Zea mays
The fine, silky threads found inside an ear of corn, between the husk and the kernels — traditionally saved and…
Vaccinium macrocarpon
A low, trailing evergreen shrub native to North American bogs and wetlands, bearing tart red berries.
Cuminum cyminum
A small flowering annual in the carrot family, grown for its aromatic, earthy seeds — a foundational spice across Middle…
Murraya koenigii
A small tree whose aromatic leaves are a foundational flavoring in South Indian cooking — genuinely distinct from "curry powder,"…
Turnera diffusa
A small aromatic shrub with yellow flowers and fragrant leaves, native to hot, dry regions of the Americas.
Taraxacum officinale
Familiar perennial weed with a deep taproot and yellow composite flowers.
Harpagophytum procumbens
Sprawling perennial with distinctive hooked, claw-like seed pods, native to the arid regions of southern Africa.
Anethum graveolens
A feathery-leaved annual in the carrot family, valued both for its fresh fronds (dill weed) and its aromatic seed, widely…
Echinacea purpurea
Native prairie perennial with large purple-pink daisy-like flowers.
Sambucus nigra
Deciduous shrub with clusters of white flowers followed by dark purple berries.
The creamy-white, fragrant flower clusters of the same plant whose berries are already in this library as Elderberry — harvested…
Inula helenium
Tall, stately perennial with large leaves and big yellow daisy-like flowers, grown for its thick aromatic root.
Eleutherococcus senticosus
Spiny deciduous shrub; root is the medicinal part, distinct from true Panax ginseng.
Euphrasia officinalis
A small, semi-parasitic annual wildflower with tiny white flowers streaked with purple and a yellow throat, growing low in grasslands…
Foeniculum vulgare
Tall aromatic perennial with feathery leaves and yellow flower umbels; seeds are the medicinal part.
Trigonella foenum-graecum
An annual legume with clover-like leaves and small, angular yellow-brown seeds, one of the oldest cultivated spice and medicinal plants.
Tanacetum parthenium
Bushy perennial with small daisy-like flowers and yellow-green, feathery, strongly-scented leaves.
Linum usitatissimum
A slender annual with delicate blue flowers, grown for both its fiber (linen) and its small, oil-rich brown or golden…
Allium sativum
Bulbous perennial grown as an annual for its pungent cloves.
Gentiana lutea
A tall alpine perennial with smooth oval leaves and clusters of bright yellow star-shaped flowers, prized for its thick, intensely…
Zingiber officinale
Tropical perennial grown for its aromatic underground rhizome.
Ginkgo biloba
Ancient deciduous tree with distinctive fan-shaped leaves.
Panax ginseng
A slow-growing woodland perennial with a distinctive forked, humanlike taproot, palmate leaves, and small red berries, cultivated primarily for its…
Hydrastis canadensis
Low woodland perennial with a single large lobed leaf and small greenish flower, prized for its bright yellow root.
Centella asiatica
A small, ground-hugging perennial with fan-shaped leaves, native to wetlands and low-lying areas throughout tropical Asia. Not related to the…
Camellia sinensis
An evergreen shrub whose young leaves and leaf buds are harvested and minimally processed (unlike black tea, which is fully…
Paullinia cupana
A climbing shrub native to the Amazon basin, valued for its seeds, which contain one of the highest natural concentrations…
Crataegus laevigata
Small thorny tree or shrub with white spring flowers and red berries in fall.
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Tropical/subtropical shrub grown for its tart red calyces.
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Aromatic annual/perennial basil relative, sacred in Ayurvedic tradition.
Humulus lupulus
A vigorous perennial climbing vine best known for its papery, cone-shaped female flowers (strobiles), which carry the aromatic, bitter compounds…
Marrubium vulgare
Woolly-leaved perennial with a distinctive musky scent and small white flowers in tight whorls.
Aesculus hippocastanum
A large ornamental shade tree with palmate leaves, upright clusters of white flowers in spring, and glossy brown seeds encased…
Armoracia rusticana
A hardy perennial root vegetable in the mustard family, valued for its intensely pungent root, which releases sharp, sinus-clearing compounds…
Equisetum arvense
An ancient, non-flowering perennial fern relative with hollow, jointed, bamboo-like stems that are notably rich in silica, giving them a…
Hyssopus officinalis
A semi-woody perennial in the mint family with narrow, aromatic leaves and spikes of small blue-purple flowers, historically significant in…
Impatiens capensis
A tender annual wildflower with translucent, watery stems and distinctive orange, spotted, trumpet-shaped flowers that dangle like jewels, followed by…
Juniperus communis
An evergreen shrub or small tree whose blue-black, aromatic berry-like cones are used as a culinary spice (most familiar as…
Pueraria montana var. lobata
A fast-growing, vigorous climbing vine with a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, notorious in North America as…
Lavandula angustifolia
Woody perennial shrub with narrow gray-green leaves and purple flower spikes.
