The Herbal:
Chickweed
Daisies
Horehound
Lavender
Life Everlasting
Mullein
Red Clover
Roses
Rosehips
Rosemary
Sage
St. John's Wort
Tansy
Thyme
Violets
Woodruff
Yarrow
"Whore-hound?" my uninitiated friends snicker. "Hore-hound," I reply, "With an H. You should try it next time you're coughing." Common lore has it that the name refers to the plant's grey, aged appearance as in hoary. Our modern spelling of the name muddies the meaning.
I can't say that Horehound is the prettiest of herbs, but it is wonderful and it is very easy to grow. In fact, too easy, at least here in Nahant. It spreads. And spreads, and spreads, and spreads. One plant put in four years ago has propagated itself all over my front yard, on both sides of the driveway. Every spring I have to thin out the crop and find myself talking up the herb to friends, begging them to take some of the new plants off my hands so I won't suffer the guilt of throwing them out.
Horehound's claim to fame is as a remedy for coughs related to colds and flu. Who ever would have thought that something so simple as horehound cough syrup could work so well. I know I just shook my head in disbelief the first time I tried it, and was more than a little surprised at how effective it was.
The herb can also be tinctured and taken as a more long term therapy. Horehound is reputed to work as a tonic for the lungs, strengthening them and boosting their ability to resist irritations and illness.
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