What is Osha Root? Osha root, sometimes referred to as Porter’s licorice-root, bear root, or chuchupate, is scientifically known as Lingusticum porteri and belongs to the family Apiaceae which includes celery, carrots and parsley. It is a perennial plant, native to the western mountains of the United States and Mexico.  The plant is characterized by […]

What is Schizandra Berry? Schizandra (Schizandra chinensis), sometimes written schisandra, or referred to botanically, as Chinese Magnolia Vine, Wu Wei Zi or Five Flavor Berry, is a climbing vine native to parts of China, Russia, and Korea. It grows to approximately 8 metres tall, and produces oval-shaped leaves and large flowers that range from white and

What is White Oak Bark? Over thousands of years, oak trees have been worshiped for their association with ancient gods and they have played an important role in traditional medicine of several different societies. The White Oak Tree (quercus alba) is native to the eastern United States. It is the symbolic state tree for both Illinois

What is Tamanu Oil? Tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is an inedible greenish-yellow oil obtained from nuts of the tamanu tree. Calophyllum inophyllum (a species of the Guttiferae family) is an enormous evergreen tree found in the tropics of Southeast Asia. The tree also thrives in the Polynesian and Melanesian islands. The Melanesian people say that they

What is He Shou Wu? He Shou Wu, also known as Chinese knotweed, fleeceflower, or Fo-Ti (not to be confused with the unrelated product Fo-Ti-Tieng) is an herbal remedy from Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is derived from the root of the plant Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (synonym Fallopia multiflora or sometimes Reynoutria multiflora), a climbing vine

What is bee pollen? Bee pollen, also known as ambrosia, is simply pollen packed together by honeybees to form pellets. When honey and bee secretions are added to bee pollen, it is referred to as bee bread. Bee bread is stored in brood cells of combs and acts as a major food source for young

What is Boneset? Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum L.), also known as agueweed, thoroughwort, feverwort, Indian sage, and sweating weed, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, which includes daisies and asters. It is native to eastern Canada and the United States, extending north to Nova Scotia and south to Florida, and can be found eastward

What is Eleuthero Root? Eleuthero, is an herb derived from the roots of the plant Eleutherococcus senticosus, more commonly known as Siberian ginseng. Siberian ginseng is not closely related to American or Asian ginseng which are members of the genus Panax. Unlike traditional ginseng which is a flowering plant, Siberian ginseng grows as a thorny

What is Figwort? Figwort is a tall perennial herbaceous plant, traditionally used in treatment of scrofula (an infection of the lymph nodes in the neck, usually associated with tuberculosis) and other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rashes and swelling.  Figworts have the following botanical characteristics. For centuries, people have been using figwort to treat

What is Comfrey? Comfrey, a member of the genus Symphytum, is a perennial flowering evergreen shrub native to Europe, North America and Asia. Symphytum species belong to the family Borraginaceae which consist of forget-me-nots and other wildflowers. Comfrey flowers are bell-shaped and flourish in a variety of colors including white, blue, pink and purple. Their