Artichoke or Globe Artichoke is a perennial plant from the Asteraceae family a group that includes thistles, dandelions, and sunflowers. Artichoke is 1.4-2 m tall and its leaves may be up to 70 cm long and 30 cm wide. The leaves are arching, silvery-green, deeply lobed in the upper part, and in the lower part the leave becomes pinnate. Although the leaves look soft, they can be quite prickly. The stems of the plant are thick and fleshy. The flower buds are what are sold in produce aisles. The bracts are tightly folded over the enclosed flower parts. more

The chili pepper, is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum which are members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Chili peppers are widely used in many cuisines as a spice to add heat to dishes. Capsicum fruits have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC, and are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas, as origins of cultivating chili peppers are traced to northeastern Mexico some 6,000 years ago. They were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. more

Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind. It is a member of Asteraceae/Compositae family and represented by two common varieties. German Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). more

Vitex agnus-castus, also called chaste tree (or chastetree), is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants. It has been long believed to be an anaphrodisiac – leading to its name as chaste tree – but its effectiveness for such action remains unproven. Vitex is a cross-pollinating plant, but its self-pollination has been recorded. more

Devil’s claw, scientifically known as Harpagophytum procumbens, is a plant native to South Africa. It owes its name to the appearance of its fruit, which bears several small, hook-like projections which attach onto animals in order to spread the seeds. The roots and tubers of the plant are used to make medicine. Traditionally, the roots of this plant have been used to treat a wide range of ailments, such as fever, pain, arthritis, and indigestion. Devil’s claw is a flowering plant of the sesame family. more

Euphrasia rostkoviana common names Eyebright, Eyewort, is a plant from the genus Euphrasia, in the family Orobanchaceae. Native to Europe, Eyebright has small, scallop-edged white flowers with yellow spots and purple streaks, somewhat resembling a bloodshot human eye. Historically, Eyebright's use for eye problems was due to the Doctrine of Signatures, a sixteenth-century theory that held that a plant's appearance indicated the conditions it could treat. more

Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves and pleasant-smelling. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks. more

Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets that is native to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, and western Asia. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Fenugreek is believed to have been brought into cultivation in the Near East. India is a major producer, with fenugreek production in India derived from numerous states. more

Ginkgo is a large tree with fan-shaped leaves. Although Ginkgo is a native plant to China, Japan, and Korea, it has been grown in Europe since around 1730 and in the United States since around 1784. The ginkgo tree is thought to be one of the oldest living trees, dating back to more than 200 million years. more

Panax ginseng is a plant that grows in Korea, northeastern China, and far eastern Siberia. People use the root to make medicine. Do not confuse Panax ginseng with American ginseng, Siberian ginseng, or Panax pseudoginseng. more

Coffea arabica, also known as the Arabian coffee, is a species of Coffea. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated, and is the dominant cultivar, representing some 60% of global production. Arabica coffee's first found in Yemen and documented by the 12th century. The other famous type of coffee is called Robusta."Green coffee" beans are coffee seeds (beans) of Coffea fruits that have not yet been roasted. more

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), balm, common balm, or balm mint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia, but now naturalized in the Americas and elsewhere. It grows to a maximum height of 70–150 cm. The leaves have a mild lemon scent similar to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. more

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a thorny plant presenting decorative leaves with a white pattern of veins and purple flower heads. Milk thistle (silymarin) is a flowering herb related to the daisy and ragweed family. It is native to Mediterranean countries. Some people also call it Mary thistle and holy thistle. more

Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, or just a nettle, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand and North America. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact. more

Pomegranate is a tree that has been used for thousands of years. It is in Greek, Hebrew, Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian mythology and writings. It is described in records dating from around 1500 BC as a treatment for tapeworm and other parasites. more

Salvia rosmarinus, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs. Rosemary has a fibrous root system. more

Senna is a large genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae and the tribe Cassieae. This diverse genus is native throughout the tropics, with a small number of species in temperate regions. The number of species is estimated to be from about 260 to 350. About 50 species of Senna are known in cultivation. The leaves and the fruit of the plant are used to make medicine. more

Illicium verum is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China. A spice commonly called star anise, staranise, star anise seed, Chinese star anise, or badian that closely resembles anise in flavor is obtained from the star-shaped pericarps of the fruit of I. verum which are harvested just before ripening. Star anise oil is a highly fragrant oil used in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams. more

Thyme is any member of the genus Thymus of aromatic perennial evergreen plants to 40 cm tall in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus Origanum. They have culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses, the species most commonly cultivated and used for culinary purposes being Thymus vulgaris. more

Valerian is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of 1.5 meters, it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly species, especially hoverflies of the genus Eristalis. It is consumed as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species, including the grey pug. more