Follow The Leader | A Guide to Clan Life

Herbs & Medicines

Every true medicine cat needs to know their herbs - what they look like, what they smell or taste like and, of course, how and what for they are used. Thanks to this handy-dandy guide to basic herbs and medicines (and poisons, near the bottom), you'll know them all too!

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Bindweed
- appearance: arrow-head shaped leaves; white or pink trumpet shaped flower
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: fastens sticks to broken legs
- effect: keeps broken joints in place
- location: almost anywhere

Borage
- appearance: small blue or pink star-shaped flowers; hairy leaves
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed and eaten
- effect: produces more milk in queens; brings down fevers
- location: mostly in forests

Burdock Root
- appearance: tall-stemmed thistle with dark leaves
- smell/taste: sharp
- usage: chewed into a pulp
- effect: prevents infections of rat bites
- location: dry areas

Catmint
- appearance: leafy
- smell/taste: addicting to cats
- usage: eaten
- effect: most effective remedy for greencough and whitecough
- location: mostly found in Twoleg gardens, rarely in the wild

Celandine
- appearance: yellow flower with four petals
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: crushed and juice is trickled into eye
- effect: soothes damages eyes
- location: forest or near streams

Chamomile
- appearance: small, white flower with large, yellow centre
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: eaten
- effect: strengthens heart and soothes the mind
- location: Twoleg gardens

Chervil
- appearance: large leaves and small white flowers; roots and knobby and brown
- smell/taste: sweet
- usage: chewed to extract juices, which are swallowed or applied to wounds
- effect: infected wounds and bellyache
- location: forest or near rocks

Chickweed
- appearance: tall-stemmed with fat, almond-shaped leaves
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: eaten
- effect: greencough, but not as effective as catmint
- location: forest or near rocks

Cobwebs
- appearance: long, thin, shiny strands spun into a web by spiders
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: press over wound
- effect: soak up and stop (or slow) bleeding
- location: everywhere

Coltsfoot
- appearance: flowering plant with yellow or white flowers; grows best in newleaf
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: leaves chewed into a pulp
- effect: eases breathing or kitten-cough; soothes cracked or sore pads
- location: swampy earth

Comfrey
- appearance: large leaves; small, bell-shaped flowers (pin, white, purple); fat black roots
- smell/taste: tangy
- usage: chewed into a poultice
- effect: repairs broken bones; soothes wounds; helps heal wrenched claws
- location: damp, grassy places

Daisy
- appearance: thick, dark green, oval-shaped leaves; white flowers with yellow centres
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed into a paste
- effect: eases pain of aching joints
- location: almost everywhere

Dock
- appearance: common, large-leafed plant
- smell/taste: tangy
- usage: chewed up and applied
- effect: soothes scratches; soothes sore pads
- location: best in leafy areas; not well in mountains

Feverfew
- appearance: small bush with small and soft leaves; flowers resemble daisies
- smell/taste: sharp, tangy
- usage: eaten
- effect: reduces body temperature (fever or chills); heals aches and pains (especially headaches)
- location: grows best along water

Goldenrod
- appearance: tall plant with bright, yellow flowers
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed into poultice
- effect: heals wounds
- location: moors

Honey
- appearance: golden-coloured liquid made by bees
- smell/taste: sweet
- usage: eaten, or given by moss soaked in it
- effect: soothes infections and smoke-damaged or sore throats; helps swallow; soothes coughing
- location: bee hives, usually in forests

Horsetail
- appearance: tall, bristly-stemmed plant
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed to a poultice and applied to wounds
- effect: treats infections and stops bleeding
- location: marshy areas

Juniper
- appearance: purple-blue berries from a dark green, spiky-leaved bush
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed and eaten
- effect: soothes bellyaches; gives strength; helps troubled breathing
- location: dry places

Lavender
- appearance: small purple flowering plant
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: inhaled or eaten
- effect: cures fever and chills
- location: sunny spots with sandy or gravelly soil

Marigold
- appearance: low-growing flower, yellow or bright orange in colour
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: petals or leaves chewed into a poultice
- effect: stops infection and bleeding; also used for inflamed, stiff joints
- location: near water

Poppy Seeds
- appearance: tiny, round black seeds; shaken from poppy flowers (bright red wildflowers)
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed on
- effect: help a cat sleep; soothe shock or distress; ease pain
- location: all over forest and fields

Ragwort
- appearance: tall shrub with yellow flowers
- smell/taste: tastes foul
- usage: crushed and chewed
- effect: treats aching joints
- location: cool areas with high rainfall

Sticks
- appearance: wooden protrusions that grow on and fall from trees
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: bit down on when in pain; used to help broken legs heal
- effect: distracts cats from pain; sets broken bones
- location: anywhere near trees

Stinging Nettle
- appearance: green, spiny seeds
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: seeds eaten; leaves chewed into poultice
- effect: seeds induce vomiting (for getting rid of poison); leaves bring down swelling
- location: all over forest

Tansy
- appearance: round, yellow leaves
- smell/taste: strong, sweet
- usage: consumed, but only in small doses
- effect: cures coughs, wounds and poisons; soothes throats
- location: in the forest or near Twoleg places

Thyme
- appearance: small, delicate, thick, sticky leaves
- smell/taste: fresh tang
- usage: leaves chewed on
- effect: calms nervousness, anxiety and shock
- location: hot, sunny locations

Watermint
- appearance: green, leafy plant
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: chewed into a pulp; eaten
- effect: eases bellyaches
- location: found in streams or damp earth

Wild Garlic
- appearance: leafy stalks and white stems
- smell/taste: strong, foul
- usage: rolled in
- effect: prevents infection and masks scent
- location: forests

Yarrow
- appearance: flowering plant
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: leaves chewed into a poultice
- effect: extracts poison from wounds; induces vomit; heals cracked pads
- location: forests, near rocks

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Deathberries
- appearance: red berries from dark-leaved yew bushes
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: eaten
- effect: kills a cat within minutes
- location: ravines, forests

Nightshade
- appearance: small shrub; bell-shaped flowers, purple lined with green in colour; berries are shiny and black
- smell/taste: faint
- usage: eaten
- effect: poisonous
- location: moist, shady places

Water Hemlock
- appearance: green or white flowers with petals in umbrella-shaped clusters
- smell/taste: n/a
- usage: eaten
- effect: causes writhing, pain, foaming at the mouth
- location: wet, marshy areas