You are about to leave the Herb Pharm website. The website will open in a new browser window.
Please select "OK" to continue to the website, or close this box to return to Herb-Pharm.com.
Herbal KnowledgeFeb 2, 2022
Herbs are at the center of what we do, and we work with hundreds of plant species, from Albizia (Albizia julibrissin) to Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californium). Learning about herbs is a journey for each one of us, and there is always more to understand and discover. Once you develop the habit of pausing, listening and observing nature, you’ll never stop learning.
Today we’re sharing some facts and insights about 14 herbs for immune support. Some of them, like Echinacea and Black Elderberry, might be herbs you know and love. Others, like Reishi and Umckaloabo, might be new to you. Read on to test your knowledge of these plants, just in time for immune season.*
This plant, native to south Asia, is known as the “King of Bitters” — and for good reason. Andrographis has an intensely bitter taste. Also known as Kalmegh, it is an immune support active responder.*
You’ll find Andrographis as a single herb extract.
Astragalus root is harvested in autumn and carefully shade-dried to maintain its full aroma and color. It supports vital energy and reinforces the body’s natural defenses, including healthy lung function. Native to Asia, this plant is known as Huang Qi in traditional Chinese herbalism.*
You'll find Astragalus in Daily Immune Builder™, Herbs on the Go: Immune Season™, Kids Immune Fortifier, and as a single herb extract.
We extract only fully ripened Black Elderberries, which assures optimal extraction of the plant’s bioactive compounds. Black Elderberry provides deep support for an active immune response. These plump little blueish-black colored berries start out as lacy white flowers known as — you guessed it — Elder flower. Elder trees commonly grow along the edge of wooded areas, and they are named as such due to the respect they have earned. In Europe, they are commonly grown in hedgerows.*
You'll find Black Elderberry in Herbs on the Go: Immune Season™, Kids Immune Fortifier, Kids Throat TLC™, Kids Black Elderberry and as a single herb extract and an alcohol-free extract.
Calendula is known in the garden for its sticky flower buds and familiar sunny yellow-orange flower heads. Its petals can also spruce up salads. We prepare Calendula extract from whole flowers harvested at their peak at the end of summer.
You'll find Calendula in Fung Freedom™ and as a single herb extract.
Take one look at this plant, and you’ll know exactly why it got its name. The thorns on Cat’s Claw look exactly like, well, a cat’s claw! We extract the inner bark of vines that are responsibly wildcrafted in the Peruvian Amazon. Cat’s Claw, which supports the immune system, is a perennial vine that climbs using its “claws.”*
You'll find Cat's Claw as a single herb extract.
Echinacea purpurea is among the herbs we grow on our farm as part of our United Plant Savers certified Botanical Sanctuary. Almost every part of this plant is used — we harvest and extract the root, seed, flower, and leaf. You likely have seen Echinacea’s bright pinkish-purple flowers — commonly known as Coneflower — growing in fields or alongside roads in the eastern or central US. A member of the Daisy family, Echinacea provides complex, deep support of the immune system over both the short and long term. It is great for all-season immune system support.*
You'll find Echinacea in several immune products, including Immunattack™, Kids Immune Avenger™, Kids Immune Fortifier™, Rapid Immune Boost™, Soothing Throat Spray, Super Echinacea®, Vi-Be-Gone™, as a single herb extract and an alcohol-free extract.
This woodland plant with a yellow root is native to the eastern and central US, with a long history of use by Native Americans. Goldenseal is on the United Plant Savers At-Risk list, so we take sourcing of this plant seriously and grow it in our Botanical Sanctuary. To preserve wild-growing populations of this threatened plant, we only use cultivated, Certified Organic Goldenseal. Our Goldenseal is dug by hand in the late summer or autumn, then carefully cleaned and dried in the shade before it is thoroughly extracted. Goldenseal provides traditional support for the respiratory and digestive systems.*
You'll find Goldenseal in Rapid Immune Boost™, Golden Echinacea™, Golden Echinacea™, Alcohol-Free as a single herb extract and an alcohol-free extract.
Native to the Western US, Lomatium is in the same family as Carrots and Celery. It was commonly used by Native Americans. This hardy root has eluded attempts to grow it commercially, so Lomatium is a reminder of nature’s power. Our extract is prepared from fresh roots that are responsibly wildcrafted exclusively for us in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Lomatium is traditionally used to support the immune system.*
You'll find Lomatium in Vi-Be-Gone™ and as a single herb extract.
Perhaps best known as one of the Three Wisemen’s gifts, Myrrh is a hard, glossy tree resin. Ours is made from the Certified Organic resin of trees in the deserts of Somalia. Myrrh offers traditional support for the immune system.*
You'll find Myrrh in Immunattack™ and as a single herb extract.
The Olive branch may be the iconic symbol of peace or victory, but the leaves also have a storied history, with uses that date back centuries. The mature leaves of the Olive tree promote a vigorous immune system response and provide general cardiovascular support.*
You'll find Olive in Vi-Be-Gone™ and as a single herb extract.
A member of the Mint family, Oregano is found in cultures from Spain and Portugal to Iran and India. Our Oregano Spirits blends the plant extract with the essential oil of Origanum vulgare plants. The extract is prepared from the Certified Organic flowering herb and essential oil.
You'll find Oregano in Oregano Spirits™ and Fung Freedom™.
Propolis is not a plant, but a by-product of trees created by bees. Honeybees harvest the crude resin from wild-growing trees, process it and store it in their hives. Propolis, which helps sharpen immune system's response to challenges, is then carefully collected from the honeybee hives and thoroughly extracted. At higher temperatures, it is sticky and becomes brittle when cool, and bees use it to provide structural stability and to fill in small gaps within their hives.*
You'll find Propolis in Soothing Throat Spray and as a single extract.
Reishi mushrooms grow on deciduous trees and have a long history of use to support the immune system. Our Reishi liquid herbal extract is prepared from dried whole fruiting body (not mycelium) of Certified Organic Ganoderma lingzhi mushrooms. Our Reishi is grown on wood logs and/or chips (never on grains like rice).*
You'll find Reishi in Kids Immune Fortifier, Daily Immune Builder™ and as a single extract.
Native to South Africa, Umckaloabo is also known as African Geranium. The plant has eye-catching dark red to purple flowers and rosette-like leaves, but it is the roots that are used in herbalism. We prepare our Umckaloabo extract from the root of Certified Organic Pelargonium sidoides plants, responsibly harvested from its native South Africa.
You'll find Umckaloabo in Herbal Respiratory Relief™ and as a single herb extract.
Don't forget! Check your Rewards account for coupons.
CHECKOUTYou are about to leave the Herb Pharm website. The website will open in a new browser window.
Please select "OK" to continue to the website, or close this box to return to Herb-Pharm.com.