Expectorant Herbs
Expectorants are the ones that make you cough up and spit out mucous. This includes mucous from the sinuses, lungs and stomach. (Griffin, 1997, p. 9) The cough itself is relieved by antispasmodics but this is why you want to think before taking cough medicine. The body wants to get rid of that mucous for a reason.
American Spikenard
Aralia racemose (L.)
Black Cohosh
Actaea racemose (L)
Blue Violet
Viola adunca (Sm.)
Bugloss Anchusa officinalis (L.)
Calamint Clinopodium menthafolium (Host) Stace
Clove Syzygium aromaticum (L.)
Coltsfoot T. farara
Common speedwell Veronica officinalis (L.)
Cramp bark Viburnum opulus (L.)
Elder Sambucus nigra (L.) (flower, bark and berries)
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (Mill.)
Flaxseed Linum usiratissimum (L.)
Garlic Allium sativum (L.)
Ginger Z. officinale
Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis (L.)
Gumweed Grindelia spp.
Hawthorn Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC.
Honeysuckle Aquilegia canadensis (L.)
Hops Humulus lupulus (L.)
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis (L.)
Lobelia Lobelia inflata (L.)
Marshmallow A. officinalis
Mullein Verbascum thapus (L.)
Onion Allium cepa (L.)
Orris Iris pallida (Lam.)
Pansy Viola tricolor (L.)
Parsley Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss
Peach Prunus persica (L.) Batsch
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria (L.)
Red Sage S. miltiorrhiza
Sage Salvia officinalis (L.)
Scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis (L.)
Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.
Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva (Michx.)
St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum (L.)
Summer Savory Satureja hortensis (L.)
Osha Ligusticum porter (J.M Coult. & Rose)
Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum (Hook. & Arn.) Torr.
Stimulant:
Cowslip Caltha palustris (L.) – Nauseating
Elecampane Inula helenium (L.)
Horehound Marrubium vulgare (L.)
Ipecac Carapichea ipecacuanha (Brot.) L. Anderson - Nauseating
Mouse Ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum (Vaill.)
Relaxing (these are demulcent, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and mucolytic):
Chickweed Stellaria media (l.) Vill.
Coltsfoot T. farara
Comfrey S. Officinale
Licorice Glycyrrhia glabra (L.)
Lobelia Lobelia inflata (L.)
Marshmallow A. officinalis
Pleurisy root Asclepias tuberosa (L.)
Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva (Michx.)
Wild Cherry Prunus serotine (Ehrh.)
Both:
Elder Sambucus nigra (L.) (flower, bark and berries)
Garlic Allium sativum (L.)
Mullein Verbascum thapus (L.)
References
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
Aralia racemose (L.)
Black Cohosh
Actaea racemose (L)
Blue Violet
Viola adunca (Sm.)
Bugloss Anchusa officinalis (L.)
Calamint Clinopodium menthafolium (Host) Stace
Clove Syzygium aromaticum (L.)
Coltsfoot T. farara
Common speedwell Veronica officinalis (L.)
Cramp bark Viburnum opulus (L.)
Elder Sambucus nigra (L.) (flower, bark and berries)
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (Mill.)
Flaxseed Linum usiratissimum (L.)
Garlic Allium sativum (L.)
Ginger Z. officinale
Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis (L.)
Gumweed Grindelia spp.
Hawthorn Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC.
Honeysuckle Aquilegia canadensis (L.)
Hops Humulus lupulus (L.)
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis (L.)
Lobelia Lobelia inflata (L.)
Marshmallow A. officinalis
Mullein Verbascum thapus (L.)
Onion Allium cepa (L.)
Orris Iris pallida (Lam.)
Pansy Viola tricolor (L.)
Parsley Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss
Peach Prunus persica (L.) Batsch
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria (L.)
Red Sage S. miltiorrhiza
Sage Salvia officinalis (L.)
Scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis (L.)
Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.
Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva (Michx.)
St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum (L.)
Summer Savory Satureja hortensis (L.)
Osha Ligusticum porter (J.M Coult. & Rose)
Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum (Hook. & Arn.) Torr.
Stimulant:
Cowslip Caltha palustris (L.) – Nauseating
Elecampane Inula helenium (L.)
Horehound Marrubium vulgare (L.)
Ipecac Carapichea ipecacuanha (Brot.) L. Anderson - Nauseating
Mouse Ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum (Vaill.)
Relaxing (these are demulcent, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and mucolytic):
Chickweed Stellaria media (l.) Vill.
Coltsfoot T. farara
Comfrey S. Officinale
Licorice Glycyrrhia glabra (L.)
Lobelia Lobelia inflata (L.)
Marshmallow A. officinalis
Pleurisy root Asclepias tuberosa (L.)
Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva (Michx.)
Wild Cherry Prunus serotine (Ehrh.)
Both:
Elder Sambucus nigra (L.) (flower, bark and berries)
Garlic Allium sativum (L.)
Mullein Verbascum thapus (L.)
References
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.