Flaxseed has been used since caveman days as there were dyed flax fibres found in a cave dating back to 34,000 BC. It was used in Ethiopia and Ancient Egypt in ancient times. It has many different uses which is probably why it has always been so popular and its use for making cloth is probably its original and is still a use today.

Aloe Vera grows in arid areas such as Africa and India. It has been used in herbal medicines for a long time for treating burns and also for diabetes and other medical conditions. It history is rather sparse as it is not known when it was first discovered to have skin healing properties.

The evening primrose is a wild plant that tends to grow in areas which have few other plants around such as roadsides and waste land. Many parts of the plant can be eaten. The plant tends to be cultivated in the USA and the first plants to arrive in Europe from USA happened in the sixteen hundreds. Some plants can now be grown in Europe due to being naturalized and adapting to the colder climate.

Ginkgo Biloba trees have been used for years for medicinal purposes. The leaves contain flavonoid, glycosides and terpenoids and were thought to be useful in the treatment of dementia but unfortunately clinical trials have not been able to back up this claim as there is conflicting evidence from clinical trials.