Cornsilk (Zea mays) is exactly what it sounds like … tea made from the silk of corn plants. You can use the silk of fresh corn, dry it in the sun, and make your own cornsilk tea. It is a diuretic and soothes the urinary tract, so it is useful for urinary tract infections. It has also been used to break up stones (but hydrangea is probably better for that purpose).

Cornsilk has cosmetic uses as well. It is ground into a fine powder and used as a face powder or a baby powder.

Contains saponins, volatile alkaloids, plant sterols, allatosin, tannins, and resin.

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) is generally used as a woman’s herb. It can be beneficial to reduce the problems associated with PMS, can help regulate a woman’s cycles, and can be helpful to alleviate menstrual cramps.

Chasteberry has been used since ancient times, and was written about in the works of Hippocrates and his contemporaries.

Valentine’s Day seems like an appropriate time to discuss Rosehip (Rosa canina) tea. Rose hips are the fruits that remain on the bush after the flowers are gone. Rose hips were called “the Food of the Gods” by the ancient Greeks and regarded as beneficial for a number of health reasons. Rose hips are, indeed, a valuable food source as one of the richest sources of vitamin C, complete with flavenoids.

Because of the abundance of vitamin C and flavenoids, rosehip tea is useful for fighting colds and respiratory infections.  It is also helpful against stomach problems involving inflammation and/or diarrhea with infection or because of food-borne illness, and is a common ingredient in colic remedies. It also has astringent properties and may be used cosmetically, but the rose oil derivatives are more commonly used for cosmetic purposes.

Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) is one of the best teas to promote liver health. Those with any liver condition can use it continually to their benefit. It does also have a very mild laxative effect.

It is a common herb in food use, with the roots being used in salads or cooked as a vegetable or added to other vegetables, and the leaves are used as salad greens. It is sometimes brewed as a coffee substitute, an can be used in making root beer.

This is the same dandelion that is the bane of many homeowners, popping up in otherwise well-manicured lawns. If not exposed to pesticide, herbicide, or car exhaust, common dandelions can be harvested and used as salad greens. Dandelion is very rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, and D and minerals, particularly potassium and calcium.

Dandelion is also used as a natural dye plant, with the whole plant being boiled down to make a deep magenta colored dye.

Black Cohosh Root (Cimicifuga racemosa) has long been used by Native Americans for a variety of purposes, both internally and externally. Because it was recognized as helpful for women, it was also called “squaw root.”

It has some benefit as a nerve tonic and for arthritis suffers, but is most commonly used to treat problems associated with menopause, menstruation, and has been used before childbirth. However, it is important to note that black cohosh should NOT be used as a single herb or a major constituent by pregnant or lactating women, and for those who do use it, the body should have a break if it is used for 6 months continuously.

Nutritionally, black cohosh provides isoflavones, isoferulic acid, salicylic acid,  tannins, resin, fatty acid, and simple and complex sugars.