Herbs grown wild in our own backyard can have some great therapeutic actions.
Kumerahou is an important traditional Māori medicinal plant. It is extremely bitter and is great for all chest complaints and anything related to loosening mucous. It is a blood cleanser too so is useful for skin complaints such as boils, acne, eczema and psoriasis. It can also help the bowel to dispel trapped wind and for sluggish bowel motions. Kumerahou is also a reputed kidney tonic. Can be taken as a tea or taken normally.
Kawakawa reduces inflammation and irritation. Kawakawa is useful both internally and externally. Used internally as a tea or tincture, it can be useful for inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract, as well as joint inflammation or arthritis. Used topically, it can reduce the inflammation of common skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and skin rashes and is found is our manuka and kawakawa ointment
Horopito has a long list of traditional uses both by New Zealand Māori and by early European settlers. The fresh leaves were chewed or boiled for toothache and stomachache. Early settlers used Horopito as a substitute for quinine to treat diarrhoea and gastric infections. It was used for stomach aches and known as the ‘Māori Painkiller’. It was also utilised for coughs, colds and asthma. Recent research completed in New Zealand shows a clear anti-fungal action for Horopito, specifically against Candida species (which causes thrush) but also other fungal organisms such as Trichophyton species which causes ringworm.
The Herbal Dispensary
