09/03/2026
🇻🇮 Virgin Islands History Month | Day 9 🌿
All month long, Neighbourhood Pharmacy is highlighting the natural plants, fruits, and herbs that have helped our people heal, grow, and stay strong right here in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our ancestors understood the power of bush medicine, and today we continue to celebrate that knowledge.
🌱 Today’s Highlight: Cattle Tongue (Pluchea carolinensis)
Traditionally, Cattle Tongue was combined with Sweet Margin and made into a tea that midwives gave to postpartum mothers for nine days after childbirth. The bush was also boiled and used as a cleansing bath for women shortly after delivery.
The tea was also used to help with menstrual cramps, and farmers sometimes used it as a drench for livestock experiencing difficulty passing the placenta after birth.
✨ Additional traditional health benefits believed to come from Cattle Tongue:
• Known for anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce swelling and body aches
• Often used as a digestive aid to soothe stomach discomfort
• May support circulation and blood flow
• Traditionally used to help the body recover and cleanse after childbirth
• Some herbalists say it may help with fever and mild infections due to its natural compounds
Our islands are rich with generational knowledge about healing plants that grow right around us.
💬 Have you ever heard of or used Cattle Tongue bush before? Tell us what you know about it.