WW. Olde Herb Names!!

Collaboration Blog with Lee-Anne Mann

Back in the day, we would have used terms such as 'Eye of newt', 'Burning Bush' and even 'Dragon's wort' in our cauldrons for various brews, curses, spells, rituals and potions etc..  Until now we always thought that these words were pretend terms which would give Witches the creepy story embellishments for book..  Terms which are still used today in books but also Tv and Film.  These days its very unlikely to hear real witches use these names like our sisters before us...  Yes that's right!! - Low and behold they are just a simile of plants inc herbs we use today!  The old names refer to what 'it' looked like or what 'it' came from!! 

Listed below is a list of those such terms..  Enjoy!

The magical and ancient folklore name is in bold; the common name is in normal everyday modern name. For spell ingredients please check variations of the name, for example: Goose Blood = Blood Of A Goose, Dog = hound, Donkey = Ass = Mule, Pig = Swine etc.

Adders Tongue  or Tongue of Adder/Snake
Dogstooth Violet or Adder’s Tongue Fern

Ass’s Foot
Coltsfoot

Bear’s Foot
Hellbore

Beehive
Snail Plant

Beggar’s Tick
Cockhold

Bird’s Eye
Speedwell

Blood
Elder sap

Bloody Fingers
Foxglove

Blood from a Head
Lupine

Blood of a Goose
A Mulberry Tree’s Milk

Blood of Ares
Purslane

Blood of Hephaistos
Wormwood

Bone of an Ibis
Buckthorn

Bread and Cheese
Hawthorne

Bull’s Eyes
Marigold

Bull’s Foot
Coltsfoot

Burning Bush
White Dittany

Candlemas Maiden
Snowdrop

Candlewick Plan
Mullein

Calf’s Snout
Toadflax

Cat Gut
Hoary Pea

Cat’s Eye
Star Scabious

Cat’s Foot
Snake Root

Cat’s Milk
Wartwort

Cat’s Paw
Ground Ivy

Chicken Toe
Crawley Root

Cock’s Comb
Yellow Rattle

Crow’s Foot
Cranesbill

Crown for a King
Wormwood

Dew of the Sea
Rosemary

Devil’s Milk
Wartwort

Devil’s Scourge
St Johns Wort

Demon’s Scourge
St Johns Wort

Demon’s Curse
St Johns Wort

Donkey’s Eyes
Cowage Plant

Dove’s Foot
Wild Geranium

Dragon’s Claw
Crawley Root

Dragon’s Eye
Nephalium Loganum

Dragon Wort
Bistort

DwaleDeadly Nightshade/Belladonna

Duck’s Foot
American Mandrake

Eagle
Wild Garlic

Earth Smoke
Fumitory

Elf Wort
Elecampane

Enchanter’s Plant
Vervain

Eye of the Star
Horehound

Englishman’s Foot
Common Plantain

Erba Santa Maria
Spearmint

Everlasting Friendship
Goosegrass

Eye of Christ
Speedwell

Eye of the Day
Daisy

Eye of the Star
Horehound

Eye Root
Goldenseal

Eyes
Aster, Daisy, Eyebright

Fairy Fingers
Foxglove

Fairy Gloves
Foxglove

Fairy Smoke
Indian Pipe

Fat from a Head
Spurge

Felon Herb
Mugwort

Five Finger Grass
Cinquefoil

Flesh and Blood
Tormentil

Foal’s Foot
Coltsfoot

Frog’s Foot
Bulbous Buttercup

From the Loins
Camomile

Goat’s Beard
Vegetable Oyster

Goat’s Foot
Ash Weed

Golden Star
Avens

Grace Of God
St Johns Wort

Hare’s Foot
Clover

Hedgehogs
Medicago Intertexta

Hawk’s Heart
Heart of Wormwood

Honey Lotus
Melilot

Horse Tail
Scouring Rush

Horse Tongue
Hart’s Tongue ( Scolopendrium Vulgare )

Joy of the Mountain
Marjoram

Lamb’s Tongue
Ribwort Plantain

Little Dragon
Tarragon

Lion’s Hair
Leaves Of The Taproot or Tongue of Turnip

Lizard’s Tail
Breast Weed

Lizard’s Tongue
Sauroglossum

Love-In-Idleness
Pansy

Love Man
Goosegrass

Love Parsley
Lovage

Love Root
Orris

Lad’s Love
Southernwood

Maiden’s / Mother’s Ruin
Southernwood or you can also add a dash of Gin

Man’s Bile
Turnip Sap

Man’s Health
Ginseng

Master of the Woods
Woodruff

Masterwort
Angelica

May Lily
Lily of the Valley

May Rose
Black Haw or May Blossom

May
Black Haw or May Blossom

Maypops
Passion Flower

Mistress of the Night
Tuberose

Mother’s Heart
Shepherd’s Purse

Mutton Chops
Goosegrass

Nose Bleed
Yarrow

Old Man’s Beard
Fringe Tree

Old Man’s Flannel
Great Mullein

Old Man’s Pepper
Yarrow

Old Maid’s Nightcap
Geranium

Oliver
Olive

Ox Tongue
Bugloss

Pig’s Tail
Leopard’s Bane

Pig’s Snout
Dandelion

Password
Primrose

Queen of the Meadow
Meadowsweet

Rabbit’s Foot
Field Clover

Ram’s Head
Valerian

Seven Year’s Love
Yarrow

Shepherd’s Heart
Shepherds Purse

Sleep Wort
Lettuce

Snake Head
Balmony

Snake Milk
Blooming Spurge

Snake’s Tongue
Adder’s Tongue Fern

Sorcerer’s Violet
Periwinkle

Stag Horn
Club Moss

Star Flower
Borage

Star of the Earth
Avens

Starweed
Chickweed

Starwort
Aster

Swine Snout
Dandelion

Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon
Dill Juice

Thousand Seal
Yarrow

Thunder Plant
Houseleek

Titan’s Blood
Wild Lettuce

Toad
Toadflax

Toe Of Frog
Bulbous Buttercup

Tongue of Dog
Houndstongue

Torches
Mullein

Unicorn Horn
Helonias Dioica

Unicorn Root
Ague Root

Wax Dolls
Fumitory

Weasel Snout
Dead/Dumb Nettles or Yellow Archangel

Weed
Ox-Eye Daisy

White Man’s Foot
Plantain

White Wood
White Cinnamon

White Ox-Eye
Daisy

Witches Aspirin
While Willow Bark

Witches Bells
Foxglove

Witches Briar
Brier Hips

Witch Herb
Mugwort or St Johns Wort (depending on type of spell)

Witch Wood
Rowan

Wolf Claw
Club Moss

Wolf Foot
Bugle Weed

Wolf’s Bane
Arnica

Wolf’s Milk
Euphorbia

We must admit there are some we haven't even heard of before now!!  We hope you found this enjoyable and who knows it might even be helpful someday!! 

By (Guest) Lee-Anne Mann and (me) Imogen Cane
Blessed Be, x