Isatis indigotica

Ban lan gen, a Chinese medicine root used for centuries for flu and viral infections, fever, cough and sore throat. Its compounds acted against viruses in lab studies.

No. 014Medicinal

Jack in the Bush

Chromolaena odorata

One of Jamaica's most popular bush teas for colds and flu, also used in Africa and Asia for fever, wounds and diabetes. Research so far is in the lab and in animals.

No. 015Medicinal

John Charles

Hyptis verticillata

A Caribbean bush in the mint family, used since Maya and Aztec times for breathing, digestive, women's health and skin problems. It hasn't been tested in clinical trials.

No. 016Medicinal

Ju Hua

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Chrysanthemum flowers, drunk as tea in China for over 3,000 years and used in Chinese medicine for colds, dizziness, headaches and the eyes. It hasn't been tested on its own in clinical trials.

No. 017Medicinal

Leaf of Life

Bryophyllum pinnatum

One of Jamaica's most popular bush medicines, used for colds and flu. In Switzerland, tablets made from its leaf juice have been studied for overactive bladder and sleep.

No. 018Medicinal

Linden

Tilia cordata

Flowers of the lime (linden) tree, traditionally made into tea for colds, stress and nervous heart complaints.

No. 019Medicinal

Lion's Ear

Leonotis nepetifolia

A plant in the mint family, known as shandilay in Trinidad, where it's a popular traditional remedy for colds and coughs. Research so far is limited to lab and animal studies.

No. 020Medicinal

Mosla Herb

Mosla chinensis

Xiang ru, an aromatic mint-family herb used in China for about 1,500 years to bring on sweating and treat summer colds, heatstroke and diarrhoea.

No. 021Medicinal

Osha

Ligusticum porteri

A root from the Rocky Mountains, long used by Hispanic and Native American peoples for colds, flu and chest infections. It has only been studied in the lab.

No. 022Medicinal

Jamaican pennyroyal, one of the island's popular bush medicines for breathing and digestive problems. It is a different plant from European pennyroyal, but its oil contains the same toxic compound, pulegone.

No. 023Medicinal

Pepper Elder

Piper amalago

A plant in the pepper family whose leaves are made into a Jamaican bush tea for colds and flu. Research so far is mostly in rats.

No. 024Medicinal

Peppermint

Mentha piperita

A cooling, menthol-rich herb traditionally used for digestion and headaches. Research suggests peppermint oil may help IBS symptoms.

No. 025Medicinal

Prickly Ash

Zanthoxylum americanum

The "toothache tree", a thorny North American shrub whose bark Native Americans used for toothache, rheumatism, fevers, colds and coughs.

No. 026Medicinal

Qiang Li Yin Qiao Jie Du Wan

Lonicera japonica, Forsythia suspensa and other herbs

A Chinese patent medicine based on Yin Qiao San, a honeysuckle and forsythia formula used early in colds and flu for fever, sore throat and headache.

No. 027Medicinal

Sarsaparilla

Smilax ornata

A plant whose root is boiled into Jamaican roots tonics and used for colds and flu. Research on sarsaparilla plants is mostly preliminary lab and animal work.

No. 028Medicinal

Scutellaria Baicalensis

Scutellaria baicalensis

Chinese skullcap, or huang qin, a root used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years for diarrhoea, bleeding, sleeplessness and lung infections. Most research is in the lab or on multi-herb formulas.

No. 029Medicinal

Search Mi Heart

Rhytidophyllum tomentosum

A Jamaican plant whose dried leaves are made into a bush tea, traditionally used for colds and flu, the heart, breathing problems and digestion. It hasn't been studied in research.

No. 030Medicinal

Vervain

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

Called vervain in Jamaica and vervine in Antigua and Trinidad, a weedy plant whose leaves make a "cooling" tea used for the stomach, colds and coughs, and to clean wounds.