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Herbs & Cultures

From Ayurveda to Rongoā Māori

Herbal knowledge and the cultures that passed it on

Communities around the world learned how plants nourish, care and heal. Here their traditions stand beside present-day use, with respect for every culture.

All 980 herbs from 43 traditions

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226 results

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Recipes
Poached egg with mushrooms in clear brothCurry rice with Chinese cinnamonChicken soup with tian qiChicken stewed with Job's tearsLongan chicken soup with three seedsSteamed egg with shiitake and fox nutSweetcorn soup with astragalusSteamed black chicken with jujubes and longanPigeon egg soup with white fungusSteamed pears with bei muKinkeliba tea
Chinese formulas
Zuo gui wanLing yang gou teng tangZhi bai di huang wanJi chuan jianQing e wanEr xian tangQing wei sanJiao tai wanDang gui shao yao sanShu jin sanBa zheng sanDu huo ji sheng tangMa xing shi gan tangYou gui wanLiang ge sanShen ling bai zhu sanShi quan da bu tangTian wang bu xin danXiao luo wanFang feng tong sheng sanBai he gu jin tangYi guan jianQi ju di huang wanCi zhu wan+14
Treatment by condition
HaemorrhoidsLiver cirrhosisDiabetes mellitusUnderactive thyroidLupus (SLE)Thrombocytopenic purpuraFlu and pneumoniaTuberculosisKidney stonesMenopauseImpotenceProstate complaintsEpilepsyEczema, dermatitis, itching, acne, erysipelas and psoriasisToothacheCataract
  • Caution

    Oceania · Herb · № 841

    Pituri

    Duboisia hopwoodii

    A shrub containing nicotine and related compounds; the dried leaves were chewed as a stimulant.

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge
  • Caution

    Asia · Mushroom · № 146

    Poria (fu ling)

    Wolfiporia cocos

    One of the most widely used remedies in Chinese medicine, for fluid retention, poor digestion and restless sleep. Clinical research on fu ling alone is scarce.

    Chinese medical traditions+4
  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 941

    Purple-stem angelica

    Angelica atropurpurea

    A tall umbellifer with a purple stem, related to European garden angelica. Contains essential oil and furanocoumarins, which make the skin sensitive to sunlight.

    Haudenosaunee medicine
  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 975

    Redwood sorrel

    Oxalis oregana

    A low wood sorrel with large clover-like leaves and white or pink flowers, forming carpets under the trees. The leaf tastes sour from oxalic acid.

    Hupa medicine
  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 938

    Trillium

    Trillium spp. (o.a. Trillium erectum en T. grandiflorum)

    Spring flowers with three leaves, three sepals and three petals. The rhizome contains saponins. Clinical research is lacking.

    Haudenosaunee medicine+1
  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 968

    Western dock

    Rumex occidentalis (syn. R. aquaticus var. fenestratus)

    A large dock with broad leaves and a yellow root. The root contains tannins and anthraquinones, which are mildly laxative.

    Kwakwaka'wakw medicine
  • Caution

    South America · Herb · № 878

    Yacón

    Smallanthus sonchifolius

    A plant of the daisy family with sweet, crunchy tubers full of inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides, which the body barely absorbs. The leaf has been studied for diabetes; evidence in humans is lacking.

    Curanderismo of northern Peru
  • Caution

    South America · Herb · № 980

    Yoco

    Paullinia yoco

    A woody liana of the soapberry family, related to guarana. The bark contains caffeine and theobromine; 0.1 to 3.6 percent caffeine has been measured, most in the inner bark of the stem. It is one of the few plants whose bark, rather than its seed or leaf, gives a caffeine drink.

    Kamëntšá and Inga medicine
  • Caution

    Asia · Herb · № 18

    Licorice root

    Glycyrrhiza glabra

    A root with long use in several traditions; high-quality evidence does not support most health claims.

    Ayurveda+9Folklore
  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 933

    Black ash

    Fraxinus nigra

    An ash of wet ground. The wood has hardly any fibre between the growth rings, so after pounding it splits into thin strips. Medicinal effects have not been studied.

    Haudenosaunee medicine
Image of Salvia divinorum

Featured · Central America and the Caribbean · Curanderismo

Salvia divinorum

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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