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• Minimum Order: 3 and multiples of 3 of 9cm size. 2 and multiples of 2 of 1 litre pot items

Horehound, White - Marrubium vulgare

Type: Perennial

A native of Europe, but now naturalized throughout North and South America, horehound is a hardy perennial of the mint family — with its telltale square stem — and, like most mints, can become invasive if not controlled.

The herb can be started from seed or cuttings in the early spring. Producing wrinkled green leaves adorned with small hairs, this bushy plant is not particularly eye-catching, but it will produce rings of small white flowers from June to September in the second year of growth. The leaves may be cut for use or drying in the first year. This hardy perennial can grow to 60cm

Ancient herbalists prescribed it for fevers and malaria and as an antidote for snakebites and poisoning, and they believed that when drunk as a tea, the herb will promote mental acumen and clarity.

Horehound will flourish under the most marginal of circumstances, in poor dry soil for example along the edge of driveways and other neglected areas. The only threat to horehound is to sit in very wet conditions over winter.

Horehound is best known as a herb for chest problems and has enjoyed this role for thousands of years, as it has proven to be effective in loosening phlegm and mucus in the bronchial tubes and in the lungs. It will also relieve coughs and sore throats.