Materia Medica

Wormseed (Dysphania ambrosioides) — Epazote, Mexican Tea

September 28, 2026

Wormseed, better known in the kitchen as epazote, is now botanically accepted as Dysphania ambrosioides; Chenopodium ambrosioides is an older familiar synonym. This guide separates culinary leaf use from historical vermifuge use, examines ascaridole research, and explains why concentrated essential oil requires serious safety caution.

September 28, 2026

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is an intensely bitter European herb with a long digestive, vermifuge and absinthe history. This guide separates traditional whole-herb use from thujone-rich essential oil, reviews modern pharmacology and limited clinical research, and explains the plant’s major safety concerns.

September 28, 2026

Yellow root (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) is a native eastern North American shrub with intensely yellow, berberine-containing roots and a documented history in Cherokee, Catawba and Appalachian plant use. This guide covers correct identification, traditional uses, phytochemistry, research limits, cultivation, sustainable sourcing and safety.

September 28, 2026

California yerba santa (Eriodictyon californicum) is an aromatic evergreen shrub native to California and Oregon with a long Indigenous and regional history of respiratory use. This guide covers correct identification, traditional cough and cold use, modern flavanone chemistry, sterubin research, cultivation and the limits of current safety and clinical evidence.

September 28, 2026

Yews (Taxus spp.) are ancient evergreen trees and shrubs with major historical and pharmaceutical importance—but their needles, bark and seeds contain dangerous taxines that can cause fatal cardiac poisoning. This safety-focused guide covers identification, toxicology, Pacific yew and paclitaxel history, and why crude yew must never be used as a home cancer remedy.

September 28, 2026

Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) is a tropical Annonaceae tree whose intensely fragrant flowers yield one of perfumery’s best-known essential oils. This guide covers botanical identity, traditional use, essential-oil chemistry, small human aromatherapy studies, contact-allergy risk, cultivation and practical safety.

September 28, 2026

Yohimbe is a West and Central African tree whose bark contains yohimbine, a pharmacologically potent alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist. This guide distinguishes traditional bark from purified yohimbine, reviews sexual-health research, documents major supplement-label variability, and explains cardiovascular, neurologic and medication-interaction risks.

September 28, 2026

Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) is a desert shrub-tree traditionally used for food, fiber, washing and regional medicine. This guide covers correct identification, steroidal saponins and yuccaols, food-use regulation, the limited human evidence behind arthritis and cholesterol claims, cultivation, sustainability and safety.

September 28, 2026

Globe artichoke is a Mediterranean food plant now treated botanically within Cynara cardunculus; Cynara scolymus remains a familiar synonym in older herbal and clinical literature. This guide distinguishes the edible flower bud from medicinal leaf preparations, reviews dyspepsia and cholesterol research, explains cynarin and caffeoylquinic acids, and covers biliary and allergy cautions.

September 28, 2026

Hairy agrimony (Agrimonia pilosa), known in Chinese herbal tradition as Xian He Cao, is a Rosaceae perennial distinct from the European agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria already covered elsewhere in this guide. This article reviews its traditional astringent and hemostatic reputation, tannins, flavonoids and agrimonolide, mostly preclinical anti-inflammatory and antiviral research, the shortage of rigorous human trials, and an important contradiction: an older animal study prolonged bleeding and coagulation times rather than supporting simple home use to stop bleeding.

September 28, 2026

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) is an old cottage-garden mallow with edible flowers and a long tradition of soothing respiratory, digestive and urinary preparations. This guide distinguishes the accepted name Alcea rosea from the older synonym Althaea rosea, reviews its unusually abundant flower mucilage, anthocyanins and flavonoids, summarizes preclinical airway, kidney-stone, glucose, inflammatory and anticancer research, and explains the major evidence gap: convincing controlled human therapeutic trials are still lacking.

Alnus rubra red alder catkins and foliage

Alder, Red — Alnus rubra

September 28, 2026

Red alder (Alnus rubra) is the dominant native alder of the Pacific Northwest and a major nitrogen-fixing pioneer tree. Its bark has a documented history in Coast Salish and other...