Witchonomics
Herb and plant library
Herbs, garden plants and old plant lore, with the safety notes that go with them. Plants marked Handle with care or Poison garden are for learning about, never for using.
Folklore and garden information only, not medical advice. Do not eat or use any plant unless you are certain what it is and that it is safe for you. Ask a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, on medicine, or choosing for children or pets.
Everyday herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicumA tender, glossy-leaved annual with a sweet, clove-and-anise scent, the herb of tomato sauce and pesto.
Bay laurel Laurus nobilisA glossy, evergreen Mediterranean tree whose leathery, aromatic leaves are the bay leaf of soups and stews.
Calendula Calendula officinalisA cheerful annual with orange or yellow daisy-like flowers that open with the sun and close at dusk.
Catnip Nepeta catariaA grey-green, mint-family herb with white, purple-spotted flowers that sends many cats into a happy frenzy.
Chamomile Matricaria chamomillaA delicate, daisy-like herb with white petals and a golden center that smells of apples.
Chickweed Stellaria mediaA sprawling, tender green weed with tiny white star flowers that appears in cool weather almost anywhere.
Clary sage Salvia sclareaA tall, showy biennial sage with large hairy leaves and spires of lilac and pink bracts that bees adore.
Dandelion Taraxacum officinaleA common sunny weed with golden flowers and fluffy seed heads, one of the earliest food sources for bees in spring.
Dill Anethum graveolensA tall, airy annual with threadlike leaves and flat yellow flower heads, the herb of pickles and smoked fish.
Fennel Foeniculum vulgareA tall, feathery herb with yellow flower umbels and an aniseed scent, grown for its leaves, seeds and bulb.
Garlic Allium sativumA bulb of papery cloves with a pungent smell and taste, the backbone of kitchens from Italy to Korea.
Lavender Lavandula angustifoliaA silvery, fragrant shrub with spikes of purple flowers, grown for scent for centuries.
Lemon balm Melissa officinalisA soft, bright green mint-family herb with a clear lemon scent and small flowers that draw honeybees.
Marjoram Origanum majoranaA soft, grey-green, sweetly scented herb, milder and sweeter than its close cousin oregano.
Marshmallow Althaea officinalisA velvety, grey-green plant with pale pink flowers that likes damp ground. Its sticky root gave the original sweet its name.
Nettle Urtica dioicaA tall, wild, spiky-looking plant whose leaves sting on contact, yet make good spring greens once cooked.
Parsley Petroselinum crispumA bright green biennial with curled or flat leaves, among the most used herbs in the kitchen.
Peppermint Mentha x piperitaA vigorous, cool-scented mint with purple-tinged stems, a natural cross between water mint and spearmint.
Plantain Plantago majorA common ground-hugging weed with broad, ribbed leaves and slim seed spikes that grows on paths and lawns. It is not the banana-like fruit.
Rose Rosa gallica and Rosa x damascenaThe old fragrant garden rose, grown for its petals, its scent and its orange-red hips.
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinusA woody, needle-leaved evergreen shrub with a resinous, piney scent and small blue flowers that bees love.
Sage Salvia officinalisA hardy grey-green shrub with soft, pebbled leaves and a warm, savory scent. Its name means to be saved or healthy.
Sweet violet Viola odorataA low, shade-loving spring flower with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant purple or white blossoms.
Thyme Thymus vulgarisA low, tough, aromatic herb with tiny leaves and pale pink flowers that draw bees by the hundred.
Handle with care
Borage Borago officinalisA bristly, fast-growing annual with sky-blue star flowers that taste faintly of cucumber and are adored by bees.
Comfrey Symphytum officinaleA big, bristly perennial with deep roots, drooping bell flowers in purple, pink or cream, and leaves that make a rich garden feed.
Elder Sambucus nigraA hedgerow shrub or small tree with flat plates of creamy, scented flowers in early summer and dark purple berries in autumn.
Feverfew Tanacetum partheniumA bushy little plant with ferny, strongly scented leaves and masses of tiny white daisy-like flowers.
Horehound Marrubium vulgareA woolly, grey-white herb with wrinkled leaves and whorls of tiny white flowers, long a favorite of bees and herbalists.
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalisA small, semi-evergreen shrub with narrow aromatic leaves and spikes of blue-purple flowers beloved by bees.
Juniper Juniperus communisA prickly evergreen shrub with blue-purple, cone-like berries that flavor gin and game dishes.
Mugwort Artemisia vulgarisA tall, tough roadside plant with deeply cut leaves that are dark green above and silver below.
Mullein Verbascum thapsusA tall, striking biennial covered in velvety grey leaves, which sends up a single tower of yellow flowers in its second year.
Pennyroyal Mentha pulegiumA low, creeping mint with tiny purple flowers and a sharp, minty smell.
St John's wort Hypericum perforatumA wiry roadside plant with bright yellow, star-like flowers that bloom around midsummer and tiny see-through dots on its leaves.
Tansy Tanacetum vulgareA tall, tough perennial with ferny, strongly scented leaves and flat clusters of yellow button flowers.
Valerian Valeriana officinalisA tall perennial with clusters of pale pink flowers that smell sweet, while the root smells strongly of old socks.
Vervain Verbena officinalisA slender, wiry wildflower with tiny lilac flowers on thin spikes, found along paths and field edges.
Wormwood Artemisia absinthiumA shrubby, silvery plant with finely cut leaves and a famously bitter taste, the herb behind absinthe.
Yarrow Achillea millefoliumA tough meadow plant with feathery leaves and flat clusters of tiny white flowers. The Latin name means thousand leaves.
Poison garden: look, never use
Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonnaA bushy plant with dull purple bell flowers and shiny black berries that look tempting but are deadly.
Foxglove Digitalis purpureaA tall biennial with spires of speckled, bell-shaped flowers in pink, purple or white, loved by bumblebees.
Hellebore Helleborus niger and relativesA hardy evergreen perennial with nodding cup-shaped flowers that open in the depths of winter and early spring.
Henbane Hyoscyamus nigerA sticky, foul-smelling plant with creamy-yellow, purple-veined flowers and seed pods shaped like little urns.
Lily of the valley Convallaria majalisA low, shade-loving spring plant with two broad leaves and arching stems of tiny white bells with a sweet, strong perfume.
Mandrake Mandragora officinarumA Mediterranean plant with a flat rosette of crinkled leaves, a thick forked root and orange-yellow fruit; its root resembles a small human figure.
Monkshood Aconitum napellusA tall, upright garden perennial with deep blue-violet flowers shaped like a monk's hood, one of the most poisonous plants in gardens.
Oleander Nerium oleanderA glossy, evergreen shrub with clusters of showy pink, white or red flowers, widely grown in warm climates and one of the most poisonous common garden plants.
Poison hemlock Conium maculatumA tall, smooth, purple-blotched plant with fern-like leaves and white lace-like flower heads, often mistaken for wild carrot or parsley.
Thorn apple Datura stramoniumA coarse, rank annual with large white trumpet flowers that open at dusk and spiky, egg-shaped seed capsules.