Horehound Seeds | Marrubium vulgare

This lesser-known plant in the mint family has a strong expectorant effect, particularly for wet or non-productive coughs such as those in bronchitis and whooping cough.

As an extremely bitter plant, horehound can stimulate the production of bile to move digestion along and has also shown to stimulate delayed menstruation.

Because the bitter tea can be quite unpleasant on its own, horehound is often sweetened heavily with honey or made into a cough syrup. 

Horehound is a small, attractive shrub that has a similar mounding growth habit to sage. Leaves and stems are soft and fuzzy, with deeply wrinkled, grooved, ruffly leaves

The common name "horehound" comes from the Old English words "har" and "hune", meaning "downy plant", referring to the white hairs that give the plant its distinctive hoary appearance.

Horehound is invasive in California, Alaska, & West Virginia so should be wild-harvested rather than intentionally planted in these states. 

Approximately 100 seeds, harvested for 2023

Grown using only compost, water, & organic fertilizer, our plants are never treated or sprayed with anything at all. 

Lifecycle: Perennial

Zones: 3-10

Region: Native to Eurasia & Mediterranean

Actions: Stimulating expectorant, bitter, antispasmodic, emmenagogue.

Parts used: Leaf & flowering tops

Indications: Wet cough, nonproductive cough, thick sputum, congestion, bronchitis (particularly chronic), whooping cough, indigestion, delayed menstruation, postpartum placenta expulsion.

Planting: To sow, scarify seeds lightly on fine grit sandpaper and plant in early spring, directly in the garden or in pots. Barely cover with soil, tamp securely and keep evenly moist until germination

Spacing: 12"

Location: Horehound prefers full sun and dryish, nutrient-depleted soils. This is a plant that can literally be killed with kindness. It does best when grown on the edge of the garden where water and nutrients grow thin.

Germination: 2-3 weeks

Our Seeds

The majority of our seeds offered are saved from our small medicinal plant farm right here in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Our plants are grown only with water, compost, & organic fertilizer. NEVER sprayed with herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or anything else. 

There are some seeds that we have not been able to harvest in abundance ourselves yet, so these are provided by a farm here in Oregon that is certified organic by the USDA and Oregon Tilth. 

Important

Always check with local authorities (such as your county extension) to see if non-native plants are invasive or noxious in your region.

Noxious plants are illegal to grow and cannot be shipped across state borders. Invasive species should never be intentionally planted, but should be harvested from the wild instead. They may hold medicinal value but they can destroy native ecosystems and habitats.

There are likely less destructive alternatives with similar medicinal value that you can plant.