Marrubium vulgare (Horehound)

The name horehound comes from Old English, har and hune meaning downy plant, which may refer to the plants’ hairy leaves. In ancient Egypt, it was called “the eye of the star” and “seed of Horus”, and horehound may derive from the god of sky and light, Horus. From the Lamiaceae family (mint), it is a perennial aromatic native in southern Europe, northern Africa and central Asia but has naturalized throughout North and Central America and forms monoculture stands in Australia and other countries, moving into damaged overgrazed areas. The leaves have white wooly hairs and flowers are small. Horehound has been a favorite medicinal plant for the respiratory system since ancient Greek and Roman times. It is one of the bitter herbs Jewish people eat on Passover, and has been used as an antidote to poison. It aids the liver and digestion, fever and malaria.

Elizabeth Oriel 2022