From Ayurveda to Rongoā Māori
Communities around the world learned how plants nourish, care and heal. Here their traditions stand beside present-day use, with respect for every culture.
GrapeFolk magic and herbal magic
BuchuLocal African healing traditions
Indian tobaccoCherokee medicine
Lignum vitaeHerbal knowledge of the Caribbean
Yerba mateKallawaya healing knowledge
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 948
Coptis trifolia
A small evergreen herb with golden-yellow thread-like roots. These contain berberine, a bitter compound that inhibits bacteria in laboratory tests; related to Chinese goldthread (huang lian).
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 629
Ephedra viridis, E. nevadensis, E. californica
Traditionally attributed effects: opens the surface in wind-cold with sneezing and a watery nose, mildly eases wheezing and promotes urination.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 1009
Ephedra americana
A leafless shrub with green, jointed stems, related to the Chinese ma huang. Ephedra species contain ephedrine, which widens the airways but also raises heart rate and blood pressure; how much this species contains has been little studied.
Featured · Central America and the Caribbean · Curanderismo
Salvia divinorum
A sage with large leaves containing salvinorin A, a very potent substance acting on the kappa opioid receptor. Brings short-lived, often intense changes in perception and the feeling of leaving the body.
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43 traditions
How communities built up and passed on their knowledge of plants, region by region.
113 recipes
Soups, teas and dishes in which herbs play a leading role.
146 formulas
The classical Chinese formulas, also listed by condition.