Botany & Plants
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Chewed in Southeast Asia for pain relief and energy, this tree's leaves come from the coffee family.
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This weedy plant's root has traditionally treated anemia.
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Sweetly scented, this climbing flower has been used as a folk antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent.
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This daisy-like flower has soothed sleeplessness and anxiety throughout recorded history.
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This tart red berry has historically treated urinary tract disorders.
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This bright orange garden flower has a long history of healing wounds and soothing irritated skin.
MARIGOLDThis succulent plant's gel-filled leaves have soothed burns, wounds, and skin ailments for centuries.
ALOEThis root, prized in East Asian medicine, may affect glucose metabolism and help lower blood sugar.
GINSENGThis tall flowering garden plant has traditionally been used as a soothing agent for inflammation and as a mild laxative.
HOLLYHOCKMade into a ceremonial drink in the South Pacific, this root has sedative and mildly anesthetic effects.
KAVAThis Mediterranean tree's aromatic leaves yield astringent extracts used in folk remedies.
BAYLAURELThis fragrant Mediterranean shrub has been used medicinally since ancient times.
ROSEMARYBlooming only at night, this yellow wildflower has been used since the 1930s to treat eczema.
PRIMROSEThis flower bud has long relieved upset stomachs and served as a natural expectorant.
CLOVEThis common lawn flower's blossoms have traditionally treated gastrointestinal and respiratory complaints.
DAISYThis thorny shrub has a medieval history of treating skin ailments and scurvy.
BARBERRYThis tall yellow-flowered plant contains compounds studied for their bactericidal properties.
MULLEINThis desert succulent has traditionally been used to suppress hunger and thirst on long journeys.
HOODIAIn a small 2003 trial, extracts of this culinary herb improved cognition in people with mild Alzheimer's disease.
SAGEThis reddish-brown dye plant has doubled as a traditional remedy alongside its cosmetic use.
HENNAIts liver-shaped leaves once led healers to treat this woodland flower as a remedy for liver disease.
HEPATICAThis flowering herb has traditionally soothed sore throats and respiratory complaints.
VERBENAThis flowering tree's bark contains compounds studied for calming and anti-inflammatory effects.
MAGNOLIAThis small pink-flowered woodland herb has traditionally treated toothaches and nosebleeds.
GERANIUMUsed across India for centuries, this tree's leaves and bark treat worms, malaria, rheumatism, and skin infections.
NEEMThis tropical fruit has a rich history in traditional medicine for treating diarrhea.
GUAVAPaired with the word 'thistle,' this plant was used during the Middle Ages to treat the plague.
BLESSEDThis South American vine's root has a long history of use to prevent and treat disease.
CATSCLAWChewed by Andean peoples to fight fatigue and altitude sickness, this leaf is also the source of a famous stimulant drug.
COCAThis bright yellow roadside flower has historically treated liver and kidney complaints.
DANDELIONThis climbing vine's flower has calming, sedative properties and simply goes by '_ _ _ _ _ _ _' flower.
PASSIONThis fragrant tree's oil, used for colds, bronchitis, and skin disorders, is called Indian sandal'_ _ _ _.'
WOODThis aromatic root has long treated gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders across European herbal traditions.
ANGELICAThis citrus-scented mint-family herb has traditionally aided sleep and digestion.
LEMONBALMThis pungent root is one of the most widely used natural remedies for nausea.
GINGERThis tree's bitter bark yields the alkaloid quinine, long used to treat fevers and malaria.
CINCHONAThis blue-flowered herb has traditionally eased gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular complaints.
BORAGEThis tropical fruit has traditionally treated joint pain and skin conditions in Pacific island medicine.
NONIThis shrub's astringent bark extract, used for skin irritation and minor cuts, is called witch '_ _ _ _ _.'
HAZELThis plant has been used for pain, inflammation, and anxiety across a wide range of traditional remedies.
CANNABISThis small-leaved European tree's flowers make a calming herbal tea used for centuries.
LINDENThis small blue-black berry has traditionally treated diarrhea and scurvy.
BILBERRYThis low-growing plant has traditionally been considered good for the eyes and used to treat skin diseases.
FUMITORYThis parasitic plant, associated with winter holiday decor, has traditionally treated seizures and headaches.
MISTLETOEIts Sanskrit name means 'without sorrow'; this sacred Indian tree's bark is used in Ayurveda for women's health.
ASHOKAThis aromatic culinary herb's extracts have shown antibacterial and antifungal effects in studies.
SAVORYThis tall purple-flowered plant became a late 18th-century treatment for cardiac disease before modern drugs derived from it.
FOXGLOVEThis North American woodland root has traditionally eased arthritis pain and menopause symptoms.
COHOSHBark from this tree yields a compound long used as a laxative thanks to its natural anthraquinone content.
BUCKTHORNThis golden root has long aided digestion and liver function in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine.
TURMERICThis pungent bulb is widely believed in folk medicine to help lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
GARLICThis leafy herb has long been used to help wounds heal, though its toxicity led to modern restrictions on its use.
COMFREYTea brewed from this common roadside weed's leaves is a traditional remedy for soothing coughs.
PLANTAINThis prickly-burred plant's root has traditionally been used as a diuretic and to help lower blood sugar.
BURDOCKKnown as the drumstick tree, this plant serves both as food and traditional medicine across South Asia.
MORINGAThis fiery red pepper has been used for thousands of years to relieve pain and fight pathogens.
CAYENNEUsed since the Middle Ages to treat ailments of the lungs and chest, this plant's spotted leaves gave it its name.
LUNGWORTThis herb, long used for nausea and indigestion, is pepper'_ _ _ _.'
MINTThis small blue-purple fruit draws modern research interest for its antioxidant content.
BLUEBERRYFor thousands of years this plant's fruit has been used for menstrual problems; it's called '_ _ _ _ _ _' berry.
CHASTEIts fruit and leaves have been used medicinally since the ancient Greeks first cultivated this vine.
GRAPEUsed for generations by Australian Aboriginal people, this tree's oil is now a common antibacterial remedy.
TEATREEThis flowering hedge shrub's fruit has purportedly treated heart disease for centuries.
HAWTHORNThis flower is the natural source of morphine, one of the most powerful pain relievers ever discovered.
POPPYIts dark purple fruit, traditionally used for coughs, pain, and swelling, gives this plant the name elder'_ _ _ _ _.'
BERRYLong used by Native Americans, this desert shrub's leaves and twigs carry a real risk of liver toxicity.
CHAPARRALUsed in traditional Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years, this shrub is a natural stimulant.
EPHEDRAThe bark of this tree is a natural source of salicylic acid, the compound behind modern aspirin.
WILLOWOften mistaken for a water lily, this sacred Asian aquatic plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
LOTUSKnown as holy basil, this fragrant herb is a staple of Ayurvedic tea and traditional remedies.
TULSIThis South American holly-leaf tea contains stimulant compounds said to improve mood.
YERBAMATEThis delicate white winter flower contains galantamine, a compound now used to help treat Alzheimer's disease.
SNOWDROPRoot tea from this plant treated diarrhea and fever; it's infamous for poisoning livestock and tainting their milk.
SNAKEROOTThis pungent pizza herb has long served as a traditional antimicrobial remedy.
OREGANOThis tropical fruit's unripe form has long treated wounds and stomach troubles in folk medicine.
PAPAYAThis purple-flowered herb has traditionally been used as an antiseptic and calming agent.
LAVENDERThe seeds of this wild relative of the garden hollyhock have served as a demulcent and diuretic.
MALLOWMeta-analyses show this spice, sometimes called black cumin, may modestly lower blood pressure.
NIGELLAThe seeds of this fiber crop are a common folk laxative, while their oil has eased arthritis pain.
FLAXSEEDThe bark of the Caribbean tree called Jamaica _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is a traditional sedative for insomnia and anxiety.
DOGWOODThis purple prairie flower has been used for at least 400 years by Native Americans to treat infections and wounds.
ECHINACEAThis sweet root has purportedly soothed stomach ulcers and sore throats for generations.
LICORICEThis spice pod is a major natural source of shikimic acid, used to manufacture the flu drug Tamiflu.
STARANISEThis citrus fruit has a long history in Chinese and Indian medicine for treating coughs.
LEMONAncient Romans and Greeks used this jointed, hollow-stemmed plant to stop bleeding and heal ulcers.
HORSETAILThis common flowering herb has traditionally been used as an astringent tonic to help stop minor bleeding.
YARROWThis aromatic Mediterranean herb has traditionally treated digestive and respiratory complaints.
HYSSOPThis flowering herb, widely used for mild depression, is called St. John's '_ _ _ _.'
WORTThe seed of this crunchy vegetable has occasionally served as a folk diuretic remedy.
CELERYThis root fiber has traditionally been used to treat obesity and constipation thanks to its high dietary fiber content.
KONJACUsed since at least ancient Greece and Rome, this root treats sleep disorders and anxiety.
VALERIANThis East African shrub's leaves are chewed as a mild, amphetamine-like stimulant.
KHATThis ancient tree species' leaf extract has been used for asthma, bronchitis, fatigue, and memory problems.
GINKGONicknamed a 'lung herb,' this creeping mint-family plant has traditionally served as an expectorant.
GROUNDIVYThis African tree's hardened sap, a natural gum, has long been used as a binding agent and in folk remedies.
ACACIAUsed for thousands of years for liver problems, this thorny plant is called milk '_ _ _ _ _ _ _.'
THISTLEThis legume's leaves are purported in folk medicine to help lower cholesterol.
ALFALFAThis flowering herb has been used for centuries to treat fevers, headaches, stomachaches, and toothaches.
FEVERFEWUsed in traditional Austrian medicine, this stinging plant treats disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract.
NETTLEThis mountain wildflower has traditionally treated bruises and osteoarthritis as an anti-inflammatory.
ARNICA