Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle – lonicera japonica – This evergreen or semi-evergreen vine has hairy leaves and fragrant spring to summer flowers that open white and turn yellow, followed by poisonous black berries.
Properties cited are for the common flower that grows wild, rather that the ornamental varieties. The flowers have a broad spectrum antimicrobial effect against salmonella, staphyloccus, and streptococcus. Chinese herbalists have long recognized honesuckle as an antibiotic herb for colds, flus, and fevers. Sore throats, conjuctivitis, and inflammations of the bowel, urinary tract, and reproductive organs have been treated with it. It is said to be useful in treating cancer. Combine it with seeds of Forsythia suspensii, the well-known yellow flowering shrub, or Echinacea augustifolia or E. purpurea for maximum antivirul and antibacterial effect. Steep two teaspoons per cup for twenty minutes. The dose is a quarter cup, four times a day.

Other Uses: Health-Healing; Love; Luck; Creativity; Prophetic Dreams; Protection; Psychic Awareness; Divination; Clairvoyance; Anointing; Balance. Lightly crush the fresh flowers and then rub on the forehead to heighten psychic powers.

Hops

Hops – humulus lupulus – Also known as Beer Flavor. A Druid sacred herb, this herbaceous twining herb has large toothed leaves and flowers with a distinctive scent of beer. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable and the leaves blanched for soups, but Hops are cultivated mainly for the brewing industry. The ripe, female flowers, called “strobiles,” are added to beer to flavor, clarify, and preserve it. A pillow stuffed with dried hops aids sleep and healing.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: The smell of the herb acts as a sedative.

Other Uses: Use in exorcism incenses and mixtures, as well as healing sachets.

Horehound

Horehound – Marrubium vulgar – Horehound is a woolly herb with a faint scent of wormwood, crinkled hairy leaves, and flowering stems with whorls of small white blossoms. Navajo mothers were given a root decoction before and after childbirth. Horehound’s woolly leaves were once used to clean milk pails, and the dried flower remains were floated on oil as candle wicks. The leaves are used in tonics, liqueurs, and ales, and are made into expectorant and antiseptic cough drops. An infusion relaxes muscles, and helps expel mucus, treating bronchitis, croup, and asthma. It destroys intestinal worms, and acts as a digestive and liver tonic and a laxative. The tea is used internally and externally to treat eczema and shingles.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: The leaves are used in tonics, liqueurs, and ales, and are made into expectorant and antiseptic cough drops. An infusion relaxes muscles, and helps expel mucus, treating bronchitis, croup, and asthma.

Other Uses: Use in protective sachets and carry to guard against sorcery and fascination. Also scattered as an exorcism herb. Drink an infusion of the herb and it will clear your mind and promote quick thinking as well as strengthen the mental powers.

Horse Balm

Horse Balm – collinsonia canadensis – This herb has many properties. It is a diuretic and tonic, used to treat kidney stones. It also removes excess fluid and toxins from the body, aiding kidney complaints, diarrhoea and urinary system problems. Horse balm also improves the function of mucous membranes. It has helped relieve irritable bowel syndrome, varicose veins and mucous colitis.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: The root tea is diuretic, a vasodilator, antispasmodic and tonic – treats urinary tract issues, diarrhoea, kidney complaints, varicose veins, irritable bowel syndrome.

Horse Chestnut

Horse Chestnut – aesculus hippocastanum – This herb helps varicose veins and hemorrhoids – it is anti-inflammatory and astringent, toning distended vein walls. Horse chestnut is a vasodilator, increasing the circulation of blood and possibly aiding in the prevetion of heart problems. It’s anti-inflammatory properties also relieve arthritis and rheumatism. Finally, horse chestnut has expectorant properties, loosening phlegm and relieving respiratory problems.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: This herb helps varicose veins and hemorrhoids – it is anti-inflammatory and astringent, toning distended vein walls. Also reduces fluid retention, is a vasodilator, and expectorant.

Horsetail

Horsetail – equisetum arvense, equisetaceae – Over the centuries the herb gained a reputation as a wound healer. As time passed, it shed this reputation and gained one as a diuretic to treat water retention and as a urinary remedy. Contemporary herbalists recommend it externally for wounds and internally for urinary and prostrate problems. Horsetail is considered nutritive and high in calcium and a good source of iron. For an infusion, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day. Horsetail has little taste. Horsetail should not be given in medicinal quantities to children under age 2. For persons over 65 start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: A coagulent, diuretic and astringent. Rich in silicon therefore helps in healing of bones, improving hair, skin, nails, bones and teeth.

Hydrangea, Wild

Wild Hydrangea – hydrangea arborescens – This herb is a well used diuretic, used to aid the passing of kidney stones and dissolving of residual stones. Overall, this herb is a genital/urinal tract herb used to treat cystitis, nephritis, enlarged prostate, kidney stones and irritation of the bladder.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: Used in treatment of kidney stones and redidue, aiding passing of stones and dissolving residual. A genital/urinal herb, aiding both systems.

Indian Heliotrope

Indian Heliotrope – heliotropium indicum –

Indian Hemp

Forms Available: root

Indian Hemp – apocynum cannibinum – A herb that has been used by Native Americans to relieve many conditions from coughs and rheumatism to promoting lactation. This herb is a stimulant to heart, respiration and urinary systems.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: The root is expectorant, emetic, diuretic and a cardiotonic.