Herbs for Coughs and Colds

22 Sri Lankan medicinal plants traditionally used for this purpose. Open a herb to see its Sinhala, English and botanical names, the parts used, how it is prepared, the research behind it and safety notes.

Use with care: Traditional use does not prove that a herb works or that it is safe for you. Talk to a doctor or a registered Ayurveda practitioner before using herbs to treat a condition, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines, or treating a child. Read our disclaimer

Flowers

Aswenna (Alysicarpus vaginalis): The Traditional Diuretic Herb

(Alysicarpus vaginalis)

Aswenna (Alysicarpus vaginalis) is one of those small plants that most people walk past and cattle e

Fruits & Seeds

Bulu (Terminalia bellirica): Bahera and the Third Fruit of Triphala

(Terminalia bellirica)

Bulu (Terminalia bellirica) is the least famous member of a famous trio. Where aralu and nelli are w

Leaves

Bulath (Piper betle): The Betel Leaf, Honoured Guest and Misunderstood Medicine

(Piper betle)

No plant is woven deeper into Sri Lankan life than bulath (Piper betle). A sheaf of forty betel leav

Fruits & Seeds

Gammiris (Piper nigrum): Black Pepper, Ceylon's Other Great Spice

(Piper nigrum)

Cinnamon gets the fame, but gammiris (Piper nigrum) built empires too — and Sri Lankan black pepper

Fruits & Seeds

Abba (Brassica juncea): Mustard Seed, the Tempering Spice With Hidden Chemistry

(Brassica juncea)

Abba (Brassica juncea) is the tiny brown seed that crackles in hot coconut oil at the start of almos

Fruits & Seeds

Godapara (Dillenia retusa): Sri Lanka's Endemic Natural Shampoo

(Dillenia retusa)

Godapara (Dillenia retusa) is endemic to Sri Lanka — it grows wild nowhere else on earth. Before sha

Leaves

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus): The Fragrant Ceylon Herb Science Rediscovered

(Plectranthus zeylanicus (syn. Coleus zeylanicus))

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus) carries Ceylon in its scientific name and its scent in every Sri

Fruits & Seeds

Koththamalli (Coriander): Sri Lanka's Classic Fever and Cold Remedy

(Coriandrum sativum)

If there is one remedy every Sri Lankan household reaches for at the first sign of a fever, it is ko

Leaves

Nika (Vitex negundo): The Five-Leaved Chaste Tree for Pain and Swelling

(Vitex negundo)

Nika (Vitex negundo) is the shrub Sri Lankan physicians reach for when a joint is hot and swollen. A

Roots & Rhizomes

Sudu Lunu (Allium sativum): Garlic, the Kitchen Medicine With 80 Clinical Trials

(Allium sativum)

Sudu lunu (Allium sativum) is the rare traditional medicine that modern science has tested to exhaus

Roots & Rhizomes

Inguru (Ginger): The Universal Medicine, and What It Is Proven To Do

(Zingiber officinale)

Inguru (Zingiber officinale) earns its Ayurvedic title vishwabhesaj — universal medicine — more hone

Leaves

Maduru Thala (Ocimum tenuiflorum): Holy Basil, Tulsi and the Mosquito Leaf

(Ocimum tenuiflorum)

Maduru Thala (Ocimum tenuiflorum) carries two identities at once. To Ayurveda it is Tulsi, the elixi

Leaves

Kapparawalliya (Plectranthus amboinicus): Indian Borage for Coughs

(Plectranthus amboinicus)

Kapparawalliya (Plectranthus amboinicus) is the plant Sri Lankan households reach for the moment a c

Leaves

Kuppameniya (Acalypha indica): The Cat's Weed, and a Serious Warning

(Acalypha indica)

Kuppameniya (Acalypha indica) is known to most Sri Lankans for something charming: cats dig up its r

Leaves

Sera (Cymbopogon citratus): Lemongrass, Citral and a Calming Cup

(Cymbopogon citratus)

Sera (Cymbopogon citratus) is the stalk you bruise and drop into a curry, and the tea you make when

Fruits & Seeds

Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia): Lime, the Sour Fruit in Every Sri Lankan Remedy

(Citrus aurantifolia)

Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia) is squeezed into more Sri Lankan remedies than any other plant: into the

Leaves

Monarakudumbiya (Vernonia cinerea): The Weed Studied for Quitting Smoking

(Vernonia cinerea)

Monarakudumbiya (Vernonia cinerea) is a weed so ordinary that it grows through cracks in Sri Lankan

Fruits & Seeds

Thippili (Piper longum): Long Pepper for Digestion and Breathing

(Piper longum)

Thippili (Piper longum) looks like a small grey catkin rather than a pepper, but one taste settles t

Leaves

Pawatta (Justicia adhatoda): Adhatoda, the Herb Behind a Modern Cough Medicine

(Justicia adhatoda)

Pawatta (Justicia adhatoda) has a distinction that few traditional herbs can claim. Its principal al

Fruits & Seeds

Thibbotu (Solanum torvum): Turkey Berry, Food First

(Solanum torvum)

Thibbotu (Solanum torvum) turns up on Sri Lankan tables as a slightly bitter curry of small green be

Flowers

Kinihiriya (Cochlospermum religiosum): The Buttercup Tree and Katira Gum

(Cochlospermum religiosum)

Kinihiriya (Cochlospermum religiosum) performs an annual act of theatre: it drops every leaf, stands

Roots & Rhizomes

Elabatu / Katuwelbatu (Solanum virginianum): The Thorny Nightshade for Coughs

(Solanum virginianum (syn. S. surattense, S. xanthocarpum))

Elabatu (Solanum virginianum) is the low, viciously spiny weed with purple flowers and yellow marble

Other uses

Digestion (42) Skin Conditions (22) Blood Sugar and Diabetes (18) Fever (16) Urinary and Kidney Health (16) Cooling the Body (14) Joint Pain and Arthritis (13) Wound Healing (12) Sleep and Stress (9) Immunity (8) Diarrhoea (8) Oral and Dental Health (8) Constipation (7) Cholesterol and Heart Health (7) Hair Care (7) Liver Health (6) Asthma and Breathing (5) Women's Health (4) Inflammation and Swelling (4) Memory and Brain Health (4) Eye Health (4) Weight Management (3) Piles (Haemorrhoids) (3) Intestinal Worms (3)