Horehound is the name given to several plants in the mint family. The common, or white, horehound grows in the countryside and along the roads throughout Europe and northern Asia. It now also grows in both North and South America. The plant grows from 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 centimeters) high. Many cottony white hairs cover it and give it a whitish appearance. The flowers are small and almost white. The leaves and stems have a pleasant odor and a bitter taste. Cough medicines and candy are made from the leaves and stems. The black, or fetid, horehound, also used to make medicine, is an English flower that looks like the white horehound.
