Best Medicinal

Hericium erinaceus, commonly called lion’s mane mushroom, is a unique cultivated fungal species. It's notable for potential neurological benefits, specifically research indicating it can stimulate nerve growth factor production in the body. This mushroom has gained interest from individuals seeking...

Lentinula edodes, commonly called shiitake, is a wood-decaying fungus prized for its flavor and nutritional value. Originating in East Asia, it’s one of the world's most cultivated mushrooms. The mushroom offers potential medicinal benefits and is frequently used in Asian cuisine. It’s suitable for...

Chartreuse Elixir Végétal is a French liqueur produced since 1605 by Carthusian monks at La Joueuse. It’s notable for its complex herbal composition derived from over 130 plants and spices, a formula unchanged for centuries. Traditionally used as a digestive aid and valued for its purported medicina...

Maitake is a polypore mushroom, primarily found growing in dense clusters around oak trees across Asia, particularly Japan. It’s notable for its long history of medicinal use in traditional practices and increasingly recognized for potential health benefits. The fungus is suitable for consumption an...

Chelsea Physic Garden is London’s oldest botanic garden, founded in 1673. It remains a significant historical site within the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds. The garden contains over 4,000 plant species including numerous rare and extinct varieties. It's primarily for researchers, students, and enth...

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a rare fungus belonging to the ascomycete group. It’s notable for its entomopathogenic nature – specifically, it parasitizes ghost moth larvae within the Himalayan and Tibetan alpine regions. This fungus has been utilized traditionally in Chinese medicine and remains valua...

Grifola frondosa, commonly known as maitake or hen-of-the-woods, is a polypore mushroom associated with oak trees. It’s notable for its dense clusters of flavorful fruiting bodies and traditional medicinal applications in Asian cultures. The mushroom is valued by foragers, chefs seeking unique flavo...

Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as reishi or lingzhi, is a polypore mushroom native to Asia. It’s notable for its long history of use in traditional Eastern medicine where it was valued for immune support and promoting overall wellness. The fungus produces compounds believed to have beneficial eff...

Laphroaig 10 Year Old is a single malt Scotch whisky produced on Islay. It’s notable for its powerfully smoky flavor derived from heavily peated barley and seaweed added during fermentation. The whisky offers a distinctive medicinal character appreciated by those seeking an intensely flavored, tradi...

Shiitake mushrooms are a cultivated fungus belonging to the *Lentinula* species. Originating in East Asia, they are notable for their rich umami flavor and traditional medicinal uses. These mushrooms are frequently incorporated into Asian cuisine and are particularly popular with those seeking a nut...

Common yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is an aromatic perennial herb native across much of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and naturalized elsewhere. It has finely divided, fernlike leaves and flat-topped clusters of small flowers, usually white but sometimes pink. The genus name refers to Achilles,...

Schisandra chinensis is a woody vine native to northeastern China and Russia whose berries are described as simultaneously sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent, giving it the name wu wei zi in traditional Chinese medicine.

Melaleuca alternifolia, the tea tree, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the coast of New South Wales, Australia, whose leaves yield tea tree oil, a commercially important essential oil with documented antimicrobial properties.

Peyote, or Lophophora williamsii, is a small, spineless cactus native to northern Mexico and parts of southern Texas. Its low, rounded crown contains mescaline and has a long history of ceremonial use among Indigenous peoples, including legally protected religious use in specific jurisdictions. The...

Momordica charantia is a tropical vine native to South Asia whose distinctively warty, bitter fruit is a staple vegetable in cuisines across Asia and the Caribbean, and is also used in traditional medicine for blood sugar management.

Cordyceps militaris is a species of entomopathogenic fungus that parasitizes the larvae and pupae of butterflies and moths. Unlike the closely related and highly sought-after Ophiocordyceps sinensis, this species can be easily cultivated on various grains or insect hosts in controlled environments....

Inonotus obliquus, commonly known as chaga, is a parasitic polypore fungus that primarily infects birch trees in cold boreal climates. It does not produce a typical fruiting body like most mushrooms, but instead forms a dense, charcoal-like sterile conk that draws nutrients from its host tree. This...

Trametes versicolor, the turkey tail, is one of the world's most studied medicinal fungi, found on dead wood across every continent except Antarctica, and the source of the immunomodulatory compound polysaccharide-K (PSK).

Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to eastern North America. It typically grows 2 to 4 feet tall with square stems and opposite, serrated leaves, producing clusters of bright red tubular flowers from mid to late summer that attract hummingb...

A series of prints documenting plants used in traditional and modern medicine, from Cinchona to Foxglove. Each plate includes botanical details and historical usage notes.

Java plum, jamun, or Syzygium cumini is an evergreen tree in the myrtle family, native to the Indian subcontinent and parts of tropical Asia. It produces oblong fruits that ripen from green through reddish purple to deep purple or nearly black, with juicy, astringent flesh surrounding a seed. The fr...

Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume vine native to India and Africa whose seed pods are covered in urticating hairs that cause intense itching on contact, while its seeds are studied as a source of levodopa for Parkinson's research.

The Purple Coneflower (*Echinacea purpurea*) is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the aster family, Asteraceae, native to the prairies and open woodlands of central and eastern North America. The plant is identified by its large composite flower heads, which feature reflexed, pinkish-purple ray fl...

Lion's mane, Hericium erinaceus, is an edible fungus recognized by its white, cascading clusters of soft spines rather than the cap and gills typical of many mushrooms. It grows naturally on hardwood trees and can also be cultivated for food, where its texture and mild flavor are sometimes compared...

*Antrodia camphorata*, also recognized as *Taiwanofungus camphoratus* and locally known as niu-chang-chih, is a rare medicinal polypore fungus. It is strictly endemic to Taiwan, where it grows exclusively on the rotting heartwood of the endangered *Cinnamomum kanehirae* tree. The slow-growing fruiti...

A small black berry from the European elder tree, historically used in folk medicine and widely processed into syrups, wines, and immune-support supplements.

Schisandra sphenanthera is a woody climbing vine native to central and southern China in the family Schisandraceae, whose red berries are a major traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient known as Wu Wei Zi.

A North American shrub native to eastern Canada and the U.S., bearing dark purple-black berries used in preserves, wines, and traditional Indigenous medicine.

The Umbrella Polypore, or Polyporus umbellatus, is a large, edible mushroom characterized by a cluster of small, circular caps emerging from a central, branched stem. It grows in temperate hardwood forests across Europe, Asia, and North America, typically at the base of trees. In traditional Chinese...