Common Names: Xin Yi Hua, Beaver Tree, Holly Bay, Indian Bark, Red Bay, Red Laurel, Swamp Laurel, Swamp Sassafras, Sweet Magnolia, White Bay.

Properties and Uses: Astringent, diaphoretic, febrifuge, stimulant, tonic.   Used for dyspepsia, dysentery, erysipelas, intermittent fever, skin ailments, to cure the tobacco habit. 

Common Names: Five-finger Fern, Maiden Fern, Rock Fern.

Properties and Uses: Expectorant, refrigerant, tonic.   Used for coughs, congestion due to colds, hoarseness, catarrhal conditions, as and ingredient hair rinses to prevent falling hair, to thicken the hair and entice it to grow back after falling out.

Properties and Uses: Astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant.   Used for coughs, hoarseness, inflammation of the larynx and tonsils, bronchitis and other irritating respiratory ailments, laryngitis, emphysema, lung catarrh, catarrhal gastritis, enteritis, to wash wounds or sores, and as an enema for intestinal inflammation.

Common Names: Holy Thistle, Marythistle, St. Mary's Thistle.

Properties and Uses: Leaves are bitter tonic.   Seeds are cholagogue.   The leaves are used for stomach ailments such as lack of appetite and dyspepsia.   The seeds are used for gallbladder, liver, spleen problems, jaundice, and gallstone colic.

Common Names: American Mistletoe, Birdlime, Golden Bough.

Properties and Uses: Emetic, nervine.   Used for cholera, epilepsy, hysteria, convulsions, delirium, nervous debility, heart problems.   In the past, it has been used to induce abortion.   Also used to increase uterine contractions during childbirth, and to stop bleeding after parturition.   Sir John Colbatch published in 1720 a pamphlet on `The Treatment of Epilepsy by Mistletoe', regarding it as a specific and effective treatment for epilepsy, apoplexy and giddiness.   Mistletoe is combined with Valerian Root and Vervain, for all sorts of nervous complaints, cayenne pods being added where there is debility of the digestive organs. 

This has a pungent, but aromatic odor and bitter taste. Used as a source for dark green dye.

Properties and Uses: Astringent, calmative, cardiac, emmenagogue, stomachic.   Used for nervous heart conditions and PMS, gas, cramps, menopause, shortness of breath, goiter, respiratory distresses, neuritis, neuralgia, rheumatism.   Used as a postpartum tonic to help drain the uterus and prevent infections.

Common Names: Aaron's Rod, blanket-leaf, Candlewick, Flannel-flower, Feltwort, Great Mullein, Hedge-taper, Jacob's Staff, Mullein dock, Old Man's flannel, Shepherd's Club, Velvet dock, Velvet Plant.

Properties and Uses: Anodyne, antispasmodic, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, vulnerary.   Used for coughs, hoarseness, bronchitis, bronchial catarrh, whooping cough gastrointestinal catarrh, cramps.   A tea of the flowers is used for insomnia, to relieve pain, for inflammations or painful skin ailments.   Either the tea or fomentation of the leaves steeped in hot vinegar and water is good for external purposes.   The flowers placed in a vapor is used for nasal congestion and other respiratory ailments.   The crushed fresh flowers are used to remove warts.   A poultice of the leaves and powder of the dried leaves is used for wounds and sores of a difficult or extreme nature.

Properties and Uses: Appetizer, digestive, irritant.   Used mostly externally to bring the blood flow to the skin surface for rheumatism, sciatica, peritonitis, neuralgia, and different internal inflammations.   Eaten fresh, it will promote the appetite and stimulate the flow of gastric juices.

Myrrh has been used since ancient times in incense, perfumes, and fumigants.   It was used to combat leprosy in biblical times which today it is known myrrh has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties.   The name myrrh comes from the Arabic mur, or "bitter", referring to the spice's bitter taste. Today it is found in incense and mouthwashes.