Horehound

Identity

Common Name

Horehound

Scientific Name

Marrubium vulgare

Botanical Family

Lamiaceae

Native Region

Europe and the Mediterranean

Cultivation Regions

Europe, Asia, North Africa, North America

Plant Parts Used

Aerial parts, Leaves

Synonyms

White Horehound, Common Horehound, Marrub

Caffeine Level

Caffeine Free

A bushy square-stemmed perennial 30-80 cm tall covered in soft white hairs, with rounded, deeply wrinkled grey-green netted leaves and dense whorls of small white two-lipped tubular flowers along the upper stem.

Historical Background

Horehound has been the quintessential European cough herb since antiquity, brewed into bitter syrups, teas, and the familiar horehound candy lozenges. Its intensely bitter taste gave it a reputation as a hardy remedy for chesty coughs and sluggish digestion.

Earliest recorded uses: Egyptian, Greek, and Roman medicine; the classic European cough herb for lozenges and syrups.

Traditional Uses

These uses document historical traditions and do not imply proven effectiveness.

Flavor & Aroma

Aroma: Bitter, earthy, menthol-like, herbaceous

Tea Information

Research Summary

Horehound has a strong tradition as a bitter digestive and expectorant cough remedy, recognized in European pharmacopoeias. Clinical evidence is limited; small studies support some expectorant and antimicrobial activity, but it is not a treatment for cough, infection, or digestive disease.

Evidence levels reflect the currently available scientific literature and may change as new research emerges. Where evidence is limited or conflicting, this is stated plainly.

References & Sources