Horehound
Parts Usually Used
Flowers and leaves (fresh or dried in the shade)
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Horehound is a strongly, rank-scented perennial plant with a dense covering of white hairs, growing 2-3 feet tall; a fibrous, spindle-shaped rootstock send up numerous bushy, square, downy stems. The root is blackish, hard and woody, with many strings. The leaves with rounded teeth on the margins are opposite, petioled, usually wrinkled, roundish-ovate, rough on top, and woolly underneath.
The small, white, dense, two-lipped flowers feature a spiny, toothed, calyx with 10 bristly, curved teeth, and grow in axillary whorls on the upper leaves; from June to September. Full sun. Zones 4-9. After blooming time appear small round blackish seed. Seed ripen in August. Another variety: Black horehound (Ballota nigra), also known as hen-bit, is used to relieve morning sickness.
Where Found
Found in waste places, sheep pastures, vacant lots, abandoned fields, dry, sandy spots, in upland fields and pastures, and along roadsides in coastal areas of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Native of southern Europe, Asia, North Africa, the Canary Islands, and the Azores.
Medicinal Properties
Anthelmintic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic
Biochemical Information
Iron, marrubiin, volatile oils, potassium, resin, tannins, the B complex, and vitamins A, C, E, and F.
Legends, Myths and Stories
The Egyptians called this plant the seed of Horus, bull’s blood, and eye of the star. For centuries a cough remedy, horehound was used by Hippocrates to treat a variety of ailments. Called an herb of Mercury, the horehound was used widely as a medicine by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. The Greeks often used it as an anti-spasmodic drug and as an antidote for the bite of a ad dog, hence its common name, hoarhound.
It is one of the bitter herbs that the Jews eat at Passover time, the others being nettle, horseradish, coriander, and lettuce. The common name of horehound, originating from the Hebrew, “marrob,” meaning “a bitter juice”. Dioscorides claimed a decoction of the dried herb with seed, or the juice of the green herb taken with honey, is a remedy for those that are short-winded. Horehound can help relieve the dragged-out, sluggish feeling that often accompanies a bad cold or the flu.
Also, rids the body of excess water.
Uses
Historically, herbalists utilized horehound for respiratory complaints, including coughs, colds, asthma, hoarseness, and sore throats. The bitter leaves were traditionally prepared as syrups, lozenges, teas, or dilute alcoholic extracts to serve as expectorants and thin bronchial mucus. Practitioners also administered the plant for digestive complaints, using it to stimulate appetite, ease intestinal gas, address dyspepsia, and serve as a laxative.
Taken warm, the infusion was traditionally employed as a diaphoretic and diuretic, while cold preparations were used as stomach tonics. Folk traditions also utilized the herb for jaundice, gallbladder disorders, heart palpitations, and expelling intestinal worms. Nicholas Culpeper noted historical administration for venomous bites and poisonings. Externally, herbalists applied poultices of fresh or crushed leaves and infusions to cuts, wounds, sores, ulcers, and various skin conditions.
How Sold
Cough drops Medicinal candy Cough syrup
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. , Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R.
, Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F. D. and Phyllis A. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992).
The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974 Country Home Book of Herbs , Meredith Books, Editorial Dept.
RW240, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023, copyright 1994