Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is yet another extremely invasive plant which also happens to have extraordinary medicinal properties. The plant has its origins in Europe but it practically colonized parts of Australia and North America becoming a nasty pest and a menace, stifling and smothering the local flora and driving people mad.

Have you ever wondered why there is such an abundance of plants be those weeds, vegetables or flowers? They only plausible answer that one can come up with is quite simple; they must be absolutely essential for our survival. These simple but so abundant weeds, plantain, borage, mullein and so many others that we stumble upon, everywhere and every day, are somehow responsible for our wellbeing.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is best known for its nice fragrance and its intense usage in the Italian cuisine. Most people don’t actually know the fact that oregano contains a great amount of antioxidants, a very potent essential oil and some other beneficial chemicals. Oregano can calm the nervous system, help both the respiratory and the digestive tract and it has been used to cure many problems related to the female genitalia like adnexitis, endometriosis, vaginitis and even uterine cancer.

Moldavian Dragonhead’s origins can be traced all the way to China, the Himalayas and Siberia but today the plant can be found on almost every continent, from Europe to Asia and some regions of North America like Vermont and Connecticut. The plant can be observed in the wild but it can also be cultivated for its fragrance and beauty. The purple, elegant flowers and the thin, tall stems can give a nice touch to any city or country garden.

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) was a well known and much appreciated plant since the beginning of times. It was used as an effective remedy by the ancient Egyptians, by the Arabs, Romans, Chinese and Syrians and they all understood its medicinal value. The ancients used marshmallow as a vegetable also. Today, marshmallow can be found all around the globe, from the salty marshes of England to some northern parts of the United States.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) is a natural reservoir of cough medicine. People still believe that lungwort’s leaves are shaped like the human lungs for a reason. An ancient theory, outdated as it is, tells us that many plants bear the shape of our internal organs in order to guide us and make us understand their beneficial properties.

 
Heartsease (Viola tricolor) is a small plant, easily recognizable by its beautifully colored flower petals. It is also called the wild pansy. The purple, yellow and white delicate petals have medicinal importance and must be handpicked from late spring to early autumn. The velvety texture and the bright colors recommend the viola tricolor petals as beautiful ornaments for cakes and drinks.

Great Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) is a very tall and distinctive looking plant that grows wild on the sunny fields of Europe, North America, Asia and some parts of Africa. The multitude of small yellow flower bouquets seem to reach for the sun and make it look like a giant flickering candle. The leaves are disposed in a round conformation at the base of the plant and the tall stem just shoots up and can reach up to a 2 meter height. 

Couch Grass (Agropyron repens) is an invasive, annoying and very vigorous little weed, capable of immediately taking over neglected lawns, gardens and fields. Its powerful, deep penetrating roots are almost impossible to destroy so the plant keeps popping out from the ground and getting the farmers in trouble.

Centaury (Centaurium Erythraea) can easley be unnoticed among so many herbs cohabitating on the vast pastures of Europe and Asia. It is just a small plant with a pink, star shaped multitude of flowers, that doesn’t attract very much attention. But, the experienced herbalists can spot a clump of centaury from a distance. The plant is too valuable to be missed. They have some sort of reverence in front of the bitterest of the plants because they know the powerful chemicals that lay under the modest appearance of this humble weed.