EZ HERBS & the Austin School of Herbal Studies
Sharing the wisdom of the plants         

Herbs for Children’s Health

Herb	Parts used	Uses	Actions	Notes
Chamomile,  Chamaemelum nobile	flowers -volatile oil in the flower	nervousness, digestive disorders, very safely used with children for teething, irritableness, colic, the very common upset tummy	calmative,  nervine, anti-spasmodic, anodyne, carminative and diaphoretic.	Used as a tea or a glycerin tincture
Catnip,  Nepeta cataria	leaves and flowers	Colds, reducing fever, promoting sleep, calm diarrhea headaches, sedative, restore the tone of the bowels	diaphoretic, carminative and as an analgesic	Grows easily here in Texas Can be used in a poultice to relieve pain. Use as a tea
Spearmint, Mentha spicata	leaves	indigestion, gas, cramps and spasms, relief for colds, flus and fevers *Mix with Chamomile for a tasty tea helpful for gas	Stimulant, carminative	Use as a tea. Mint likes shade and a fair amount of water , has similar properties to Peppermint but is a better choice for children and infants as it is less stimulating.
Horehound, Marrubium vulgare	leaves	coughs and colds-safely used in combination with catnip for children’s coughs and fevers	induces perspiration, excellent toner for the lungs -used as a tonic for children with weak lungs	very bitter herb- combine with other herbs because of its bitterness - *Often made into cough drops known as horehound candy.
Echinacea, Echinacea purpurea *commonly known as Purple Coneflower.	Roots, flowers, leaves. *root contains most of the plant's healing properties, but a tincture made from the roots, flowers and leaves can be even more powerful	increases bodily resistance to infection	blood purifier, antibiotic, Immune stimulant	native Texas wildflower *one of the world's most widely used herbs to boost our immune system used as tea or tincture(glycerin infused)
Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis	leaves	headaches, particularly at at night	sedative for nervous tension, carminative and is wonderful when used fresh	Fresh Lemon Balm  The tea is wonderful for children, as it is helpful for the stomach as well as the spirit.
Stinging Nettles, Urticia diocia	Leaves *High in nutrients including: Vitamin C, K, A, Iron, Calcium and Chlorophyll	Allergies, kidneys, blood/circulatory  system, lungs, serves as food	used as a tonic to benefit the entire body, anemia, diuretic, histamine,  blood purifier,	Nettles can be eaten as a Pot Herb (like spinach or any other green), and is delicious taken as a tea. *For children, you might consider mixing it with Red Raspberry and Spearmint.
Mullein, Verbascum thapsus	large velvety leaves, Yellow Flowers	lung congestion, asthma, bronchitis and sore throats,  Flowers for ear infections	Expectorant, Demulcent, Anodyne	Commonly grows wild in central Texas *yellow flowers are often combined with garlic and used as infused oil to treat ear infections
California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica	Roots, leaves and flowers	Anti-anxiety, sleep aid	Sedative. Does not contain alkaloids found in morphine and codeine.	Native to California but grows well in Central, TX. Use as a tincture. *Sow seeds in the Fall

General Note:  This chart is for informational purposes. 

Please note that herbal products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If a medical condition persists, please consult a health care professional.