The Botanical Journal
Plants, fungi, and the stories behind them.
The Botanical Journal explores the plants, fungi, traditions and research shaping the world of botanical wellness.
What Is Wormwood? Botanical History and Traditional Uses
From European apothecaries to the history of absinthe, a clear-eyed look at one of the most bitter plants in botanical history.
Read Article
Black Walnut Hull: History and Botanical Characteristics
The green husk of a native North American hardwood, its dye-making past, and the compound that shapes the ground beneath it.
Read Article
Lion’s Mane: Understanding the Mushroom
Spines instead of gills, fruiting body versus mycelium, and what current research does and does not tell us.
Read Article
Reishi vs. Cordyceps: What Makes Them Different?
Two celebrated mushrooms, two very different organisms. How they grow, how they're prepared, and why species matters.
Read Article
Beetroot and Its Nutritional Composition
Nitrates, betalains, and fibre: the plain facts about one of the most colourful roots in the kitchen.
Read Article
What to Look for in a Mushroom Supplement
Species, part used, extraction, and transparency: a practical checklist for reading a mushroom supplement label.
Read ArticleAbout the Botanical Journal
The Botanical Journal is where we explore the plants and fungi behind our products. Each article covers one subject in plain language. For example, we look at where a plant grows, how people have used it and what research does and does not show.
We write every article with the same rule we use on our product pages. Traditional use, preliminary research and established findings are different things. Therefore, we label each one clearly. When a question is still open, we say so.
What you will find in the Botanical Journal
First, you will find ingredient histories, such as wormwood and black walnut hull. You will also find practical guides. For instance, one explains how to compare mushroom supplements, and another shows how beetroot powder differs from juice.
In addition, each article links to the matching ingredient pages and products. Each one also ends with a reference you can check. For independent, research-based fact sheets on dietary supplements, we also recommend the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.