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
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Mushroom · № 904
Psilocybe mexicana (en andere Psilocybe-soorten)
Small mushrooms containing psilocybin and psilocin. After half an hour to an hour they bring visions and an altered sense of time and space that last several hours.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 901
Banisteriopsis caapi
A giant liana up to thirty metres long. The stem contains harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine, which inhibit the enzyme MAO. This makes the DMT from plants such as chacruna active by mouth. The drink brings visions, and usually vomiting and diarrhoea, which the tradition regards as cleansing.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 924
Anadenanthera colubrina
A thorny tree of the pea family, related to yopo. The seeds contain much bufotenine, up to over twelve per cent, as well as some DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. As a snuff they cause violent physical effects and short visions.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 902
Psychotria viridis
A shrub of the coffee family up to five metres tall. The leaves contain DMT, a short-acting, powerfully mind-altering substance that only works by mouth together with an MAO inhibitor such as ayahuasca.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 908
Virola theiodora (en verwante Virola-soorten)
A tree of the nutmeg family with blood-red resin in its bark. The resin contains a lot of 5-MeO-DMT and DMT, and also beta-carbolines. As snuff it brings excitement, numb limbs, nausea and visions within minutes.
CautionAfrica · Herb · № 909
Tabernanthe iboga
A shrub of the dogbane family up to ten metres tall. The root bark contains ibogaine and about ten other alkaloids. In small amounts stimulating; in large amounts a dreamlike state with visions that lasts for days.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 925
Mimosa tenuiflora (syn. Mimosa hostilis)
A thorny tree or shrub of the pea family with feathery leaves and white, fragrant flower spikes. The root bark contains much DMT. Taken by mouth, DMT normally does not work without an MAO inhibitor; why the jurema drink is still said to work is not clear.
CautionAsia · Food · № 131
Nelumbo nucifera
Almost every part is used: seeds for diarrhoea and restlessness, rhizome as food, leaf for 'summer heat'. Scientific evidence is mostly laboratory research.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 906
Ipomoea corymbosa (syn. Turbina corymbosa, Rivea corymbosa)
A woody morning glory with white flowers. The small, round seeds contain ergine (LSA) and related ergoline alkaloids, chemically related to LSD. They bring an intoxication with visions, often with nausea and lethargy.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 903
Lophophora williamsii
A small, spineless, blue-green cactus with a long taproot. Contains mescaline and over thirty other alkaloids. After a few hours mescaline brings colourful visions that last up to half a day, often after a phase of nausea and vomiting.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 449
Calotropis gigantea
Traditionally attributed effects: root bark cleansing, tonic, antispasmodic, expectorant, emetic; for dysentery, bronchitis, leprosy, enlarged liver and spleen, oedema, worms; acts on the heart like digitalis.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 905
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.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 875
Echinopsis pachanoi (syn. Trichocereus pachanoi)
A fast-growing columnar cactus containing mescaline, a powerful mind-altering substance.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 874
Lobelia tupa
A robust lobelia with red flowers and felted leaves. Contains lobeline and other alkaloids; poisonous.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 907
Anadenanthera peregrina
A tree of the pea family with flat pods. The seeds contain a lot of bufotenine and also DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. As snuff they cause almost immediate muscle twitching, nausea and short visions in which things often seem very large.
CautionAfrica · Herb · № 804
Nymphaea caerulea
A water lily of great religious significance in ancient Egypt. Its effects as a remedy are little studied.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 852
Drimys winteri
A tree with a peppery, bitter bark. As Winter's bark it was a remedy for scurvy for centuries; otherwise its effects are little studied.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 819
Nicotiana rustica
A ceremonial plant of many Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Tobacco is addictive and harmful to health.
CautionNorth America · Food · № 965
Zizania palustris (en Z. aquatica)
An aquatic grass, not true rice. The long, dark grain contains more protein and fibre than white rice.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 374
Amaranthus spp.
Traditionally attributed effects: flowers, leaf and root strongly antiseptic; wound healing.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 569
Vernonia cinerea
Traditionally attributed effects: fever-reducing, induces sweating, cleansing; decoction promotes sweating in fever; seeds antidote, expel worms, for leprosy and chronic skin diseases; plant for bladder cramps, difficult urination, haemorrhoids; flowers for conjunctivitis.
CautionAfrica · Herb · № 8
Ocimum basilicum
Traditionally used as an aromatic food plant and in herbal preparations.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 714
Clematis chinensis
Traditionally attributed effects: expels wind and dampness and moves the qi in pain anywhere in the body.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 183
Erythroxylum coca
The leaf contains a small amount of cocaine and other alkaloids. Chewing it or drinking it as tea is used in the Andes against hunger, fatigue and altitude sickness; evidence for the latter is limited. Cocaine, the first local anaesthetic and today mainly an addictive drug, was isolated from the leaf.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 103
Verbena officinalis
Traditionally used for nervousness, exhaustion and as a digestive bitter. Scientific evidence is largely lacking.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 1004
Cantua buxifolia
A much-branched shrub of 2 to 3 metres with clusters of tubular flowers in red, pink, yellow or white, pollinated by hummingbirds and bees. Little is known about its effect in people.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Food · № 266
Zea mays
Traditionally attributed effects: diuretic, heals the urinary tract lining, tonic, soothing.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 851
Aristotelia chilensis
A shrub with dark purple berries rich in anthocyanins. The leaf was traditionally used for wounds and sore throats. Health claims for 'superfood' products are unproven.
CautionCentral America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 923
Heimia salicifolia
A shrub of the loosestrife family with narrow leaves and yellow flowers. Contains vertine (cryogenine), lyfoline and lythrine. Said to cause slight dizziness, a yellow tint over what one sees and the feeling that sounds come from far away.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 823
Salvia apiana
An aromatic sage burned in ceremonies by Indigenous peoples of California.
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.