Latin: Ballota nigra
Also Known As: Black Stinking Horehound
Family: Lamiaceae
Habitat and Description: This is a really rather unpleasant smelling perennial growing on waysides, near hedgerows and on wasteland. It is quite easily cultivated in the herb garden as well though tends to be a bit of a thug – I'm rapidly noticing this seems to be quite a characteristic of many of the lamiaceae family herbs! The plant grows up to 30cms tall, and has slightly murky green, roughly spear shaped, toothed leaves arranged in pairs on the typical square stem. The flowers form in whorls and are deep pinky purple, with the characteristic lip.
Parts Used: Aerial parts
Constituents: The plant contains diterpenoids such as marrubiin and ballonigrin, and antibacterial phenylpropanoids
Planetary Influence: Mercury
Constitution: warm and dry
Actions and Indications: I think one of Black Horehound's primary and most useful actions is as an anti emetic, especially for morning sickness during pregnancy and travel sickness – it combines well with Ginger, Raspberry Leaf and / or Chamomile for both purposes. It can also be used to treat persistent and ongoing diarrhoea, especially where this is combined with trembling, weakness and general debility (not surprising really – I rather suspect anyone who had suffered diarrhoea for more than a couple of days would feel as if they had been put by a wringer regardless of any other symptoms!)
It can also be used to treat a range of digestive complaints, such as dyspepsia and flatulence, and is particularly good at treating digestive upset and vomiting where this is of nervous origin – perhaps on a par with Vervain for this, though I'd probably be inclined to use Vervain for people of a warm constitution and perhaps Black Horehound for those of a colder constitution.
It also has some actions on the respiratory tract as an anti spasmodic, making it useful in the treatment of bronchitis and asthma, as well as to treat chronic coughs – it can be combined with demulcents such as marshmallow leaf or plantain leaf for this purpose.
It can also be used as an emmenagogue to bring on delayed periods due to nervous tension, as well as to dry up excessive menstrual bleeding and normalise the menstrual cycle. By extension, it can also be combined with other herbs to ease labour pains.
Folklore: The latin name 'ballota' derives from 'ballo', meaning 'to reject', indicating that cattle will not eat it (not surprising either given how unpleasant it smells!) Very little other folklore seems to exist for this plant which seems odd considering that it was known by Dioscorides and other notables of Greek medicine – the same goes for magical and energetic uses, meaning that this is a very lean monograph in comparison to many other plants.
Dose: up to 4g dried herb three times a day or related tincture dose – 2mls 3 times a day sounds about right.
Contraindications: None known - which is interesting given that despite its use as an emmenagogue, it is well known as an anti morning sickness herb...