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…
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…
