Super Medicinal Plants

Scientific name: Passiflora incarnata Passion flower is a medicinal plant native to woodlands in the eastern United States, passion flower is know locally as "maypop" and was used by many Native American people for swellings, fungal infections, and as a blood tonic. Today it is generally regarded as a sedative and used for problems ranging from hyperactivity in children tot he tremors of Parkison's disease. In natural medicine the passion flower used long before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, passiflora's calming, relaxant qualities are quickly apparent upon taking the herb, and underlie its many uses. Passiflora is most often employed to relieve anxiety and nervousness and to aid sleep, its use in this respect confirmed by clinical trials. Rarely producing drowsiness, passiflora takes the edge off worry and anxiety, bringing relief to symptoms such as a racing heart and tension headache. A mild analgesic, passiflora can help with migraines and...

Ingredients: 1-2 cloves garlic , peeled and sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil How to make: Combine the garlic and olive oil in the top of double boiler. Warm over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the oil smells strongly of garlic. Use a stainless-steel strainer lined with cheesecloth to strain out the garlic. Strain well: no garlic pieces, no matter how tiny, should be left in the oil. Pour the strained oil into a small glass dropper bottle. Store in a cool pantry or closet, where the oil keep for several weeks, or in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several months. To use: Each time you use the oil, it needs to be warmed; just place the dropper bottle in a pan of hot water until the oil is warm not hot. If in doubt, do a test drop in your own ear.  Dispense a dropperful of the warm garlic oil down each ear. The ear canals are connected and the infection can move back and forth, so always treat both ears. If possible, hold a warm, dry clot...

Ingredients: 1 part basil leaf 1 part lemon balm leaf 1/4 part chamomile and/ or lavender flower Make the tea:  Combine the herbs and mix well. Use 1 teaspoon (if dried) or 2 teaspoons (if fresh) of the herb blend per up of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the herbs, let infuse for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain. To use: Drink warm or at room temperature. headaches are always helped by soaking your feet in hot water( as hot as you an stand). Even better, add a drop or two of lavender essential oil to the foot bath. And better yet, have a friend quietly rub the nape of your neck and your shoulder. Sit back, sip your tea, soak your feet, and feel your headache drift away.

Ingredients: 7 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon vodka or witch hazel extract 5 - 10 drops lavender essential oil 1 (4 ounce) spritzer bottle Make the spritzer: Combine the water, vodka,and essential oil in the spritzer bottle. To use: Shake well before use as the essential oil will have risen tot he top. Use this lavender spritzer when you need a little calming essence. Lavender is also a powerful antiseptic. Use this bathrooms, in hotel rooms, and on your hands as needed. More information of lavander as herbal medicine.

A good home remedie to calm the nervous stress. Make the tea: Brew 1 quart of extra-strong lavender tea and 1 quart of extra-strong lemon balm tea, following the instructions for making an infusion. Make 2 quarts of fresh lemonade (lemon, honey and water to taste). Combine the lemonade with the teas and stir well. To use: Drink as much and as often as needed. For more information about Lavander as a herbal medicine .

Thyme honey probably wouldn't be considered the strongest remedy for coughs and colds, but it is one of the better tasting. To make the honey: Fill a widemouthed glass jar half full of fresh thyme leaves and flowers. Gently warm a batch of raw, unpasteurized honey, so that it will better extract the properties of the thyme. Do not overheat or boil; heat over 110°F will kill the honey's enzymes and destroy its medicinal benefit. Add enough honey to the jar to cover the herbs, and place the jar in a warm spot (near a sunny window will work). Let steep for approximately 2 weeks.(You could also use a slow cooker set to 100°F. It will take only a few hours of constant warm heat to make a strong medicinal honey.) When the honey taste and smells strongly of thyme, it's finished. You can leave the tiny thyme leaves in the honey. Bottle and store in a cool pantry or in the refrigerator, where the honey will keep for several months. To use: Use by the teaspoonful. E...

This is one favorite syrups for treating coughs, colds, and chest complains. 2 - 4 onces thyme leaf and flower. (fresh is best but dried will do)  1 quart water 1 cup honey To make the syrup: Combine the thyme and water in a pan over very low heat.Simmer lightly,with the lid ajar to allow the steam to escape, until the liquid is reduced by half, giving you about 2 cups of strong thyme tea. Strain, and compost the spent herbs. Add the honey to the warm liquid and stir, just until the honey is melted.Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator, where the honey will keep for 3 to 4 weeks. To use: Take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon every couple off hours until the cold or cough subsides. Variation:   For a longer shelf life, add 1/4 cup of brandy to each cup of syrup. Brandy not only is a good preservative but also serves as an antispasmodic and will help relax the throat muscles, which is helpful in treating a cough. If you want more information about the thyme as h...

Scientific name: Thymus vulgaris Thymus vulgaris Oddly, this diminutive, fragrant herb is beloved by gardeners and bees alike and has a long and respected medicinal past but is neglected by many contemporary herbalists. Thyme is a medicinal and culinary herb popular throughout the world but native to Europe and Asia. Thyme is an attractive, low-growing , perennial plant with long-lasting flowers that is often planted in rock gardens or in borders. Sometimes thyme, like camomile, is grown in pathways between paving stones, where it releases its fragrance when accidentally brushed against. Thyme thrives in full sun and prefers light, well-drained soils.

When making tea, leaves and flowers are prepared differently form roots and bark, in much the same way that spinach is cooked differently from potatoes. Leaves and flowers are generally steeped in hot water so as not to overcook and destroy the enzymes,vitamins, and precious essential oils. Roots and bark are generally simmered to draw forth the more tenacious plant constituents. If you make a mistake and simmer a root that should have been steamed, don't panic. Your remedy will work. The process of steeping a plant in boiling water is called infusion, while the process of simmering the plant in lightly boiling water is called decoction. When in doubt, steep. Steeping is much less destructive to many of the important medicinal components of plants. The longer you steep the herb, the stronger the tea. That's not always desirable, as long steeping times can bring out some of the less desirable parts of the plant. Infusion Decoction

Calendula ( Calendula officinalis ): A soothing herb that also stimulates healing of the skin. Take an infusion of the herb or dilute the tincture for abrasions, wounds, ulcers, or as a mouthwash. Use as a cream or macerated oil to relieve eczema, rashes, or sore skin. Oats ( Avena sativa ): Cleansing and soothing, oats make a good alternative to soap or detergents for very sensitive skin. Grind oats to a power and add to the bath water, or mix with a little water or oil to make a soothing mask or cleanser. Chamomile ( Matricaria recutita ): Soothing and anti-inflammatory. Use cooled chamomile tea as a lotion to relieve any hot, inflamed skin condition (e.g. sunburn, hives, or rashes). Drink the tea, with its calming and anti-allergenic properties, to alleviate eczema, rashes, and so on. Chickweed ( Stellaria media ): A wonderfully cooling and soothing herb for the skin, chickweed will relieve any irritation such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, ...

This herbal tea contains a fusion of empowering yet relaxing lemon balm and mood-enhancing, sensual rose petals to make the ultimate summer refreshment. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, and is best drunk slightly bitter. For the best results, pick fresh lemon balm leaves and fresh perfumed rose petals from the damask rose (Rosa x damascena) or French rose (Rosa galica). Ingredients: 16 leaves of fresh lemon balm or 1 tbsp dried lemon balm 2 rose heads with petals removed, or 2 tbsp dried rose petals Method 1. Place the fresh lemon balm leaves and rose petals in a large teapot. If using dried lemon balm and rose petals, spoon them into the teapot instead. 2. Boil. 16 fl oz (500 ml) of water, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then pour it into the teapot. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes and then serve. More water can be added later if needed to re-infuse the leaves and the rose petals.

Scientific name: Melissa officinalis Lemon balm's species name, officinalis, indicates that the plant has long been an "official" herb of apothecaries. Its genus name, Melissa, derives from melisso-phyllon, a Greek term meaning "bee leaf". Anyone who has grow lemon balm knows that bees are very attracted tot his plant; it fairly hums with bee activity. Camouflaging its potent medicinal actions in sweet-scented leaves, lemon balm is considered one of the most important members of the large mint family. It is a features remedy for heart disease (and heartache), depression and anxiety, nervous disorders, and a host of viral and bacterial infections. 

Scientific name: Aloe vera      Aloe is one of the most commonly used and familiar herbal remedies. It is believe that Aloe is native to North Africa and coastal areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Aloe has been frequently use since ancient times, from Cleopatra to Alexander the Great. According to the legend, Cleopatra daily massaged aloe gel into her skin. Aloe was famous for its ability to heal wounds and maintain healthy skin.      Aloe vera is a stemless or very short-stemmed succulent plant spread by offsets. It grows to about 36 inches. Aloe vera's leaves are thick, fleshy, and lance-shaped leaves of green to grey-green in color, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf has small white teeth-like serrations and grows from 6 to 20 inches long. Usually, there are up to 16 leaves in a rosette. Aloe produces a singles flowering stalk with pendant, inch-long dropping yellowish flower...

Scientific name:  Valerian officinalis Also know as: Garden valerian, phu, all-heal More than 200 species of valerian are found worldwide, most in northern temperate climates, as well as south Africa and the Andes. Most are herbs, thought some are shrubs. Common valerian is a highly variable perennial usually grown from 1 to 4 feet in height, with a short, branched root, which in some variations produces lateral creeping underground stems knows as rhizomes. The leaves at the base of the plant are divided into 3 to 25 leaves, either linear or lace shaped. They are without teeth or coarsely toothed. The tin white or pink flowers, crowded atop a flat topped cluster on a robust stalk, have a sweet vanilla-like fragrance. The bloom from June through August.