Horehound is said to derive it's name from the Egyptian god of sky and light, Horus. It's a perennial plant that's known more for it's medicinal use than as a food source. It's been used for centuries by herbalists who prescribed it for fevers, malaria and coughs. Although it can be eaten, it's not recommended on a regular basis.
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The scientific botanical name is Marrubium vulgare. Common names are white or common horehound. Other names include Bonhomme, Grand Bonhomme, Herbe aux Crocs, Herbe Vierge, Horehound, Houndsbane, Marrube Blanc, Marrube des Champs, Marrube Commun, Marrube Vulgaire, Marrubii Herba, Marrubio Blanco, Marrubium, Marrubium vulgare, Mastranzo.
"Hore" can be of Old English origin, with "hoar" to mean gray or white. "Hound" is not relating to a canine. The scientific name Marrubium is Latin and how it was known by the Romans. Vulgare just means common.
In folklore, Horehound was the herb which Egyptians dedicated to the god Horus, with priests calling it to the Seed of Horus, Bull's Blood and Eye of the Star. Those who dream of horehound was an indication that they would face imprisonment.
It's been used as far back as the 1st century BC, appearing in De Medicina by Roman encyclopaedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus to treat respiratory ailments.
Horehound grows easily as a wild edible plant. It does well in dry and well -draind soils, and adapts to most conditions. It thrives in full sun. You can find it along roadsides, disturbed areas, fields and semi-dry areas.
The rugged perennial is native to Europe, northern Africa and southwestern and central Asia. It's been naturalized into North and South America. Any garden in Zones 3 to 10 can grow it.
As a food, the leaves and flowers can be added to salads, stir-fries, soups or stews once in a while. It tastes very bitter. It's main use is to help remedy occasional maladies.
It's been cultivated in Britain to make tea or candy for use in treating coughs an colds. It's also brewed into Horehound Ale in Norfolk and other districts.
Uses also range from treating digestion problems including loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and liver and gallbladder complaints, and for lung and breathing problems including cough, whooping cough, asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, and swollen breathing passages. It's used as an expectorant in cough syrups and lozenges to help cough up phlegm.
Painful menstrual periods have been treated with horehound. Other uses include treating yellowed skin (jaundice), to kill parasitic worms, to cause sweating, and to increase urine production. Skin applications are used for treating damaged skin, ulcers and wounds.
Large doses is considered not safe, as it can cause upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting. It shouldn't be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding. It might start menstruation or cause a miscarriage. High consumption can cause cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats.
Horehound might lower blood sugar level, so those with diabetes should consider this as it might drop blood sugar level too low. It might also lower blood pressure. Use with blood pressure medications should be avoided.
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Previous posts on Getting to Know Herbs:
Cayenne | Ashwagandha | Gotu Kola | Common Verbana/Vervain | Holy Basil | Sweet Annie | Globe Artichoke | Butterfly Weed / Pleurisy Root | Joe-Pye Weed / Gravel Root | Valerian | Malva/Mallow | Boneset | Elecampane | Lungwort | Cramp Bark | Motherwort | Common Plantain | Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) | Black Cohosh | Common Bearberry | Mahonia Mountain Grape (Oregon Grape) | Blue Cohosh | Goldenseal
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