Healing Herbs You Haven’t Heard of

Herbs, are by definition, plants that include flowers, leaves, or seeds that can be used 
for medicinal purposes or food. The herbs located in this report are going to discuss not 
just uncommon herbs, but the ones that provide medicinal or healing properties.

There are many exceptional herbs that provide this purpose, from chamomile to basil. 
However, many of them are more common and the ones that many consider their go-to. 

For example, you are probably familiar with these common (and wonderful!) herbs:

Chamomile – Often used for indigestion, insomnia, anxiety, and stress.

Echinacea – Helpful for illnesses like the cold and flu, as well as for naturally boosting 
the immune system.

Basil – Basil is good for cuts and scrapes, along with lack of appetite following an 
illness.

Lavender – Perfect for relaxing your body and mind, often used for anxiety, stress, 
depression, and insomnia. Can also relieve pain from cuts and scrapes.

Rosemary – Rosemary is often used for boosting your mood and helping with memory 
and focus.

Peppermint – This is a good herb for indigestion and relieving headache pain.

St. John’s Wort – A popular herb for depression, along with stress and anxiety.

There is nothing wrong with planting the more common herbs – in fact, you should have 
as many of them as possible at your disposal! But don’t forget about some of the less 
common ones you can either purchase or grow in your home and start your very own 
apothecary or natural medicine cabinet.

Here are 12 of the less common healing herbs that provide amazing health benefits to 
everyone in your family.

1. Catnip

The first of the more uncommon herbs that can provide a lot of amazing healing benefits 
is, surprisingly, catnip. Yes, the same catnip herb that is often given to cats to help 
boost their mood and give them a little bit of a spunk. While this is often the result of 
giving the catnip herb to cats, it has quite the opposite effect for humans.

So what is catnip? This plant is a type of perennial in a gray and green shade. It is 
actually part of the mint family, and includes square stems very similar to mint plants. 
You will notice that the leaves look like heart shapes with jagged edges and the plant 
gets to about 3 feet tall on average. 

Health Benefits of Catnip

There are a lot of amazing health benefits when you have a catnip plant. For humans, 
catnip can actually do the opposite of cats and sedate you and help to relax you instead 
of hyping you up. Naturally, one of the top benefits of catnip herbs is that you can get 
relief from your stress. Some other benefits of catnip include:

Improved digestion – Catnip is excellent for relieving indigestion and clearing up 
stomach problems. With regular use, the organic compounds in catnip herbs can help 
reduce discomfort from gastrointestinal distress, help with cramping and bloating, and 
even reduce flatulence if that is an issue for you.

Help with insomnia – If you are having trouble sleeping, catnip is a great herb to add 
to the rotation. Since it provides mild sedation benefits, this can really help you relax 
enough for bedtime. It will help with your restlessness, so it helps you fall asleep, while 
also helping you to stay asleep. Try some catnip tea before bed and soon you will feel 
very relaxed.

Headache relief – Another good health benefit of catnip is that it can provide some 
natural headache relief. Again, drinking catnip tea is excellent for your headaches. You 
can also try adding some salve on your temples.

2. Lady Fern

The next healing herb you might not be completely familiar with is a lady fern. While 
people have often used this plant in their yard, they are often surprised to hear it can be 
used as a medicinal herb. The lady fern plant is a smaller plant, reaching about 2-5 feet 
in height. The tree is a bit irregular in shape and typically a brown shade. 

One thing you will notice about the lady fern is that it has an odd odor, something that is 
a little off putting to some people. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t great for medicinal 
purposes. Because of the odor and sour taste of lady fern herbs, it is best used as a 
topical application as opposed to cooking with the herb or making herbal tea with it.

Health Benefits of Lady Fern

Now you are probably wondering about the health benefits of the lady fern plant! The 
main health benefit to this funky herb is to help with respiratory problems. In this 
manner, you are making a healthy tea, but you want to make sure it tastes good. This 
usually involves mixing the herb of lady fern with other healthy herbs that provide the 
same health benefits, which helps to mask the taste. 

Here are some other ways lady fern can help your health and wellness:

Wash external wounds and burns
Help get rid of intestinal worms
Provide treatment for hepatic diseases
Treat diseases related to the spleen
Get your appetite back
Reduce your fever naturally

3. Comfrey

You may have heard of the comfrey herb before, though it does tend to be less common 
that lavender and chamomile. Comfrey is often on lists of ‘top natural herbs’ or ‘top 
natural treatments’ because it has a long list of health benefits for you.

The comfrey herb is by no means new, as it has been around since the Roman times. In 
folk medicine, it was often used to help with wounds on the skin, like cuts and scrapes. 
To use the comfrey plant for herbal treatments, you want to cut the leaves from the 
plant as soon as the flowers start to bud. You can also harvest the buds themselves. It 
is safer to harvest them later in the spring.

However, it is really important to know what parts of the herb are being used and is not 
beginner-friendly. This is because some comfrey herbs may have toxic alkaloids. If you 
grow it yourself, become familiar with what the herb has, otherwise, get herbs from a 
natural herbal store. They will let you know which parts are most beneficial and safe to 
use.

Health Benefits of Comfrey

You already know that comfrey is highly beneficial for external wounds, helping to make 
a poultice or ointment that is all-natural and includes this herb plus other natural 
ingredients. It can also help to speed up the healing process if you have any sprained or 
broken bones. It helps speed up the healing process thanks to the vitamin C and 
calcium in the herb.

Some other of the benefits include:

Reducing inflammation and swelling, especially following a sprain or brake
Increase cell production following an injury or illness
Help stomach and duodenal ulcers to heal at a more rapid pace
Reduce irritated tissues internally and externally
Soothe membranes affected by bronchitis or a head cold

4. Hyssop

Hyssop is another amazing herb when you have a cold or sinus infection, as well as 
providing a lot of other health benefits. Hyssop is often used as the herb in the more 
traditional ways like cooking with it or making tea, or you can extract oil from hyssop 
and use that in a diffuser. 

The hyssop is one of the smaller plants, rarely reaching higher than 2 feet high. The 
leaves are placed in a linear fashion and the flowers typically come in different colors. 
The tops of the flowers is what the hyssop plant is usually cultivated for, which are 
steeped in water in order to achieve the various health benefits associated with this 
unique herb. The varieties of the hyssop herb are based on the color of the flowers, 
including red, white, and blue. The flowers typically bloom summer to fall, from June to 
October.

It is not uncommon to steep hyssop along with other herbs in the same pot of water, 
such as with rosemary and lavender. Choose other scents and flavors that complement 
each other, and you can make a healing tea or use them for various medicinal 
purposes.

Health Benefits of Hyssop

There is a long list of medicinal use of hyssop, in fact this is one of the healthiest and 
most beneficial herbs on this list. Here is a rundown of the different uses relating to your 
health:

Congestion
Cold and flu
Bronchitis
Aromatherapy
Bruises
Sprains
Burns and other skin issues
Oral care
IBS
Hypertension
Digestion issues
Cold sores
Insect repellent

Hyssop herbs are most often used in a tea, especially when you are using it for 
medicinal purposes. However, if you don’t want to drink tea with the hyssop herb in it, 
you can still benefit by using a hyssop extract or capsule. There are also essential oils 
made from this herb you can use with an essential oil diffuser.

5. Wild Quinine

Wild quinine is another herb that you may or may not have heard of, but probably not 
often. This is an herb that does tend to be on the unusual side, but when you see the 
amazing health benefits, you will definitely wonder how you have not heard about it 
before. 

The actual name for wild quinine is parthenium integrifolium. It is a plant often found in 
gardens among the other beautiful flowering plants. Wild quinine, like many other herb 
plants on this list, is a perennial. It has big, lovely foliage and blooms for a long time. It 
is also resistant to diseases and pests, so it is beginner-friendly if you want to plant it in 
your backyard.

Health Benefits of Wild Quinine

Wild quinine is one of the healing herbs that are usually reserved for external use. This 
means you will make a type of poultice, which consists of a soft plant material 
combining plant material and liquid that can be applied to your skin. 

With wild quinine, you can make a poultice with the herbs that is good for treating 
inflammation or burns on your skin. Then the flowering tops of this plant are often used 
to help with fevers.

6. Burdock

Burdock is another herb you should definitely know about! This is a wonderful healing 
herb that is sometimes used as holistic or Chinese medicine, while in other parts of the 
world the entire vegetable is used. In Japan and other parts of Asia, they typically eat 
the entire plant as a vegetable. Burdock is not only used as a healthy plant, but it can 
also be used for beauty purposes, including cosmetics and hair.

For cultivation of burdock, this occurs all over the world. Here are some different places 
the burdock herb might be cultivated, so you know if you can get it locally:

United States
Canada
Europe
Japan
Vietnam
Indonesia
China
New Zealand
Philippines

The cultivation and harvesting of burdock typically occurs in the fall it is planted, though 
for the entire root of the plant, it may take until the next spring or fall.

Health Benefits of Burdock

Now for the part you are really interested in: the health benefits of this unique and rare 
herb! Burdock can provide multiple health benefits, just like most herbs. One of the top 
reasons people will use burdock is to help clean the blood and improve the health of 
their liver. Here are some other ways burdock can help you:

Cleaning your kidneys – Burdock is really good at cleaning out your body, starting with 
cleaning and detoxing your kidneys. This is due to helping you sweat and removing uric 
acid from your kidneys.

Remove toxins from your liver – It can also help to detox your liver by removing 
dangerous toxins in your body. 

Controlling your blood sugar – It is also not uncommon for herbalists to recommend 
burdock when someone has diabetes or a similar condition and needs help with 
controlling their blood sugar levels. 

Treating cancer – There are also depurative properties in burdock, helping to treat 
concert, as well as being good at preventing the growth of tumors.   

7. Noni

If you have ever heard of noni juice, then you might be aware of this herb. However, 
many people don’t realize the noni juice often sold in health food stores is actually from 
an herb called noni. This herb is native to parts of Australia, Asia, and Polynesia. It is a 
shorter plant with white flowers and noni fruit that is a green and white shade. The fruit 
smells like cheese when it is ripe, but it has loads of health benefits. Other parts of the 
tree can also be used as a healthy herb.

Health Benefits of Noni

Noni is not only healthy and good for you when you drink noni juice, but also when you 
eat the fruit or any part of the plant as an herb. Here are some of the top benefits of 
noni:

Relieve symptoms of arthritis – If you have arthritis, you are probably in quite a bit of 
physical pain. This comes from inflammation and swelling in your joints. Noni naturally 
has analgesic qualities, which can help reduce inflammation, then provide pain relief for 
your arthritis.

Help improve your immune system – Noni can help to boost your immune system, 
which is going to help keep away infections, cold, bronchitis, and other related illnesses. 
Boosting your immune system can also help to prevent sluggishness.

Protect your body from cancer – While noni can’t help you to battle cancer, it can 
help protect your body from it before you get cancer or during the initial stages. You 
should still discuss taking this herb or drinking the juice with your doctor if you have 
been diagnosed with cancer.

Fight anxiety and depression – Your mental health can also benefit from having noni. 
There are bio-chemicals in the plant and the fruit that can help to boost your mood and 
reduce the effects from stress, anxiety, and depression.

Help with diabetes – If you have diabetes, you can also benefit from noni. It helps to 
regulate the insulin resistance in your pancreas and can reduce the risk of vision or 
circulation issues from the diabetes.

8. Agave

You have probably heard of agave, as this is often used to make healthy use and 
dozens of other things. It also happens to be an herb, which is something you might not 
have known before! Not only is agave nectar sweet and delicious, but the herb itself can 
be very beneficial to your health. 

First of all, this is often considered a ‘super herb’ because it has a lot of different 
vitamins and minerals right in the herb and the nectar. Here are some of the nutritional 
facts about the agave herb:

There is lots of iron in dried agave
Raw agave has over a milligram of iron
It has plenty of calcium for building strong bones
There is zinc for helping your wounds to heal

Health Benefits of Agave

As you can see from the list of nutritional facts about agave, this herb is going to have a 
lot of health benefits. The natural compounds in agave are great for lowering your 
cholesterol and blood pressure. It has also been shown to help reduce the growth of 
cancerous tumors. Here are some other health benefits you can expect to get from this 
wonderful herb and nectar:

Help with your constipation and digestive issues
Treat skin irritation and skin infections
Prevent your joints from turning into arthritis joints
Reduce inflammation and swelling in your body
Help get rid of an ulcer naturally

9. Shepherd's Purse

This might seem like a silly name, but shepherd’s purse is actually a very powerful herb, 
and one that not many people have even heard of. Shepherd’s purse is a green plant 
that has leaves that are a bit rough and have tiny hairs on them. There are toothed 
leaves a few inches long, though this plant also flowers during certain times of the year. 
There is a slim stem to the flowering part of shepherd’s purse, where you will see a 
rosette shape of leaves surrounding the flower. There is a slightly unpleasant aroma 
coming from the plant, which is a good way to identify this from other herbs that might 
look similar.

Shepherd’s purse has long since been planted and cultivated for its medicinal qualities. 
In fact, because of the odor and slightly odd appearance, it is typically planted mostly for 
natural remedies for health issues, and not necessarily due to adding to the appearance 
of the garden.

Health Benefits of Shepherd’s Purse

First of all, shepherd’s purse has been shown to help with improving circulation in your 
body. It also has a positive effect on the flow of urine, so if you have urination issues, 
this might help you a lot. It can also be good for your skin, helping wounds to heal more 
quickly and even treating skin conditions like eczema. Here are some other ways 
shepherd’s purse can benefit you medically:

It helps with your bladder infections, UTIs, and kidney disease
You can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol naturally
Shepherd’s purse is great for diarrhea and constipation
You can find relief from headaches
Premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramps are greatly reduced
It helps to treat mild heart failure

10. Arnica

The next herb on this list that you should know about if you are interested in medicinal 
qualities is arnica. This is one of the herbs that tends to be a little less common, but a 
term you might have heard somewhere. 

When someone talks about the arnica herb, they are actually talking about flowers from 
a few different arnica plants, such as the chamissonis or montana. While many herbs 
use different parts of a plant, like the leaves or the root, arnica is only going to use the 
flowers of these types of plants.

With arnica flowers, they are typically just one component of salves, creams, and similar 
products that provide topical benefits. While it is usually for skin purposes, it is not 
uncommon to find recipes for using arnica flowers in hair products, such as for treating 
dandruff.

Health Benefits of Arnica

While you know the main purpose of arnica herb is to use the flowers for topical 
treatments, but there are actually a wide array of health benefits for these topical natural 
products. Here are some different ways arnica can be used:

Healing bruises at a more rapid pace
Finding relief from sprains, such as the ankle or wrist
Helping to relieve sore muscles and other muscle pain
Speeding up the healing process of wounds
Providing relief from joint pain
Reducing inflammation in the body
Helping to treat effects of insect bites
Treating burns and scrapes
Providing natural treatment for chronic abscesses

Due to the toxicity of arnica, it is not recommended for external use. All of the herbal 
remedies will be for topical application and external use only.

11. Wormwood

One of the last herbs on this list of healing herbs you haven’t heard of is wormwood. 
This is an interesting herb because it is a small plant but has so many health benefits 
due to the various healing properties in the plant. The leaves of this plant look soft and 
feathery due to the tiny hairs on them. The plant is native to parts of Europe, but can 
often be found in parts of Northern America and Asia.

This is another perennial plant, with a flowering stem. It typically grows between July 
and October, and can be cultivated during this window as well. The leaves have a bitter 
taste and like many herbs, the plant has a very specific odor.

Health Benefits of Wormwood

Now for the fun part – the health benefits! Take a look at all these different medicinal 
purposes of the wormwood plant and herb:

Remove parasites from the body – First of all, wormwood can be beneficial for 
removing parasites from the body. It has been shown to help with worm infections like 
pinworms and roundworms, along with other types of intestinal worms. Some of these 
worms are disastrous to the inside of the body, spreading and laying eggs to infect the 
intestines. 

Help treat Crohn’s disease – If you have crohn’s disease, you have probably looked 
around for quite a few different treatments. If you want a natural treatment, wormwood 
can be a good option for you. Wormwood is often used in herbal blends that can help 
you to reduce steroids for the treatment of crohn’s and reduce how many flare-ups you 
have.

Provide benefits for cancer cells – Believe it or not, there have been studies that 
have positive results for killing cancer cells in the body. This is because of the high 
amount of iron in wormwood that is particularly beneficial for cells that lead to breast 
cancer. It is a possible natural treatment for cancer, though should not replace other 
medical treatments.

It can treat malaria – Some countries around the world have a serious disease called 
malaria, which is caused by parasites from mosquito bites. This affects the human red 
blood cells and can even be fatal. Wormwood has been effective as a natural treatment 
for malaria. 

12. Pokeweed

The last herb that is on this list is pokeweed. It is not a very common herb but one you 
will soon find has many health benefits for you. This is a plant that comes from the 
United States, native to the eastern parts. It has some toxicity, so it should only be used 
externally unless looking at certain variations of the herb.

Pokeweed is a taller plant, getting up to about 8 feet high. It is a perennial with a strong 
odor and reddish colored branch stems. This is the description for American pokeweed, 
but there is a similar plant called the Chinese pokeberry. This can be edible when 
cooked if you use the one with white root and white flowers, but be careful because the 
purple root and flowers variety of Chinese pokeberry is actually poisonous and not 
edible.

Health Benefits of Pokeweed

There are many different health benefits of pokeweed when used as a topical remedy. 
Here are some of the top medicinal uses for this herb:

It can soothe infections
Pokeweed helps with inflammation of glands
It helps to treat tonsillitis
You can use it for rashes in the breasts
It treats cancer of the uterus
Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis can be improved

In addition to these herbs, some others that you might want to consider are jewelweed, 
chicory, and duckweed.
