The shea tree, or shea butter tree, is a wild tree in the Sapotaceae family. It grows naturally in Africa only, in the Sudan and Sahelian zones north of the equator. It is mainly present in wooded savannahs and can grow up to 20 metres high. It reaches its maximum production at 50 years of…
Italian Helichrysum is a typically Mediterranean plant that grows in the South of France and Corsica. This plant, also called everlasting flower or immortelle, is an evergreen shrub in the Asteraceae family. Its foliage is aromatic. The Latin name Helichrysum means “golden sun”, in reference to its pretty flowers which look like a sea of…
The raspberry is in the Rosaceae family. It is native to Europe, where it was first cultivated during the seventeenth century. It was initially used in perfumes, pharmaceutical products and liqueur. Idaeus, its species name, comes from Mount Ida, near Troy, where it was discovered. This area in northern Turkey was the scene of many…
Cucumber is a vegetable in the Cucurbitaceae family. The plant first grew in the foothills of the Himalayas and was domesticated in India almost 3,000 years ago. The cucumber is monoecious, meaning it produces male and female flowers on the same plant. It can only grow in hot and temperate climates. It is a crawling…
Synonymous with tropical beaches, the coconut palm belongs to the Arecaceae family. The tree grows mainly in tropical regions such as Southeast Asia. Adult coconut palms can reach 30 metres in height, with their leaf crowns up to 8 metres wide. Coconut seeds spread via ocean dispersal, but the species was also propagated by humans…
Cherries are the fruit of a tree in the Rosaceae family which produces beautiful white flowers in the spring. The two main species (sour cherry and wild cherry) originated in Asia Minor, and more specifically in the areas surrounding the Caspian and Black Seas. Today, cherry trees are grown around the world for their fleshy,…
Centella asiatica has many different names, including tiger grass and gotu kola. It is native to the tropical, marshy areas of Asia, Africa and South America. Centella asiatica is a small, creeping, semi-aquatic plant in the Apiaceae family. It has been used successfully for many thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, in India. COMMON NAME Organic…
Blackcurrant is a shrub in the Grossulariaceae family originating in northern Europe. It’s mainly known for its black fruits and leaves, which have medicinal properties. It is a bushy shrub with purplish leaves that give off the distinctive smell of the fruit. In the wild, the shrub grows along streams and in swamps. It can…
Aloe vera is a succulent plant in the Aloeaceae family. The plant’s name is derived from the Arabic word alloeh meaning “a shining bitter substance” and the Latin word vera which means “true” or “authentic”. Aloe vera has a long, glorious history dating back to 2200 BC, when it was mentioned for the first time…
If we are to believe the ancient texts, apricots featured on the tables of the Chinese emperors as far back as 3000 BC. It wasn’t until 300 BC, however, that it appeared in orchards. And it was only at the start of the sixteenth century that apricots were officially cultivated in France. Soldiers collected the…
