The listing, Horehound - make your own cough-drops! has ended.
Horehound has been used as a cough remedy for thousands of years. It is a hardy, useful herb for any herb garden landscape.
Hardy and prolific, horehound is found throughout the United States and Europe. It is very drought tolerant: these seeds were collected from a dry ridge-top -- hot and windy (the last 2 pix are those plants with their golden-tan seed heads). If given better soil and some water, you'll get much lusher, greener plants (as seen in the 1st 2 pix, which I lifted from the internet)
Should be grown in full sun, protected from high winds.
To harvest:
Use any above-ground parts, including flowers. Dry the leaves all summer, as well as using them fresh. This prolific herb will continue to grow into the fall, offering plenty of plant material for your medicine chest.
Here's what the herbalists say about using horehound as a home remedy:
Most well known as a cough remedy, horehound is easy to use and has a pleasant taste. The perfect herb to include in a cough drop, horehound needs nothing more than a fine chop and a spoonful of honey to work. Use horehound for hoarseness, as an expectorant and any respiratory issues.
Horehound is also a great herb to include in a bee's garden. Bees love to feast on the flower nectar, but flies should take note: If you infuse leaves in milk, and leave it out in a small dish, it will attract and kill the flies.
Horehound works equally well fresh as dried. A cold infusion is said to ease heartburn and is a nice addition to an after dinner tea, to ward off indigestion.
This auction is for a teaspoon-ful of small seed pods (each has 1-4 seeds in it - so you'll get lots!)