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Article: Herbs: As useful today as they were centuries ago.
- Article from:
- Countryside & Small Stock Journal
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Countryside Publications Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Herbs are defined as "useful plants." But there are many useful plants. No one would dispute that a lettuce or tomato or bean plant is useful. Shade trees are useful, as are ground covers. So, what is meant by "useful" when referring to herbs? The answers to that question can be as different as the number of people asked.
Historically, "herbs" included all sorts of plants and plant parts: trees, shrubs, leaves, flowers, roots and seeds were used to season and preserve foods, as curatives and preventatives, as beauty products, deodorants and in religious rituals. Included as herbs were plants that we think of today as vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, Brussels ...