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Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

a.k.a. Alehoof


A very pungent smelling & tasting herb. With leaves a similar shape to a horses hoof, it was once used in beer making before the use of Hops.


This is a good herb for congestion in the nose & phlegmy lungs. Good to add to a syrup for kids with coughs & colds. It would combine well with the Ribwort Plantain.

This combined with Ribwort Plantain or Broad Leaf Plantain would be a good tea to drink for digestive troubles such as bloating, wind, fullness having eaten very little, nausea & loose stools.


This is an acquired taste but not ‘horrible’. I tend to add Barley Malt Syrup to sweeten cough syrups. A good quality honey is can also be used but add it to herbal teas once the liquid has cooled to drinking temperature. This is recommended as I have seen many cases where quality cold spun honey, added to hot water, has activated pollens within the honey & people have had allergic reactions. These people where notably weak but kids can be more sensitive.


This plant creeps along the ground in shady areas but can grow up quite tall if need be. Once tasted, never forgotten. There are many recipes for this plant online, I just tend to stick to using it for coughs & snotty noses!




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