Herbal Encyclopedia

Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health

  • Herbs
  • Modes of Use
    • Compresses and Lotions
    • Creams
    • Decoctions
    • Electuaries
    • Essential Oils
    • Fomentations
    • Gargles and Mouthwashes
    • Glycerites
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    • Medicinal Milks
    • Mustard Plasters
    • Oil Infusions
    • Ointments and Salves
    • Poison Ivy Lotions
    • Poultices
    • Powders and Capsules
    • Vapor Balms
    • Steam Inhalations
    • Syrups
    • Tinctures and Vinegars
    • Toothpastes
    • Water Infusions
    • When To Gather Herbs
  • Scientific Names

Rose

December 28, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Red RoseBotanical and Common Names

  • Family Rosaceae
  • Rosa species
  • R. canina (Wild Rose, Dog Rose, Rose Hip, Brier Hip, Hip, Brier Rose, Eglantine Gall, Hogseed, Dog-berry, Sweet Brier, Witches’ Brier, Hep Tree, Hip Fruit, Hop Fruit, Hipberries)
  • R. arkansana (Prairie Wild Rose, Sunshine Rose, Arkansas Rose, Meadow Rose, Pasture Rose)
  • R. laevigata (Cherokee Rose)
  • R. gallica var. centifolia (Apothacary’s Rose, French Rose, Cabbage Rose, Hundred-leafed Rose)
  • R. damascena (Damask Rose)
  • R. rugosa (Rugosa Rose, Saltspray Rose, Beach Tornado)
  • R. multiflora (Japanese Rose)

Cautions

Use only the rose species listed here for medicinal purposes and not garden hybrids.

Because of the high price of rose oil, adulteration is common. Therefore, for medicinal purposes, use only the best high quality, genuine rose oil.

Consumers should be aware of the fact that much of the natural vitamin C in some rosehip products is lost in the manufacturing process. To compensate, some fortify the products with artificial vitamin C.

rose

Description

Rose species are native to various places, but most are from the Middle East. They have been cultivated for thousands of years, but some can still be found in the wild although most are cultivated for commercial or private use. Typically, roses are climbing or bushy perennials with thorny stems and varying shapes and colours of flowers. All have a unique rose scent. The wild roses typically grow everywhere on the prairies of North America in ravines and stream banks, bluffs, thickets, and along roadsides and railroads.

History

In the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder recorded thirty-two different medicinal uses of the rose.

Roses were grown in medieval gardens more for medicine and food than for beauty.

Ironically, the Cherokee rose is native to China, but now grows throughout much of North America and is the state flower of Georgia. It was used in China to treat diarrhea.

In the 19th century, it was proven that roses contain essential oils. Rose oil is distilled from the petals and used in aromatherapy.

With the discovery of vitamin C in the 1930s, and subsequent claims by Linus Pauling that massive doses of the nutrient could cure the common cold, rosehips have been of much interest because of their high content of this nutrient.

Unlike Western medicine, all indigenous cultures believe that there is no separation between the physical and the mental or spiritual being, and both must be assessed before healing occurs. The same belief has long been held true regarding the rose and is seen in this saying, “Roses are good for the skin and the soul”.

The botanical name of the Wild Rose is reflected in its use by the Romans. R. canina species was used for rabid dog bites.

Roses continued as official medicine until well into the 1930s (British Pharmacopoeia) when the tincture of the Apothocary’s Rose was prescribed for sore throats. Roses were also widely used as mild astringents and to flavour other medicines.

There were dozens of varieties of roses in North America. The Native Americans learned how to use whatever grew in their region, as a medicine and, in cases of emergency, as a food. The leaves, petals, hips, and roots were widely used for a variety of conditions, including colds, fevers, diarrhea, influenza, and stomach troubles.

The Omahas steeped the hips or roots to make a wash to treat eye inflammations.

In the Great Lakes region, the Chippewas made a tea from the wild rose and used the berries for food and for diseases of the eye. They used the inner bark of the roots to treat cataracts.

The Pawnees collected the insect galls from the lower parts of the stems, and charred and crushed them for use in dressings for burns. The insect or disease-produced galls were found in the archaeological remains of the Hill Site, near present-day Guide Rock, Nebraska, which was occupied by the Pawnees in the early 1800s.

The Flathead and Cheyenne tribes treated snow blindness with an eyewash made by boiling the petals, stem bark, or root bark. The Cheyenne also boiled the inner bark to make a tea valued for treating diarrhea and stomach trouble.

Many other tribes used all parts of the plant for various remedies. The Crows boiled the crushed roots and used them in hot compresses to reduce swellings. They also sniffed vapor to stop bleedings from the nose or mouth.

The Arapahos used the seeds to produce a drawing effect for muscular pain.

Key Actions

  • antidepressant
  • antispasmodic
  • aphrodisiac
  • astringent
  • antibacterial
  • antiviral
  • antiseptic
  • anti-inflammatory
  • blood tonic
  • cleansing
  • digestive stimulant
  • expectorant
  • increases bile production
  • kidney tonic
  • menstrual regulator

Key Components

  • volatile oil
  • vitamins and minerals (especially A, B, E, and K, potassium and iron)

Medicinal Parts

Flowers, petals, rosehips, root, root bark, essential oil

There are some 300 chemical constituents of which only about 100 have been identified.

Depending on the source, some rose teas are able to supply as much as 1000 mg. per cup. Recent studies now indicate that taking more than 2000 mg. of vitamin C per day changes the vitamin into a pro-oxidant that actually increases cellular damage caused by unstable free radicals. Other experts seem to think that this action takes place with as little as 1000 mg. of vitamin C per day.

Remedies

The seeds of the Japanese rose are used in Oriental medicine as a diuretic and laxative.

Infusions of dried rose petals are used for headaches and taken after meals to aid digestion.

Steam inhalation of a decoction of rose petals, lavender, and hops help induce sleep.

Compresses soaked in infusions of the dried flowers make a good anti-inflammatory remedy for the eyes or any other inflamed area of the body and applied cool for headaches.

Rosehip tincture is an effective astringent for treating diarrhea or in relieving colic or as a component in cough remedies.

Rosehip syrup is used as a cough remedy or taken as a source of vitamin C.

Rosehip decoction is taken with other herbs to treat chronic diarrhea associated with stomach weaknesses.

Flower decoctions are taken with motherwort for heavy menstruation or combined with Chinese herbs for liver dysfunctions.

Tinctures from the petals are used for diarrhea or sluggish digestion. When combined with other herbs, they areused to treat irregular or heavy menstruation.

Gargles made from petal infusions, used alone or combined with sage, are used for sore throats.

Creams from the essential oil are used to treat dry or inflamed skin.

Lotions from the essential oil are combined with lady’s mantle tincture for vaginal itching.

Rosewater combined with equal amounts of witch hazel is used as a moisturizing lotion for skin prone to pimples or acne. (Rosewater is a by-product of the steam distillation of Bulgarian rose oil and is used as a skin remedy.)

A few drops of essential oil can be added to bathwater for depression, grief, or insomnia.

Massage oil is made by mixing a few drops of essential oil with a neutral oil and used to relieve stress and exhaustion or for sluggish digestion.

Traditional Uses

The dried hips of the wild rose are especially high in vitamin C, having three times that of citrus fruits, and have long been used to prevent scurvy.

The Chinese use the flowers as a qi or energy stimulant and blood tonic to relieve stagnant liver energies. They are also used for digestive irregularities or with motherwort for heavy menstruation.

The Damask rose blooms for only a couple of weeks, during which time the petals are collected and steam distilled to produce true Bulgarian rose oil used in about 96% of all women’s perfumes. Medicinally, it is an important nervine used for depression and anxiety.

The cabbage rose is used to produce French rose oil, which differs significantly in its chemical composition from Bulgarian rose oil and has a reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Search Cloverleaf Farm for Rose

Filed Under: R Tagged With: alternative medicine, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, anxiety, cuts, demulcent, essential oils, herb, herbal encyclopedia, herbs, induce sleep, medicinal plants, medicinal uses of rose, rose, rosehip, rosehip syrup, vitamins, volatile oil

Aloe

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

AloeBotanical Names

  • Family Liliaceae
  • Aloe vera, A. barbadensis, A. capensis, A. vulgaris, A. mexicana and other Aloe species

Common Names

  • Aloe, Aloe Vera, Barbados Aloe, Zanzibar Aloe, Curacao Aloe
  • Spanish: Sábila, Zábila

Cautions

  • It is not to be confused with Agave americana, sometimes known as American Aloe.
  • It can cause gastrointestinal cramping or contractions, so is contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • It should not be used internally by those suffering from intestinal obstructions, kidney disease, colitis, and intestinal inflammations.
  • In rare cases, heart arrythmias, kidney abnormalities, edema, and accelerated bone deterioration may occur.
  • Do not use the bitters on the skin.
  • Use as a laxative for only ten days at a time as long-term use can cause a loss of electrolytes, particularly potassium. Note that many “aloe” laxatives also contain senna, which is harder on the system and often, the real cause of the effectiveness of the laxative. Read the labels carefully. If aloe is not listed as the main ingredient, it is best to avoid that product.
  • Care must be taken when using many commercially prepared products that contain “aloe” as usually there is not enough included to be of much value medicinally.

Description

Native to eastern and southern Africa, aloes are now commonly cultivated worldwide, especially as houseplants. There are about 350 species of these perennials that also grow in the tropics, including Central and South America, India, and the Middle East. Aloes generally have prickly, gray-green succulent leaves that can reach a length of two feet and producing spikes of yellow or orange flowers. The leaves contain two different fluids — the inner portion is filled with a clear gel and the thick aloe skin contains a bitter yellow juice or latex.

History

Aloe has been used medicinally for more than 3500 years. Egyptian texts, dating to about 1500 BCE, describe its healing properties.

Alexander the Great used it to treat wounds.

Greece, Rome, China, India, West Indies all used it as a wound healer, laxative, and purgative.

Cleopatra is said to have attributed her beauty to it.

About the 6th century CE, Persian traders carried aloe throughout Asia. Marco Polo witnessed healers in the Orient using it.

A beautiful violet dye is produced from aloe plants (A. perryi) native to the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. A desire for the plant is said to have motivated Alexander the Great to conquer the island in the 4th century BCE. 1400 years later, Muslim traders reported the island was still the only source of the herb, although it is now grown in Africa, China, India, and Central America.

The Spanish called the plant sábila after the Arabic word, saber, which means patience. The implication is unclear.

Even before the conquest of Mexico, aloe was heavily cultivated on the island of Barbados, leading to the naming of one botanical variety, Aloe barbadensis.

Similar to the maguey, aloe is often confused for that plant. Even Columbus assumed that he had “discovered” aloe, a plant he was familiar with in Spain; but it was actually a maguey which he took back with him.

Related species are used as an antidote for poison arrow wounds.

Key Actions

  • antibacterial
  • antibiotic
  • antifungal
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antimicrobial
  • antiulcer
  • antiviral
  • emollient
  • healing
  • laxative
  • purgative
  • stimulates bile secretions

Key Components

  • amino acids
  • anthraquinone glycosides (aloin, aloe-emodin)
  • aloectin B
  • enzymes
  • flavonoids
  • minerals
  • polysaccharides
  • resins
  • salicylic acid
  • steroid hormones
  • tannins
  • vitamins

Medicinal Parts

  • Clear gel (in the leaves), yellow sap from the base (bitter aloes)
  • The anthraquinone glycosides (aloin and aloe-emodin) are strongly laxative and can cause uterine contractions. This is the reason that aloes are contraindicated internally during pregnancy. These substances are not found in high levels in potted plants.
  • Aloectin B stimulates immune system.
  • The gel is made up of some seventy-five complex substances known to date. Many are made up of bioactive ingredients.
  • Aloin is a stimulant for peristalsis. However, in high doses, aloin will act as a powerful purgative with the effects lasting up to twelve hours.
  • It has been proven effective against Stapylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simplex 1 and 2.

Remedies

  • fresh gel — to heal wounds and burns, treat fungal infections and insect bites
  • dried bitters — as a short-term laxative
  • commercial juice from gel — for peptic ulcers
  • tinctures — to stimulate the appetite
  • ointment — made by boiling a large quantity of gel until a thick paste, then using like fresh leaves
  • inhalation of gel in a steam — to relieve bronchial congestion
  • powder in capsules — to relieve constipation and to stimulate bile flow

Traditional Uses

In general, the gel is used externally. The latex is dried and used in oral drugs, mostly laxatives. There is also a standardized aloe extract, derived from freeze-dried aloe gel that can be taken internally. Some form is commonly found in all manner of beauty treatments: lotions, shampoos, creams, suntan lotions.

When needed, fresh leaves are generally snipped off, opened up, and the gel applied to the affected area on the skin for minor burns, scalds, or sunburns. This gel also helps speed the healing of cuts and other minor wounds; helps prevent scarring; reduces tissue damage from frostbite; relieves skin irritation and inflammation from stings or bites, treats external hemorrhoids; and moisturizes and softens dry, itchy, or rough skin.

Internally, the aloe latex juice is used to treat constipation, but care must be taken as too much can result in it being a purgative. See cautions above.

Research is indicating that its use internally has an antifertility aspect inhibiting ovulation in rabbits and rats.

Although numerous tests have indicated that when aloe is used externally, it helps wounds heal, decreases inflammation, and relieves pain, it can also delay deep wound healing including that of surgery.

The powdered gel extract is taken internally to treat ulcers and other intestinal problems including diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease as well as to bolster immunity.

The latex contains bitter substances that increase bowel motility and loosens the stool. These actions are derived from compounds in the resin which stimulate bowel contractions and helps increase the amount of intestinal fluid resulting in a more watery stool that is propelled rapidly through the colon. For this reason, aloe should not be used on a regular basis as this rapid propulsion dramatically affects the time needed to absorb valuable nutrients into the system.

Chinese medicine uses aloe to treat fungal diseases.

Ayurvedic medicine uses it for stomach tumors, constipation, colic, skin disorders, amenorrhea, worm infestation, and infections

South Africa uses it for eye inflammations and syphillis.

Aloe and honey are two of the more powerful substances that can be applied externally to speed wound healing and prevent infections in burn victims. One especially important aspect is that both are liquid. This allows them to keep the burn tissue moist, soothe the damaged tissues, and restore lost body fluids directly through the skin, which is generally a problem for burn victims. At the same time, they are potent anti-inflammatories and antibacterials and it is nearly impossible for a staph infection to get started with these two substances present.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: aloe, aloin, amino acids, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiulcer, antiviral, enzymes, flavonoids, Herpes, immune system, laxative, minerals, polysaccharides, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, purgative, resins, salicylic acid, Stapylococcus aureus, steroid hormones, tannins, vitamins

Agrimony

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Botanical Name

  • Family Rosaceae
  • Agrimonia eupatoria, A. procera, A. pilosa and other Agrimonia specie

Common Names

  • Stickwort, Cocklebur, Liverwort, Common Agrimony, Philanthropos, Church Steeples, Sticklewort

Cautions

  • No adverse effects have been noted. In fact, it is considered safe enough for children. However, because of its tannins, which are astringent, it should not be taken in large quantities as it can cause constipation or other digestive problems.
  • It may also increase sensitivity to the sun if too much is taken.

Description

A native European herb, the plant is an erect, downy, and slightly aromatic perennial that grows to about three feet in height. It is commonly found in marshes, wet meadows, and open areas. The paired leaves are green above and silvery-green beneath. The yellow flowers are small, five-petaled growing on the terminal spikes, and are collected while in bloom during the summer.

History

The Latin name eupatoria was derived from Mithridates Eupator (d. 63 BCE), King of Pontus in northern Turkey, who was said to have had a profound knowledge of plant lore.

It is the main ingredient in “arquebusade water”, a 15th century battlefield remedy for wounds.

Native Americans mainly used two types, A. eupatoria anA. gryposepal. The Cherokee used it to normalize bowels, treat fever, ease hunger pangs in children, and build up the blood. Other uses included treating snake bites, jaundince, gout, and worms.

Key Actions

  • anti-inflammatory
  • antiparasitic and antibacterial properties (A. pilosa)
  • astringent
  • diuretic
  • encourages clot formation
  • mildly antiviral
  • stimulates bile flow
  • tissue healer

Key Components

  • bitter principle
  • coumarins
  • flavonoids (including luteolin)
  • minerals and vitamins B and K
  • polysaccharides
  • silica (connective tissue healer)
  • tannins
  • volatile oil

Medicinal Parts

  • Leaves, flowers, stems (aerial parts)

Remedies

  • infusion to treat diarrhea, especially in children and infants and can be taken by breast-feeding mothers to dose babies
  • wash from infusions to clean wounds, sores, eczema, and varicose ulcers, and a weak infusion as an eyewash for conjunctivitis
  • for tinctures, being more potent and drying than infusions and used for more serious conditions where phlegm and mucous stubbornly remain; also used for cystitis, urinary infections, bronchitis, and heavy menstrual bleeding
  • poultices of the leaves for migraine headaches
  • gargle made from an infusion for sore throats and nasal mucus
  • decoctions used in China for heavy uterine bleeding, blood in the urine, dysentery, and intestinal parasites
  • compresses soaked in a decoction to treat boils
  • douches using a strained decoction for treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis

Traditional Uses

It can be combined with cornsilk to treat cystitis and urinary incontinence.

Because it staunches bleeding and encourages clot formation, it has long been used to heal wounds.

It is also used in the treatment of kidney stones, mild diarrhea, sore throats, rheumatism, and arthritis.

It can help relieve skin, mouth, and throat inflammations, and has been used to treat colds and asthma. It is an astringent, so makes an effective antidiarrheal agent.

When applied topically, agrimony leaves can help draw out thorns and splinters, stop cuts from bleeding, and help heal eczema, skin wounds, and sores.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: agrimony, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antiparasitic and antibacterial properties (A. pilosa), arthritis, astringent, bitter, blood in the urine, boils, bronchitis, clean wounds, clot formation, conjunctivitis, coumarins, cystitis, diarrhea, diuretic, dysentery, eczema, encourages clot formation, flavonoids, heal wounds, heavy menstrual bleeding, inflammation, intestinal parasites, kidney stones, luteolin, mild diarrhea, mildly antiviral, minerals, mucous, nasal mucus, phlegm, polysaccharides, rheumatism, silica, sore throat, sores, stimulates bile flow, tannins, tissue healer, Trichomonas vaginalis, urinary infection, uterine bleeding, varicose ulcer, vitamins, volatile oil

Agave

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Botanical Name

  • Family Agavaceae
  • Agave americana

Common Names

  • Century Plant
  • Spanish: Maguey, Lechuguilla, Mescal
  • Nahuatl: Metl, Tlacametl, Teometl

Cautions

  • Do not use during pregnancy.
  • Do not exceed prescribed dose as it may cause digestive irritation and lead to eventual liver damage.
  • External use can cause irritation in those with sensitive skin.

Description

Native to the deserts of Central America, agave is a succulent perennial with large rosettes of thirty to sixty fleshy, sharply-toothed leaves that reach a height of six feet. It produces clusters of yellow flowers, growing to three inches across and bloom on a polelike stem after ten years or more. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

History

Plentiful in the arid areas of Mexico, agave is considered to be one of the most useful plants on earth. For as long as man has travelled the deserts of Mesoamerica, the plant has provided food, drink, and medicine. It is most famous as the source of tequila, pulque, and mescal. Long fibers from the leaves of some species are the source of sisal hemp woven into hammocks, fishing nets, and baskets. The heads, with the leaves trimmed off, are roasted and eaten. The tall stalks are chopped into pieces and chewed like sugar cane and some species are used to make soap.

According to legend, the plant lives for hundreds of years before it flowers, which is why it acquired the name of “Century Plant”. In reality, the plants live no more than thirty years, but the fatal flowering can be spectacular. In some species, a shoot two stories high, will produce an enormous cluster of white or yellow flowers.

Unlike the Europeans at the time the Spanish conquest of the New World, the Aztecs and Maya were very skilled in wound healing. They used the agave sap, often with egg white, to bind powders and gums in pastes and poultices to be applied to wounds.

The Bandianus Manuscript of 1552 was the first herbal to list the plants of the New World, describing an Aztec treatment for diarrhea and dysentery. In it, agave juice, combined with freshly-ground corn and extract of bladderwort was given as an enema, using a syringe made from the bladder of a small animal and a hollow bone or reed.

The 18th century Spanish botanist, Luis Née, was so impressed with the usefulness of the plant that, in his report to the crown, declared that Spain should not be without it. The plant was soon taken there, where it can still be found growing.

The juice was often applied to cuts and knife wounds to ease the pain, but another unusal use was recorded. It was stated that a cowardly (or clever) man was about to be whipped for some crime and had coated his back with the juice in order to lessen the pain of the whip.

Key Actions

  • antiseptic
  • anti-inflammatory
  • demulcent
  • diuretic
  • laxative
  • resorative

Key Components

  • estrogen-like isoflavonoids
  • alkaloids
  • coumarins
  • vitamins pro-A, B, C, D, and K

Medicinal Parts

  • Sap

Remedies

  • poultices to treat skin infections and inflammations
  • infusions for internal healing
  • juice applied to cuts, sores, and wounds

Traditional Uses

It is used to treat many digestive ailments, including ulcers and other inflammatory conditions of the intestines, stomach, and mouth. Its soothing properties protect the mucous membranes and encourage healing. It is also used for eye inflammations, bronchitis, arthritis, menstrual problems, as well as for cuts and wounds.

In the past, being a fairly close relative of Aloe Vera and with its rosette of sharply barbed spears, the two are often substituted for each other, depending on availability.

Another species, A. sisalana, is cultivated in subtropical America and Kenya as a source of hecogenin, the substance that is the starting point in the production of corticosteroids. Its fiber is also used to make rope and hammocks.

Mixed with a yellow chili and gourd seeds, the mixture was a tonic for those suffering relapses after illnesses.

A beverage made with the juice, called aguamiel, which literally means “water honey,” is prepared by roasting one of the spears until it begins to turn brown. The liquid is then squeezed from it and simmered over a low flame, sometimes with the addition of a cinnamon stick for flavour.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: agave, alkaloids, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, coumarins, cuts, demulcent, diuretic, estrogen-like isoflavonoids, inflammation, laxative, poultice, resorative, skin infection, sores, vitamins, wounds

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Pages

  • Modes of Use
    • Compresses and Lotions
    • Creams
    • Decoctions
    • Electuaries
    • Essential Oils
    • Fomentations
    • Gargles and Mouthwashes
    • Glycerites
    • Liniments
    • Lip Balms
    • Medicinal Milks
    • Mustard Plasters
    • Oil Infusions
    • Ointments and Salves
    • Poison Ivy Lotions
    • Poultices
    • Powders and Capsules
    • Steam Inhalations
    • Syrups
    • Tinctures and Vinegars
    • Toothpastes
    • Vapor Balms
    • Water Infusions
    • When To Gather Herbs
  • Online Herbal Encyclopedia of Knowledge
  • Scientific Names

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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.

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