Horehound has been around for a long time — as candy, throat lozenges, tea, and syrup. The plant’s name comes from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light. It has many uses over the centuries.
Ancient Greeks used horehound to cure the bite of mad dogs. Other medicinal uses for horehound included treatments for hepatitis, tumors, tuberculosis, typhoid, snake bite, worms, jaundice, bronchitis, and more. Horehound with rose oil was thought to cure earache. Horehound sniffed or used on the eyes was thought to improve eyesight. The herb was used to relieve liver and spleen obstructions.
Folk legend says that horehound can break magic spells. Horehound was one of the ritual bitter herbs of Passover among the Hebrews. It also was used on trees with cankerworm infestations.
The most reliable use for horehound is for sore throat and cough. The herb helps promote expectoration, too. Horehound contains tannin and marrubiin — a volatile oil that does not exist in the living plant but is formed during extraction. Marrubic acid has been shown to stimulate bile flow in rats. The plant also contains vitamin C and mucilage. All these elements together contribute to horehound’s ability to soothe sore throats, ease coughs, and increase expectoration.
Mix up an old fashioned cough remedy by mixing horehound tea with honey. Steep one ounce of fresh or dried horehound leaves in a pint of boiling water for ten minutes. Strain off the liquid. Add twice as much honey as you have liquid and mix well. Take one teaspoon of the syrup up to four times per day for sore throat and cough.
You don’t have to just use horehound if you are sick. Horehound and fennel seed can be added to lemonade for a flavorful drink. In England, horehound is sometimes used as a substitute for hops in beer making, and horehound ale is available across Europe. Horehound tea has a menthol-like taste with a hint of bitterness.
Don’t confuse useful horehound (marrubium vulgare) with black horehound (ballota nigra). Also known as stinking horehound, black horehound has a strong scent and may be toxic in large quantities. If you aren’t sure what plant you have, err on the side of caution and don’t use it.