This is a very basic herbal cough remedy. We will use 3 herbs to fight our cough on 3 fronts: expelling mucus, soothing irritation and inflammation, and fighting against bacterial or viral infections.

The plants we will use are Lobelia inflata, Tussilago farfara and Echinacea purpurea.

Lobelia inflata:

According to The Science and Art of Herbalism by Rosemary Gladstar Lobelia inflata helps the respiratory system in several ways. It acts as an expectorant(expels excess mucus) and as an antispasmodic(reduces coughing).

It should be noted that Lobelia inflata, also known as puke weed, is also an emetic, which means it can induce vomiting if used in high dosages. So it should be used with experience and proper dosage.

The leaves and stems can be used to make the tea.

Tussilago farfara:

Gladstar says that the scientific name Tussilago farfara is Latin for 'cough dispeller' and is one of the best herbal cough remedies. Also known as colt's foot because of the shape of the leaves, it primarily works as a demulcent, which soothes the mucus membranes.

The flower of colt's foot appears in the spring before the leaves have come up. You will often see a large colony of the plant on sites with disturbed soil.

The leaves are the parts used for medicine.

Echinacea purpurea:

Echinacea as it is often simply referred to, or purple coneflower, is used in a wide application of herbal medicines. It has very powerful antiseptic qualities, according to Gladstar, so it can be helpful in fighting off the bacteria or virus that may be causing your illness.

The leaves or roots can be used with the root being the strongest part. We will be using the leaves in this recipe for simplicity.

If harvesting from the wild proper care should be taken not to over-harvest any plants or do excessive damage to specific plants. Further research should be done on harvesting of each species.

Ingredients:

1. Lobelia inflata - 1/4 teaspoon dried leaves(3x amount for fresh leaves)
2. Tussilago farfara - 3 teaspoons dried leaves(3x fresh)
3. Echinacea purpurea - 1 teaspoons dried leaves(3x fresh)
4. Water - 4 cups

We are going to use leaves of echinacea instead of the roots even though the roots are stronger. Typically(but not always!) when using roots in a tea a different method of preparation is used called a decoction. A preparation called an infusion, one version of which is described below, is often used when using leaf parts. When using leaves and roots you typically use a combination of both preparations. Again for simplicity, we will use all leaf parts and do a straight infusion.

Steps:

1. Add water and herbs into a pot and cover with lid
2. Bring water to a boil
3. As soon as water boils remove from heat
4. Keep covered and let sit for a minimum of 10 minutes, longer sitting = stronger tea
5. Drink periodically throughout the day until symptoms are gone

References

Gladstar, R. (2000). The science and art of herbalism: A home-study course. Sage Mountain.