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Herbs by Action

An action is what a plant does — it relaxes a spasm, thins a mucus, bitters a digestion, closes a wound. It is the working vocabulary of herbal medicine, and the most direct way in when you know the effect you want but not yet the herb.

All Herbs

259 herbs

Every herb here, alphabetically — 259 plants carrying 143 distinct actions between them. Anti-Inflammatory is the broadest at 119 herbs; a good many actions belong to one plant alone.

Abuta

Cissampelos pareira

AnalgesicAntifertilityAnti-InflammatoryAntilithic +13

Albizzia

Albizzia lebbeck

AntiallergicAntihistamineAnti-InflammatoryAntitussive +4

Aloe

Aloe vera

Anti-InflammatoryAntidiabeticEmollientImmunomodulator +4

Amaranth

Amaranthus blitum

NutritiveAntioxidantAstringent

American Ginseng

Panax quinquefolius

AdaptogenNootropicImmunomodulatorHypoglycemic +1

American Skullcap

Scutellaria lateriflora

NervineSedativeAntispasmodicAnxiolytic +1

Amla

Phyllanthus emblica

AntioxidantHypolipidemicRejuvenativeAnti-Inflammatory +3

Andrographis

Andrographis paniculata

BitterImmunomodulatorAnti-InflammatoryAntimicrobial +4

Angelica

Angelica archangelica

Urinary AntispasmodicAntispasmodicCarminativeBitter +4

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

SpermatogenicAdaptogenSedativeTonic +7

Asian Ginseng

Panax ginseng

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorStimulantHypoglycemic +5

Astragalus

Astragalus mongholicus

AdaptogenAntioxidantAntiviralCardiotonic +7

Babul

Vachellia nilotica

AstringentAntibacterialAntidiarrhealAntispasmodic +4

Bacopa

Bacopa monnieri

NootropicNervineAnticonvulsantAnxiolytic +2

Bael

Aegle marmelos

AntispermatogenicAstringentAnti-DiarrhoealAntimicrobial +10

Barberry

Berberis spp.

AntimicrobialBitterCholagogueCholeretic +12

Bergamot

Citrus bergamia

HypolipidemicAntioxidantHypoglycemic

Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

AntioxidantVasoprotectiveAnti-InflammatoryAstringent

Bitter Melon

Momordica charantia

AntidiabeticHypolipidemicBitterAntiviral +3

Black Ant

Polyrhachis spp.

UricosuricXanthine Oxidase InhibitorAdaptogenNutritive +6

Black Horehound

Ballota nigra

AntibacterialAntiemeticAntifungalAntioxidant +3

Black Pepper

Piper nigrum

CarminativeStimulantAntioxidantAntimicrobial +1

Black Wattle

Acacia mearnsii

AntioxidantAstringentAnti-InflammatoryAntibacterial +1

Blue Lotus Flower

Nymphaea caerulea

SedativeAnxiolyticAphrodisiacNervine +2

Blue Passionflower

Passiflora caerulea

AnticonvulsantAnti-InflammatoryAnxiolyticAnalgesic +3

Blue Vervain

Verbena hastata

NervineSedativeBitterDiaphoretic +1

Bupleurum

Bupleurum falcatum

Anti-InflammatoryBitterHepatoprotectiveDiaphoretic +2

Burdock

Arctium lappa

AlterativeBitterHepaticNutritive +4

Cacao

Theobroma cacao

AntioxidantStimulantBronchodilatorVasodilator +5

Calea zacatechichi

Calea ternifolia

OneirogenicBitterNervineAntispasmodic +2

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

VulneraryAnti-InflammatoryLymphaticAntimicrobial +3

Camu-camu

Myrciaria dubia

NutritiveAntioxidantHepatoprotectiveAnti-Inflammatory +1

Cannabis

Cannabis sativa

AnticonvulsantAntispasmodicAnalgesicAntiemetic +7

Cashew

Anacardium occidentale

AntidiabeticAnti-InflammatoryAntimicrobialAnticancer +6

Cat's Claw

Uncaria tomentosa

ImmunomodulatorAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidantAdaptogen +6

Catechu

Senegalia catechu

AstringentAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidantAntibacterial +6

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

SedativeCarminativeDiaphoreticNervine +4

Catuaba

Trichilia catigua

NervineAntidepressantAphrodisiacAnalgesic +6

Cayenne

Capsicum annuum

StimulantAnalgesicCarminativeRubefacient +2

Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamomum verum

CarminativeAntimicrobialAntidiabeticAstringent +1

Chá de Bugre

Cordia salicifolia

DiureticStimulantAntitussiveThermogenic

Chaga

Inonotus obliquus

AdaptogenAntiulcerAnticancerAnti-Inflammatory +4

Chanca Piedra

Phyllanthus niruri

UricosuricXanthine Oxidase InhibitorDiureticHepatic +4

Chaste Tree

Vitex agnus-castus

Female TonicProlactin Inhibitor

Chickweed

Stellaria media

Xanthine Oxidase InhibitorDemulcentEmollientAntibacterial +4

Chilca

Baccharis latifolia

Anti-InflammatoryAnalgesicVulneraryAntimicrobial +3

Chinese Clubmoss

Huperzia serrata

NootropicNeuroprotectiveAntioxidantAcetylcholinesterase Inhibitor +4

Chinese Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

NervineAntioxidantAntihypertensiveEmollient +2

Chinese Skullcap

Scutellaria baicalensis

AntiviralAnti-InflammatoryAntiallergicAntibacterial +3

Chir Pine

Pinus roxburghii

AnalgesicAnti-InflammatoryAntimicrobialAntioxidant +11

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Anti-InflammatoryAntipyreticNervineAntioxidant +1

Clavo Huasca

Tynanthus panurensis

AphrodisiacAnalgesicCarminativeAntibacterial +2

Cleavers

Galium aparine

LymphaticDiureticAlterativeAstringent +1

Clove

Syzygium aromaticum

AnalgesicAntimicrobialAntibacterialAntifungal +5

Codonopsis

Codonopsis pilosula

AdaptogenNootropicHypolipidemicNutritive +3

Coffee

Coffea arabica

AntioxidantBronchodilatorDiureticHepatoprotective +9

Coleus

Coleus barbatus

AntihypertensiveAntiplateletAntispasmodicCardiotonic

Coltsfoot

Tussilago farfara

ExpectorantDemulcentAntitussive

Comfrey

Symphytum officinale

VulneraryAnti-InflammatoryEmollientAstringent +2

Coptis

Coptis chinensis

AntimicrobialBitterAnti-InflammatoryHypoglycemic +2

Cordyceps

Ophiocordyceps sinensis

SpermatogenicAdaptogenImmunomodulator

Cornflower

Centaurea cyanus

AstringentAnti-InflammatoryBitterAppetite Stimulant

Couchgrass

Elymus repens

UricosuricDemulcentDiureticUrinary Demulcent +2

Cramp Bark

Viburnum opulus

Uterine AntispasmodicAntispasmodicAstringentNervine +2

Crataeva

Crataeva nurvala

Urinary AntispasmodicDiureticAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidant +1

Cryptolepis

Cryptolepis sanguinolenta

AntispermatogenicAntiamoebicAntibacterialAnticancer +4

Dagga

Leonotis nepetifolia

EuphoriantNervine

Damiana

Turnera diffusa

Aromatase InhibitorAphrodisiacAntimicrobialAnticancer +4

Dan Shen

Salvia miltiorrhiza

CardioprotectiveAntihypertensiveAntiplateletHepatoprotective +4

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

BitterCholagogueCholereticDiuretic +6

Devil's Claw

Harpagophytum procumbens

AnalgesicAnti-InflammatoryBitterAntirheumatic +1

Devil's Club

Oplopanax horridus

AntidiabeticAdaptogenAnti-InflammatoryAntimicrobial

Dong Quai

Angelica sinensis

Uterine TonicEmmenagogueAntispasmodicAnti-Inflammatory

Echinacea

Echinacea purpurea

ImmunomodulatorAntimicrobialAnti-InflammatoryVulnerary

Eleuthero Root

Eleutherococcus senticosus

AdaptogenStimulantImmunomodulatorTonic

Epazote

Dysphania ambrosioides

AntiamoebicAntibacterialAnticancerAntiparasitic +4

Ephedra

Ephedra sinica

SympathomimeticVasoconstrictorStimulantBronchodilator +4

Erva Tostão

Boerhavia diffusa

DiureticHepaticAnti-InflammatoryAntispasmodic +1

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

CarminativeAppetite StimulantAppetite SuppressantAntispasmodic +7

Fenugreek

Trigonella foenum-graecum

Aromatase InhibitorGalactagogueHypoglycemicDemulcent +4

Feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium

Anti-InflammatoryVasodilatorEmmenagogueAnthelmintic +1

Fish Mint

Houttuynia cordata

AntiviralDiureticAntibacterialAntianaphylactic +2

Flaxseed

Linum usitatissimum

HypolipidemicDemulcentBulk LaxativeAntihypertensive +1

Frankincense

Boswellia serrata

AntioxidantAnti-InflammatoryAntimicrobialVulnerary +3

Garlic

Allium sativum

AntimicrobialAntihypertensiveHypolipidemicCirculatory-Stimulant +7

Gentian

Gentiana lutea

BitterDigestiveSialagogueCholagogue +2

German Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

Anti-InflammatoryAntispasmodicAntiallergicAntibacterial +7

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

CarminativeAntiemeticAntispasmodicCirculatory Stimulant +10

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba

NeuroprotectiveNootropicCirculatory-StimulantAntioxidant +4

Globe Artichoke

Cynara scolymus

AntioxidantBitterCholereticCholagogue +6

Goldenrod

Solidago virgaurea

Xanthine Oxidase InhibitorDiureticAnti-InflammatoryAstringent +2

Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis

AntimicrobialBitterMucous Membrane TonicAnticatarrhal +5

Gotu Kola

Centella asiatica

NervineNeuroprotectiveNootropicVulnerary +11

Graviola

Annona muricata

AnticancerAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidantAntispasmodic +10

Greater Celandine

Chelidonium majus

AnalgesicAntispasmodicAlterativeHepatoprotective +10

Griffonia

Griffonia simplicifolia

AntidepressantNervineAnxiolyticSedative +1

Guamura

Cecropia obtusifolia

AntihypertensiveAntiasthmaticHypoglycemic

Guarana

Paullinia cupana

AstringentStimulantCardioprotectiveAntioxidant +3

Guayusa

Ilex guayusa

StimulantNootropicAntioxidant

Gymnema

Gymnema sylvestre

AntidiabeticHypolipidemicAstringent

Gynostemma

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

AntidiabeticAdaptogenVasodilatorHypolipidemic +2

Haritaki

Terminalia chebula

AstringentLaxativeAntidiarrhealAntimicrobial +7

Hawthorn

Crataegus oxyacantha

CardiotonicAstringentAntihypertensiveAntioxidant +5

Holy Basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

AntispermatogenicAdaptogenNervineAnxiolytic +6

Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

Anti-InflammatoryAntibacterialAntioxidantAntiviral +1

Hops

Humulus lupulus

SedativeAntispasmodicAstringentBitter +5

Horopito

Pseudowintera colorata

AnalgesicAntibacterialAntifungalAnti-Inflammatory +4

Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum

AstringentAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidantAntirheumatic +4

Horsetail

Equisetum arvense

DiureticUrinary AntisepticUrinary AntispasmodicAstringent +4

Hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens

DiureticAntilithicAnti-Inflammatory

Hyssop

Hyssopus officinalis

ExpectorantCarminativeAntispasmodicDiaphoretic +1

Ice Plant

Delosperma spp.

AntidepressantAnxiolytic

Iris

Iris versicolor

BitterAlterativeAnti-InflammatoryLymphatic +4

Isatis

Isatis indigotica

AntiviralAntibacterialAnti-InflammatoryAntipyretic +1

Jasmine

Jasminum officinale

NervineSedative

Jatobá

Hymenaea courbaril

AntifungalAntimicrobialAstringentAnti-Inflammatory +1

Juniper

Juniperus communis

Urinary AntisepticDiureticAntirheumaticCarminative +3

Kanna

Mesembryanthemum tortuosum

AntidepressantAnxiolyticNervineEmpathogen +3

Kava

Piper methysticum

AnxiolyticSedativeNervineAnalgesic +4

Kid Ginseng

Pseudostellaria heterophylla

TonicAdaptogenNutritiveDemulcent +2

Korean Pine

Pinus koraiensis

Appetite SuppressantHypolipidemicAntidiabeticAnti-Inflammatory +5

Korean Red Pine

Pinus densiflora

Anti-InflammatoryAntioxidantNeuroprotectiveAnti-Neuroinflammatory +8

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

AnalgesicAntibacterialAntidepressantAntifungal +5

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

CarminativeNervineAntimicrobialDiaphoretic +2

Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra

AnalgesicAntispasmodicAnti-InflammatoryEstrogenic +3

Lion's Mane

Hericium erinaceus

NervineAntioxidantImmunomodulatorAnticancer +6

Maca

Lepidium meyenii

SpermatogenicAdaptogenAntidiabeticAntioxidant +3

Magnolia

Magnolia officinalis

AntioxidantAnxiolyticAntibacterialAntispasmodic +1

Manuka

Leptospermum scoparium

Anti-InflammatoryAntibacterialAntifungalAnxiolytic +1

Maritime Pine

Pinus pinaster

AntioxidantAnti-InflammatoryVasoprotectiveVascular Tonic +6

Marjoram

Origanum majorana

CarminativeNervineAntispasmodicExpectorant +2

Marshmallow

Althaea officinalis

DemulcentAntitussiveEmollientExpectorant +4

Masson Pine

Pinus massoniana

AstringentVulneraryHemostaticImmunomodulator +6

Meadowsweet

Filipendula ulmaria

Xanthine Oxidase InhibitorAnti-InflammatoryAnalgesicAntiulcer +4

Melissa

Melissa officinalis

NervineCarminativeAntispasmodicAntiviral +7

Milk Thistle

Silybum marianum

HepatoprotectiveAntioxidantCholereticCholagogue +7

Monterey Pine

Pinus radiata

AntioxidantAnti-InflammatoryNootropicNeuroprotective +4

Motherwort

Leonurus cardiaca

CardiotonicNervineAntispasmodicFemale-Tonic +2

Mugo Pine

Pinus mugo

AntimicrobialAntibacterialAntioxidantAnti-Inflammatory +7

Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris

OneirogenicEmmenagogueBitterAppetite Stimulant

Muira Puama

Ptychopetalum olacoides

AdaptogenAntidepressantStimulantAphrodisiac +7

Mullein

Verbascum thapsus

AntispasmodicAnthelminticAnticatarrhalExpectorant +5

Myrrh

Commiphora myrrha

AntimicrobialAstringentVulneraryEmmenagogue +2

Neem

Azadirachta indica

AntimicrobialAntiparasiticBitterInsecticidal +5

Nigella

Nigella sativa

SpermatogenicAnti-InflammatoryAntioxidantAntiallergic +7

Notoginseng

Panax notoginseng

StypticCirculatory-StimulantCardiotonicAnti-Inflammatory +4

Olive Leaf

Olea europaea

AntihypertensiveAntioxidantAntiviralCardiotonic +6

Oregano

Origanum vulgare

AntimicrobialCarminativeExpectorantAntioxidant

Passion Fruit

Passiflora edulis

AnxiolyticSedativeNervineAntidepressant +4

Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

AnalgesicAntibacterialAntifungalAntidepressant +6

Pau D'Arco

Tabebuia impetiginosa

Aromatase InhibitorAntibacterialAntiparasiticAnticancer +5

Peony

Paeonia lactiflora

Uterine AntispasmodicAntiandrogenicAnti-InflammatoryAntispasmodic +3

Peppermint

Mentha × piperita

AntiemeticAntimicrobialAntispasmodicCarminative +2

Pine

Pinus sylvestris

AntimicrobialAntibacterialAntifungalAntioxidant +11

Plantain

Plantago major

VulneraryDemulcentAnti-InflammatoryAstringent +2

Psyllium

Plantago ovata

DemulcentHypolipidemicBulk LaxativeHypoglycemic +1

Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Aromatase InhibitorAlterativeLymphaticHormone Modulator +2

Rehmannia

Rehmannia glutinosa

AntiallergicHemostaticAnti-InflammatoryAntipyretic +2

Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorNervineHepatoprotective +6

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea

AdaptogenNootropicStimulantAntidepressant +3

Rhubarb

Rheum palmatum

BitterCholagogueAntimicrobialHepatoprotective +6

Rooibos

Aspalathus linearis

AntioxidantCardioprotectiveAntihypertensive

Rose

Rosa spp.

AstringentNervine

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

AntidepressantAntimicrobialAntispasmodicNootropic +4

Rosewood

Aniba rosaeodora

Anti-InflammatoryAntidepressantNervineSedative +2

Saffron

Crocus sativus

AntidepressantNootropicAntioxidantAnxiolytic +6

Sage

Salvia officinalis

AstringentAntimicrobialCarminativeNootropic +2

Samambaia

Polypodium leucotomos

AnticancerAntioxidantImmunomodulatorNeuroprotective +2

Sarsaparilla

Smilax spp.

UricosuricXanthine Oxidase InhibitorAnti-InflammatoryAnalgesic +6

Saw Palmetto

Serenoa repens

Anti-InflammatoryAntiprostaticAntiandrogenic5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor +1

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis

HepatoprotectiveAntioxidantAdaptogenNervine +4

Shatavari

Asparagus racemosus

AdaptogenFemale-TonicHPG Axis ModulatorDemulcent +4

Simarouba

Simarouba amara

AntidiarrhealAntimicrobialVermifugeBitter +3

Slippery Elm

Ulmus rubra

DemulcentEmollientNutritiveExpectorant +5

Spearmint

Mentha spicata

CarminativeAntispasmodicAntioxidantAntiandrogenic +1

Spikenard

Aralia racemosa

ExpectorantAlterativeTonic

Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana

HypoglycemicAntihypertensiveAnti-InflammatoryVasodilator +3

Stinging Nettle

Urtica dioica

AlterativeAnti-InflammatoryAntiprostaticSHBG Inhibitor +9

Stinking Passionflower

Passiflora foetida

AnalgesicAnti-InflammatoryAntidiarrhealGastroprotective +3

Suma

Pfaffia paniculata

AdaptogenAnticancerAntidiabeticChemoprotective +3

Sweet Wormwood

Artemisia annua

AntimalarialAntiparasiticAntipyreticAnti-Inflammatory +2

Tea

Camellia sinensis

AntioxidantDiureticNeuroprotectiveStimulant +12

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

AntimicrobialExpectorantAntispasmodicAntitussive +3

Tick Trefoil

Desmodium spp.

SympathomimeticAntispasmodicHepatoprotectiveAntiulcer

Tinder Conk

Fomes fomentarius

ImmunomodulatorAntioxidantAntimicrobialStyptic +1

Tribulus

Tribulus terrestris

SpermatogenicTonicMale TonicCardiotonic +3

Turmeric

Curcuma longa

Anti-InflammatoryAntioxidantCholereticCholagogue +12

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

SedativeNervineAntispasmodicAnxiolytic

Vanilla

Vanilla planifolia

AphrodisiacCarminativeAntimicrobial

Wild Yam

Dioscorea villosa

AntispasmodicUterine AntispasmodicAnti-Inflammatory

Willow

Salix alba

AnalgesicAnti-InflammatoryAntipyreticAstringent

Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

AstringentAnti-InflammatoryHemostaticVulnerary +1

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium

BitterAnthelminticHepatoprotectiveCarminative +8

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

BitterAntioxidantEmmenagogueDiaphoretic +11

Yerba Maté

Ilex paraguariensis

AntiatheroscleroticHypolipidemicAntidiabeticAntioxidant +5

Yerba Santa

Eriodictyon californicum

ExpectorantDecongestantNeuroprotective

Ylang Ylang

Cananga odorata

NervineAntidepressantAnxiolyticAntihypertensive

Zizyphus

Ziziphus spinosa

SedativeNervineAnxiolytic

Vocabulary

What an Action Is, and What It Isn't

An action is a description of behaviour. A carminative settles wind and griping; a vulnerary closes a wound; a demulcent coats an irritated surface with something slippery. These are among the oldest technical words in Western medicine, and they survived because they say what a plant will do to a person, in the order a person notices it.

What an action is not is a diagnosis. Bitter does not treat anything — it is what happens when a bitter taste reaches the tongue and the gut answers with acid, enzymes and bile. Whether that helps you depends entirely on what is wrong. If you already know the complaint, the conditions index is the faster route; this index works the other way round, from the effect you want back to the plants that produce it.

Two Languages

Traditional and Pharmacological Names, Side by Side

The 143 actions listed here are drawn from two different vocabularies, and the mixture is deliberate rather than untidy. Alterative, nervine and carminative come from the herbal tradition and have no exact drug equivalent. Hypolipidemic, antihypertensive and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor come from pharmacology and mean something measurable.

Each herb is given whichever word describes it most precisely. Where a plant has been properly studied, the modern term is the more honest one, because it names a number somebody measured. Where it has not, the traditional term still carries the observation of a great many practitioners over a long period — which is weaker evidence, and not no evidence.

Structure

Broad Actions Contain Narrower Ones

24 of the actions above branch, holding 105 narrower ones between them. Antimicrobial is the clearest case: it opens onto antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and the rest. Selecting the broad action shows every herb in the family at once; the Refine row narrows it.

The nesting runs one way only, and it is worth knowing which. A herb tagged with a narrow action also appears under the broad one — but a herb tagged only with the broad action does not appear under the narrow. So the antibacterial list is shorter than the antimicrobial list by design, and being absent from it means the specific claim was never made, not that it was tested and failed.

Reading the Counts

The Crowded Top and the Long Tail

The average herb here carries 6.4 actions, and Abuta carries 17. That is normal for a whole plant and not a sign of a page trying to impress you — a leaf full of different compounds does several things at once, and a monograph that admitted only one of them would be the inaccurate version.

It does mean the biggest counts are the least useful. Anti-Inflammatory is carried by 119 of the 259 herbs here — 46% of the materia medica — and an action that applies to that many plants has stopped telling you which one to pick. When a broad action returns a wall of herbs, the narrower one underneath it is almost always the better question.

The far end of the list is the opposite, and more interesting than it looks. Several actions belong to a single plant. Cell proliferant is comfrey alone — the old name for it was knitbone, and the allantoin that earned the name is still the reason it is on the list. Mucous-membrane tonic is goldenseal, near enough alone in the category it defines. A count of one is not a gap in the data. It is a plant doing something nothing else here does.

Elsewhere

The Other Indexes

  • Herbs by Body System — the same herbs sorted by where they act rather than by what they do. The two indexes converge often, and the vocabulary shows it: a nervine is a nervous-system herb by name.
  • Herbs by Part Used — root, bark, leaf, flower, seed. The actions frequently differ between two parts of one plant.
  • Conditions — the shortest route when you already know the complaint.
  • Explore the Herbs — the full library, all 259 of them.

Justin Cooke

Clinical herbalist and the writer behind The Sunlight Experiment — an evidence-based pharmacopoeia of herbs, supplements, and the chemistry behind them.

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