🌿 American Spikenard Botanical Name:   Aralia racemosa Family:  Araliaceae Common Names:  American Spikenard, Spikenard, Pettymorel, Life-of-Man, Indian Root Parts Used:  Root and rhizome Energetics:  Warming, drying, stimulating Tissue States:  Cold damp stagnation, respiratory congestion, lymphatic sluggishness, chronic catarrh, depleted vitality with damp accumulation Primary Actions:  Expectorant, alterative, lymphatic stimulant, diaphoretic, carminative, anti-inflammato

🌿 Ginger Botanical Name:   Zingiber officinale Family:  Zingiberaceae Common Names:  Ginger, Common Ginger, Sheng Jiang (fresh), Gan Jiang (dried) Parts Used:  Rhizome (fresh or dried) Energetics:  Warming, drying, stimulating Tissue States:  Cold stagnation, dampness, digestive weakness, sluggish circulation, cold phlegm Primary Actions:  Carminative, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, digestive tonic, expectorant Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

🌿 Mangosteen Botanical Name:   Garcinia mangostana Family:  Clusiaceae Common Names:  Mangosteen, Queen of Fruits, Mangostan Parts Used:  Pericarp (rind), fruit, occasionally leaves and bark Energetics:  Cooling, drying, slightly astringent Tissue States:  Heat, inflammation, damp heat, irritated mucosa, sluggish lymph with heat Primary Actions:  Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, immunomodulatory, digestive support Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) 🌱

🌿 Dragonfruit Botanical Name:   Hylocereus spp.  (syn. Selenicereus spp. ) Family:  Cactaceae Common Names:  Dragonfruit, Pitaya, Strawberry Pear Parts Used:  Fruit, seeds, occasionally flowers Energetics:  Cooling, moistening, mildly sweet Tissue States:  Heat, dryness, dehydration, mild deficiency, intestinal irritation Primary Actions:  Hydrating nutritive, antioxidant, mild laxative, prebiotic, cardiovascular supportive, cooling tonic Dragonfruit (Hylocereus spp.) 🌱 Bot

🌿 Lychee Botanical Name:   Litchi chinensis Family:  Sapindaceae Common Names:  Lychee, Litchi, Lichi Parts Used:  Fruit (primary), seed (traditional medicine), peel (less common) Energetics:  Slightly warming, sweet, moistening Tissue States:  Fluid deficiency, mild dryness, cold stagnation (especially in lower abdomen) Primary Actions:  Nutritive tonic, fluid generator, mild digestive stimulant, blood-supportive (traditional), analgesic (seed), warming dispersant (seed) Ly

🌿 Rambutan Botanical Name:   Nephelium lappaceum Family:  Sapindaceae Common Names:  Rambutan, Hairy Lychee Parts Used:  Fruit (aril), rind (pericarp), seed (processed) Energetics:  Cooling, slightly moistening, mildly astringent Tissue States:  Heat, mild dryness, fluid depletion, irritated mucosa, mild blood deficiency Primary Actions:  Hydrating nutritive, antioxidant, mild astringent, digestive support, skin restorative, antimicrobial (rind) Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum

🌿 Black Radish Botanical Name:  Raphanus sativus var. niger Family:  Brassicaceae (Mustard family) Common Names:  Black Radish, Spanish Radish, Black Spanish Radish Parts Used:  Root (fresh primarily), seeds occasionally Energetics:  Cooling to neutral, pungent, slightly drying Tissue States:  Hepatic congestion, bile stagnation, sluggish digestion, dampness with heat Primary Actions:  Cholagogue, choleretic, digestive stimulant, expectorant, antimicrobial, mild diuretic Bla

🌿 Bergamot Botanical Name:  Citrus bergamia Family:  Rutaceae Common Names:  Bergamot Orange, Bergamot Parts Used:  Fruit peel (essential oil), occasionally juice and rind Energetics:  Cooling to neutral, aromatic, slightly bitter Tissue States:  Nervous tension, digestive stagnation, mild hepatic congestion, emotional constriction Primary Actions:  Nervine relaxant, digestive stimulant, carminative, antimicrobial, mild antidepressant ⚠️ Most medicinal use is via the essenti

🌿 Gentian Botanical Name:  Gentiana lutea Family:  Gentianaceae Common Names:  Gentian, Yellow Gentian, Bitter Root Parts Used:  Root Energetics:  Cold, very bitter, drying Tissue States:  Digestive stagnation, metabolic sluggishness, deficient digestive secretions, dampness Primary Actions:  Bitter tonic, digestive stimulant, cholagogue, hepatic stimulant, appetite stimulant Gentian (Gentiana lutea) 🌱 Botanical Description of Gentian Native to: Central and Southern Europe

🌿 Grapefruit Botanical Name:  Citrus x paradisi Family:  Rutaceae Common Names:  Grapefruit, Pomelo Hybrid Parts Used:  Fruit, peel, essential oil from peel, seeds (extract) Energetics:  Cooling, slightly drying, aromatic, bitter-sour Tissue States:  Metabolic sluggishness, lymphatic stagnation, digestive heaviness, damp accumulation Primary Actions:  Digestive stimulant, mild cholagogue, lymphatic mover, metabolic support, antimicrobial (seed extract), uplifting nervine Gra

🌿 Thyme Botanical Name:   Thymus vulgaris Family:  Lamiaceae Common Names:  Thyme, Common Thyme, Garden Thyme Parts Used:  Leaf and flowering tops Energetics:  Warming, drying, aromatic Tissue States:  Cold dampness, stagnation with mucus, microbial overgrowth Primary Actions:  Antimicrobial, expectorant, antispasmodic, carminative, immune stimulant, antioxidant Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 🌱 Botanical Description of Thyme Thyme is a low-growing perennial shrub that thrives in a

🌸 Ylang Ylang Botanical Name:  Cananga odorata Family:  Annonaceae Common Names:  Ylang Ylang, Cananga Parts Used:  Fresh flowers (primarily distilled as essential oil) Energetics:  Cooling, moistening, aromatic, relaxing Tissue States:  Nervous tension, sympathetic overdrive, emotional constriction, heat in the heart Primary Actions:  Nervine relaxant, anxiolytic, mild hypotensive, aphrodisiac, cardiac calming agent Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) 🌴 Botanical Description of

🌿 Coriander Botanical Name:   Coriandrum sativum Family:  Apiaceae Common Names:  Coriander, Cilantro (leaf), Chinese Parsley Parts Used:  Seeds (primarily medicinal), fresh leaf (culinary and medicinal) Energetics:  Cooling to neutral (seed slightly warming), aromatic, gently drying Tissue States:  Dampness with heat in digestion, mild tension, inflammatory states Primary Actions:  Carminative, digestive stimulant, mild antimicrobial, antispasmodic, detoxifying, nervine (mi

🌿 Buchu Botanical Name:   Agathosma betulina  (primary species), Agathosma crenulata Family:  Rutaceae Common Names:  Buchu, Round-Leaf Buchu Parts Used:  Leaves Energetics:  Warming, aromatic, slightly drying Tissue States:  Dampness in urinary tract, cold stagnation, mild mucosal atony Primary Actions:  Urinary antiseptic, diuretic, carminative, mild stimulant, anti-inflammatory (urinary) Buch (Agathosma apiculata) 🌱 Botanical Description of Buchu Native to: South Africa

🌿 Scarlet Pimpernel Botanical Name:   Anagallis arvensis Family:  Primulaceae Common Names:  Scarlet Pimpernel, Poor Man’s Weatherglass, Shepherd’s Weather-Glass Parts Used:  Aerial parts (fresh preferred) Energetics:  Cooling, slightly bitter, mildly drying Tissue States:  Damp heat, toxic heat in skin, sluggish lymph, melancholic stagnation Primary Actions:  Alterative, mild diuretic, expectorant (traditional), hepatic stimulant, lymphatic mover ⚠️ Scarlet Pimpernel is mil

🌿 Rauwolfia Botanical Name:   Rauwolfia serpentina Family:  Apocynaceae Common Names:  Indian Snakeroot, Sarpagandha Parts Used:  Root Energetics:  Cooling, bitter, grounding, strongly descending Tissue States:  Excess heat, agitation, hypertension, sympathetic overdrive Primary Actions:  Antihypertensive, sedative, tranquilizing nervine, antipsychotic (historical use), autonomic modulator ⚠️ This is a potent herb with pharmaceutical-level effects. Use requires professional

🌿 Sundew Botanical Name:   Drosera rotundifolia  (also D. intermedia , D. anglica ) Family:  Droseraceae Common Names:  Sundew, Round-leaved Sundew Parts Used:  Aerial parts (harvested in flower) Energetics:  Cooling, slightly bitter, mildly sweet Tissue States:  Dry irritated mucosa, nervous spasm, lingering inflammation of respiratory tissues Primary Actions:  Antitussive, antispasmodic, respiratory trophorestorative, mild antimicrobial, nervine Sundew (Drosera spatulata)

🌿 Teasel Botanical Name:   Dipsacus fullonum  / Dipsacus sylvestris  (commonly used interchangeably; Dipsacus asper  in TCM) Family:  Caprifoliaceae (formerly Dipsacaceae) Common Names:  Teasel, Fuller's Teasel, Wild Teasel Parts Used:  Root (primarily), sometimes leaf Energetics:  Warm, bitter, slightly sweet, drying Tissue States:  Cold stagnation, deep inflammation, connective tissue weakness, chronic infection Primary Actions:  Connective tissue trophorestorative, muscul

🌿 Ghost Pipe Botanical Name:   Monotropa uniflora Family:  Ericaceae (formerly Monotropaceae) Common Names:  Ghost Pipe, Indian Pipe, Corpse Plant Parts Used:  Fresh whole plant (above-ground portions; traditionally tinctured immediately) Energetics:  Cooling, slightly bitter, moistening Tissue States:  Acute nervous shock, severe pain, dissociation, trauma held in the nervous system Primary Actions:  Nervine analgesic, antispasmodic, anxiolytic, trauma modulator, autonomic

🌿 Andrographis Botanical Name:   Andrographis paniculata Family:  Acanthaceae Common Names:  Andrographis, Kalmegh, King of Bitters, Bhunimba Parts Used:  Aerial parts (leaves and stems) Energetics:  Very bitter, cold, drying Tissue States:  Heat, toxicity, inflammation, infection, damp-heat Primary Actions:  Antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, febrifuge Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) 🌱 Botanical Description of Andrograph