Apple Mint – Medicinal Herb from the Lamiaceae Family

White Horehound – A Medicinal Herb from the Mint Family White Horehound in Brief: White Horehound – Latin name - Marrubium vulgare It grows mainly in clumps to a height of 30 to 60 cm. It has square, hollow stems and opposite, felted, ovate leaves with serrated edges. The plant's scent resembles apple, but beware - its taste is astringently bitter. It is precisely because of this unmistakable aroma that this herb received the name white horehound. However, we may also know it by various folk names such as Samaritan or fragrant ear. In any case, it is a very effective herb against cough and cold.

Cultivation of White Horehound

White horehound, botanically known as Marrubium vulgare, belongs to perennial plants that prefer very bright and warm locations and can tolerate drier conditions. An advantage in cultivation is lighter, rather well-draining soil with sufficient calcium. White horehound does not like acidic and overly moist soils. If we follow these main conditions for growing white horehound, we can cultivate it in one place for 5 to 7 years. White horehound is grown mainly from seeds. The suitable sowing time is in spring or autumn - early October or in spring. We sow the seeds in rows 40 to 50 cm apart, about 5 cm apart, to a depth of 2 cm. It germinates very slowly, so it is advisable to be patient when sowing. In spring, it is better to wait until April to sow, when there is still enough moisture. If we soak white horehound seeds before sowing, we significantly accelerate their germination.

White horehound can also be grown from pre-grown seedlings. Seedlings about 5 to 10 cm tall are planted at the location with a spacing of 40 to 50 cm. During the growing season, about three hoeing sessions should be expected. We harvest before flowering. For medicinal purposes, we harvest the herb at the beginning of flowering. In the first year of cultivation, we collect once. It is advisable to cut the herb about 5 cm above the ground; in subsequent years two to three times, but we cut it higher so as not to harvest the woody part of the stem. The harvested white horehound herb is ideally dried in an airy and shaded place. When drying with artificial heat, the temperature should not exceed 40°C.

Healing with White Horehound: White horehound herb has a bitter taste and is used for gallbladder diseases, cough and cold, asthma and bronchial catarrh. It relieves spasms, works well for stomach ulcers, intestinal inflammation, kidney and bladder inflammation. In folk medicine, it is recommended to improve appetite and has a soothing effect on the nervous system. Baths with white horehound decoction are used to treat skin rashes. Tea from white horehound treats respiratory diseases. It helps with gallbladder diseases - its bitterness promotes bile secretion. White horehound is often mentioned as a remedy for loss of appetite and relaxing the nervous system. However, white horehound can be used externally on wounds with poor healing, as the white horehound drug has significant anti-inflammatory effects.