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Herb Facts
by: Jeff Anderson
Herbs were recorded in use as early as 2500 B.C. Ancient clay tablets
reveal that the Sumerians used Herbs. The ancient Assyrians knew
about the virtues of 250 herbs. The ancient Egyptians also used
herbs as early as 1600 B.C. The Herbs they used included elderberry,
pomegranate bark, wild lettuce, wormwood, hemlock and other herbs
for health. The Greeks of old used herbs such as mustard, cinnamon,
gentian, rhubarb and many others. A pupil of Aristotle wrote ten
books on the history of plans and herbs. Alexander the Great made
a number of expeditions into Africa, Persia and India and brought
back herbs in use in those countries.
A Roman Soldier and writer, Pliny, the Elders did extensive research
on herbs and wrote 47 large volumes on natural history, containing
information on about 1000 herb plants.
It is important to look at Herbs as being a type of medicine, and
with all medicines the important part of the equation is not how
great a medicine is. The important part is whether the medicine
is right for the patient.
Early herb gardens were the major source for food seasoning. The
need for homegrown herbs, however, declined with the advent of modern
stores. Today, many gardeners are rediscovering the joy and pleasure
of producing their own herbs.
Definition of Herb
From the botanical viewpoint, an herb is a seed plant that does
not produce a woody stem like a tree. But an herb will live long
enough to develop flowers and seeds.
Number of Herbs Available
A true herb connoisseur can select from a wide variety of common
and not-so-common herbs. For example, the E & A Evetts Ashfields
Herb Nursery of Shropshire, England, lists 57 herbs, 16 mints, 17
onion-type herbs, 20 sages, and 17 thymes in a recent catalog. The
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook on Herbs lists 73 different types
of herbs.
Some herbs fit into one or more classifications according to use
-- culinary, aromatic, ornamental, and medicinal.
About The Author
Jeff Anderson knows his herbs. He knows what to look for and what
pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about herbs.
Contact him at Jeff@herb-lunch.com
or visit the blog at his site http://www.herb-lunch.com/
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