BeWell
Bohemia Herbs & Things
Herbal
Monograph, by Brooke Criswell
Horehound-
Marrubium vulgare
While I have heard of horehound, plant and
candy, the plants I sprouted from seed are the first I have met in person. Upon
meeting horehound, I am an admirer. The leaves are soft and a bit furry
feeling, a delight to touch. They have a wonderful shape, too, ovate with a
slight droop toward the ground, in grace. I look forward to watching them grow
and working with them in my home apothecary. The seed packet assures me they
are perennial plants,1 and I am glad they will remain in my garden over time.
Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs confirms perennial status and states
horehound is hardy to zone 4.2
I am anticipating a mutually beneficial
relationship between horehound and myself. The plant inspires a smile each time
I see its lovely leaves, or brush its soft furry texture. The blooms attract
both bees and beneficial insects, so the other garden plants will gain from
horehound’s addition to the garden. I foresee its assertive personality, mint
like, and will plant it in its own beds, generally in places other plants might
not succeed. The rocky ground by my shed, for example, and in the bed beside the
compost bin that has the benefit of edging to keep the horehound contained.
I am sure I will learn much about and from horehound
this growing season.
Garden
Use
Growing
Conditions
Preferences
❖ Full sun
❖ Sandy Soil
❖ Nearly neutral pH 6.9
❖ Tolerates nutrient poor soil
❖ Low water requirements / drought tolerant
Plant
details
Height 1ft – 2 ft
Width 1 ft
Horehound grows in
bushy shape.
Flowers in mid-summer through frost, often
not appearing until second year.
Companion
Planting Affiliations
According to the National Gardening
Association website, “As a companion plant, horehound stimulates and aids fruiting in
tomatoes and peppers. Like many varieties in the mint family, the tiny flowers
attract many beneficial insects such as Braconid and Icheumonid wasps,
and Tachnid and Syrid flies. The larva forms of these insects parasitize or
otherwise consume many other insect pests. It grows where others fail to thrive
and can survive harsh winters. It blooms over a long season, attracting
beneficial insects almost as long as you are likely to need them.”3
Bees are a fan of horehound flowers, so in
addition to attracting beneficial insects, horehound supports pollinators.
Horehound “grows nicely” with thyme,
rosemary, feverfew, and oxeye daisy.4 Sounds like a group for an herb bed to
me.
Care
notes
Be sure not to over-water horehound, as that
will impede its growth.5 Horehound grows in clumps and readily reseeds itself.
Like many members of the mint family, it is tenacious and assertive, and may,
given the freedom, take over a bed. As
easygoing as it is tenacious, horehound will tolerate rocky soil. It springs up
in disturbed areas, implying horehound can thrive in conditions other plants
find challenging: poor soil, competition, etc.
Herbal
Use
Parts
Used
Aerial
parts – leaves, stems, flowers
When
to Harvest
➢
Harvest any time throughout
growing season.
➢
Use snips to cut stems
➢
Use fresh when possible, some
flavor (and constituents) lost in drying
➢
Dry in bunches hanging
upside down or on screens in a space out of the light and with ai circulation
How
to Prepare
Horehound
is a mildly bitter herb rich in tannins. Small quantities impart strong effect,
so horehound is more suited to preparations rather than tea. Below I offer a
variety of ideas. The bitter flavor of horehound stimulates digestive juices,
so consider adding a pinch of horehound to a before meal tea – chamomile with a
dash of horehound, for example.
Herbal
Preparation Ideas
Use horehound as:
❖
As a refreshing cool
beverage
On a hot summer day, or any time you want to
enjoy a flavorful refreshing treat, have some iced tea, or lemonade (or half
lemonade / half tea) with horehound and fennel seed.
Make
your tea or lemonade as usual, then add some fennel seed and a sprig of
horehound.
Enjoy
over ice.
❖
As a sore throat soother
The
mucilaginous aspect and vitamin C content contribute to horehound’s reputation
as a cough soother. You can take as syrup, elixir, ‘candy’ or decoction.
Decoction
–2
Combine
horehound and water in a pan with a close-fitting lid
1tsp
dried (1 TBS fresh) horehound leaves
8
oz water
Cover with lid
Bring water to simmer
Simmer 15 minutes – 22 minutes
Be
sure water does not evaporate
Strain
Take decoction 1 tablespoon at a time, and no
more than 1 cup a day.
Infuse the herb in boiling water to extract
many of the beneficial constituents.
If you are feeling
adventurous or prefer a sweeter dose when your throat is dry, achy, and you are
coughing, then make a batch of horehound drops, a candy kind of thing.
A.
Start by making an infusion
of horehound leaves
1. Chop
1 cup of fresh horehound leaves and place in quart mason jar
2. Boil
water
3. Pour
over leaf material in mason jar
4. Cover
5. Let
steep 15 minutes.
6. Strain
(you can compost that leaf material)
B.
Pour the horehound infusion,
(after straining!) into a saucepan
1.
Turn heat to simmer
2.
Add sugar
3.
Increase heat to boiling
4.
Boil until mixture reaches
thick consistency
5.
Pour into shallow pan
6.
Cut into squares when cool
If
you are thinking, “this is a rather simplistic and imprecise recipe for candy
making,” I agree. I have not made horehound candy yet, not until my plants are
ready for harvest can I try it, so I don’t yet have the specifics or experience
necessary. I am sharing the basic recipe I found in a few locations, including
Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.2
If
you want a hard tack recipe, or a step-by-step recipe, many can be found on the
internet or in recipe books, so I send you there.
If you want something sweet, but are hesitant
to make candy, then make a syrup.
A.
Start with the infusion
described above
B.
Be sure to strain infusion
before next step
C.
Combine 2 parts infusion with
1 part sweetener in a pan (the following specifics are from an herbal syrup
recipe posted on the Herbal Academy Blog:5
a.
If using
honey, very gently heat until the honey just dissolves being careful not to
boil the syrup. This helps to preserve the beneficial, naturally occurring enzymes
in the honey.
b.
If using sugar you have the option of bringing the
syrup up to a gentle boil and simmering for up to an additional 30 minutes to
thicken the syrup further. Or you can simply reheat the syrup enough to easily
dissolve the sugar.
D.
Pour syrup in sterile glass bottles
E.
Affix labels identifying ingredients, date made, and
intended dose.
The Herbal Academy Herbal Syrup blog post explains the following regarding dose, “The
dosage will depend on the herbs used in the syrup, the situation being
addressed as well as the age of the recipient. A general dosage is a ½ teaspoon
to 1 tablespoon taken 1 to 3 times a day with increased frequency during an
acute phase of symptoms.”5
The 2 parts infusion to 1 part sweetener
syrups will last 3 months stored in the refrigerator. If you alter your ratio
by adding more sweetener, the shelf life will increase. Experiment for taste.
Cautions/Considerations
High
doses of horehound can be purgative.
Do
not confuse Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)
with black or stinking horehound (Ballota
nigra), which is a strong smelling weed that may be toxic in large
quantities.
Bibliography
1. Horehound Seed Packet. Lake Valley Seed Company. Packed for 2019
2. Kowalchik, Claire, et al. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press, 1987.
3. “All About Horehound.” Garden.org, 2 Dec. 2011, garden.org/ideas/view/wildflowers/191/All-About-Horehound/.
4. Hartung, Tammi. Growing 101 Herbs That Heal. Storey Books, 2000.
5. “How to Make an Herbal Syrup.” Herbal Academy, 10 Jan. 2018, theherbalacademy.com/herbal-syrup/
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