Hello everyone 🌿

You must have heard of the periwinkle. If it has deserted the French streets, it intrudes into the professional vocabulary of graphic designers and remains an emblematic figure of our classics.

Let’s take a step back in time, long before your first philosophy lessons. In 1764, while Jean-Jacques Rousseau was playing adventurer on a small mountain with his sidekick M. du Peyrou, he stopped short and cried out: “Ah, here comes the periwinkle!” This was a total blast from the past. In a second, a sentence from his mother that he thought he had forgotten forever comes back to his face. This is the Madeleine of Proust before time, botanical version!

A little later, in 1971, the Prefecture of Police of Paris launched a new brigade 100% female to hunt down poorly parked cars. Do you remember that? No? Well, at the time, their uniform was a wine dregs color. They were called straight away the “aubergines” (eggplants). To stop the mockery, in 1976 they swapped purple for a bright king blue. In no time, the public renames them, they officially become the “pervenches” (periwinkles).

Because yes, periwinkle blue is above all a shade of character, oscillating between blue and purple. In 2022, under the pseudonym Very Peri (a nod to its common English name Periwinkle), it was crowned “Color of the Year” by Pantone. Pretty cool for a little wild flower that, let’s not forget, grows quietly in our undergrowth, if it does!

It was once called the “violet of sorcerers” or witches. It was used in love potions and charms to drive out evil spirits from tormented souls. Back then, “we” also said that a periwinkle branch tied around the thigh of a pregnant woman made any termination of pregnancy unthinkable 🤔

And today, what do “we” say about the periwinkle? Whether it’s the lesser or the greater periwinkle, we let you discover what our sources say 🤗

Our new recruits 👏

• Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)
• Greater periwinkle (Vinca major)

Discover all their benefits and more importantly their precautions for use on our platform .

Celebration 👏

We passed the milestone of 100 plants this month. And since we are officially addicted, we do not stop there, new challenge… 110 🎉

Do you have a favorite plant? Share it with everyone! If you are a member, send us the name of the plant by email, and we will add it to our database. We were asked for dandelion, we will soon stick to it 🧐

Workshops 👏

A look back at our workshop “tinctures, wines and elixirs” 🍷 of April, a privileged moment of exchange and smiles to never end. The next series of workshops is being created… we will keep you informed 👏

Did you miss the boat? Don’t panic, we adapt to your agenda 🥰 Our workshops can be organized at the time slot of your choice.

Discover all our workshops 😍

🌿 🌻 🌾

That’s all for our April update, if you are interested in our search tool, more info on phyto-info.com.

To discover our search tool, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

We have all seen the ruins of the Temple of Zeus at least once in a photo, you know those 15 columns standing in the middle of Athens and a 16th lying on the ground, cut into slices… the cream of the Corinthian style. And these columns are topped with capitals adorned with leaves and not just any kind, but those of the bear’s breeches. And yes, the star of ancient architecture might be squatting in your garden right now.

And why did the bear’s breeches become the muse of Callimachus, the inventor of the Corinthian column? Was it revered for its medicinal benefits? Not at all… its entry into history is due to pure chance.

Taking a shortcut through a cemetery, Callimachus was captivated by the grave of a young girl who had left too soon, a grave on which lay a basket of memories protected by a tile and, above all, a somewhat invasive bear’s breeches. By growing all around this basket, the plant unknowingly created the first Corinthian capital in history. Callimachus had just had the idea of ​​the century.

The bear’s breeches is ornamental, but not only that, it is also invasive and medicinal… quite a list of accomplishments for a single plant!

Native to Mediterranean countries, the bear’s breeches, while a source of pride in our gardens, is not only pretty, it is also considered invasive in many regions of the world. It tends to take up a little too much space at the expense of local plants. If you have one in your garden, don’t hesitate to use it, it will grow back.

And what exactly is it used for? We’re not going to spoil the ending for you… we’ll let you discover its traditional uses directly on our website.

New plant 👏

• Bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis)

New illustrations 👏

• Raspberry bush (Rubus idaeus)
• Black bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
• Blue bramble (Rubus caesius)

Thanks again to Hélène from the Atelier P’tites Boussoles for the illustrations.

Want to learn more about brambles? Go check out our website to revisit these plants 😊

Workshops 👏

A look back at our March workshop on “powders, capsules and tablets”: a fantastic atmosphere and plenty of good cheer 💊

The next one is coming soon, on to the last workshop in our series of 6, dedicated to “tincture, wine and elixirs”. The workshop is full.

Did you miss the boat? Don’t panic, we adapt to your agenda 🥰 Our workshops can be organized at the time slot of your choice.

Discover all our workshops 😍

🌿 🌻 🌾

That’s all for our March update; if you are interested in our search tool, more info at phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant search tool, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

We thought that this day would never come. After hundreds of hours in front of our screens merging with our office chairs, 27 meetings, 359 liters of sparkling water, 21 kg of dried seeds and nuts, 14 kg of dark chocolate and 42 sleepless nights, the big day has arrived, the English version of our search tool is finally online 🥳

Of course, we still have a few details to work on, but nothing important. Honestly, the main thing is there, you can now search by plant or by use with their English names.

Find the full article on our blog and make a Search in English.

Not on our website!

Today, the Internet has become a digital dumping ground saturated with content manufactured by Artificial Intelligence, which has only one goal: to make you click on advertising banners.

At our place, we still believe in a handcrafted and human Internet, faithful to the spirit of sharing of the 90s, where every piece of content is created with love.

At our place, there’s no AI; we personally handle the collection and aggregation of data to power our website, all with our own two hands.

Find the full article on our page We don’t use Artificial Intelligence!

Workshops 👏

Let’s take a look back at our “Infusions and decoctions” workshop in February, it was a great moment spent in a fun atmosphere ☕️ The rest is coming quickly, now it’s time for the 5th workshop of our series of 6, dedicated to “Powders, capsules and tablets”. The success is there, it is sold out.

Did you miss the boat? Don’t panic, we adapt to your agenda 🥰 Our workshops can be organized at the time slot of your choice.

Discover all our workshops 😍

🌿 🌻 🌾

That’s all for our February update; if you are interested in our search tool, more info at phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant search tool, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Historical fake news tells that on July 4, 1776, the day of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, King George III wrote the following famous quote in his private diary, which in reality never existed: “Nothing major happened today.” Funny, isn’t it?

But what is the relationship with Phyto-info you tell us? We’re getting there.

Well on Sunday, February 15, 2026, 249 years, 7 months and 11 days after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, George III could have written in his fictional diary, “Another insignificant day.” But hey, that Sunday was not exactly a day like the others.

After hundreds of hours in front of our screens merging with our office chairs, 27 meetings, 359 liters of sparkling water, 21 kg of dried seeds and nuts, 14 kg of dark chocolate and 42 sleepless nights, the big day has arrived, the English version of our search tool is finally online 🥳

We’ve been talking about it for a long time 🥳

To tell you the truth, we thought that day would never come! Of course, we still have a few details to work on, but nothing important. Honestly, the main thing is there, you can now search by plant or by use with their English names.

We know it’s not perfect 😇

Besides, don’t we say that the best is the enemy of the good? But still, if you spot any errors or mistakes, let us know, we would greatly appreciate your feedback 🙏

So how does it actually work?

• Click on the link and let yourself be guided: https://www.phyto-info.com/en/
• Click on Phyto-info, the site will automatically be displayed in English if your browser is configured in this language.

Have a nice visit 👏

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To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

If you are interested in our search tool, more info at phyto-info.com

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

We said we would… and we did it!

Our guiding principle has always been the same since the creation of Phyto-info: to offer everyone all the information we compile on plants and their precautions for use… yes, all of it 🎉

The journey was long and rocky, but we made it!

As a baby, the non-profit organization needed funds simply to be born. Reluctantly, we had limited access to our research to our members, a necessary step to start and continue. A huge thank you for believing in us from the very beginning ❤️

As a pre-teen, the association was starting to establish itself, but the financial aspect was still an obstacle. We needed a compromise between our philosophy of sharing information and the proper functioning of Phyto-info. That’s when the idea of ​​the century emerged: limited free access to our search tool for everyone and the full version reserved for our members.

Today, Phyto-info lives according to its own convictions and fully shares the fruits of its labor. Of course, we always need support, we are talking here about financial support. If you feel like giving a small coin or a small bill, we would be extremely happy. Otherwise, we’d be just as happy for you to visit our website, and we sincerely hope you find what you’re looking for, and more 🤓

Our goal of compiling a list of precautions for using plants, as well as their traditional uses in accordance with the writings of specialists, and then sharing the summary of our readings with you all, is finally online 🎉

So how does it actually work?

• If you are a member, all you need to do is log in to your account to have access to all the information on plants that we have synthesized.
• If you are just passing through and/or simply curious to see how it works, head to the search tab and let the search tool guide you. You will also have access to all the information; your only requirement will be to accept our general terms of use with each search.

Great finds 👏

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was the news of our month of January, if you are interested in our search tool, more info on phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Happy New Year to you all 🌿

As the curtain has fallen on 2025, we wanted to say thank you. Thank you for reading and for helping Phyto-info grow with us.

To begin the first chapter of this new year, sit back, relax, and let us tell you the story of a queen without a crown… a queen with an extraordinary destiny.

Elegant, she was the best friend of the Virgin Queen of England, and is herself queen of her own kingdom. From the day humans discovered the powers of its salicylic acid, it ceased to be a mere inhabitant of the marshes; it became aspirin, a name forever etched in the collective memory and in the history of medicine. No matter how hard we try to imitate it, it always has a head start, because unlike its synthetic version, it takes care of us without upsetting our stomachs… Hats off to the meadowsweet, the true sovereign of our countryside and our health.

The entire Phyto-info team wishes you an excellent year… and if you ever get a runny nose, don’t panic: meadowsweet will watch over you!

New plant 👏

• Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Dive into the world of plum trees, and discover how to use them on our platform.

Syrup workshop 👏

🗓️ January 11, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

What exactly are macerates and ointments?

The workshop is full 🤗 More info on our website phyto-info.com/atelier.

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was the news for our month of December, if you are interested in our search tool, more info on phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

Death by cyanide… Cyanogenic glycosides are widely present in rosaceae, such as apricot, cherry, apple, and plum trees, and yet we consume them happily without fear of the consequences… Where’s the catch? 🤔

A little bit of chemistry to see things a little more clearly. Cyanogenic glycosides are stored in the vacuoles of plant cells. What is a vacuole? It’s like a storage bag that takes up a large portion of the cell’s interior space. The cyanogenic glycosides in this vacuole are almost harmless. However, if the vacuole breaks, for example due to chewing by ruminants or digestive enzymes present in the consumer’s stomach, the cyanogenic glycosides degrade and are transformed into molecules of glucose, hydrocyanic acid and benzaldehyde. So what, you might ask? Well, hydrocyanic acid, commonly known as cyanide, is the problematic part, the part that poisons the victim. Benzaldehyde, on the other hand, is harmless and gives the product its characteristic bitter almond aroma. The bitter almond flavor is usually associated with the presence of cyanide, but caution is advised: there can be an almond flavor without cyanide and cyanide without an almond flavor.

But then why do we eat apricots, cherries, apples or plums? Because the sweet flesh of the fruit is edible, and the deadly secret lies mainly in its seeds or pits. Since this part is generally not consumed or is ingested only in very small quantities, the risk is minimal.

The blackthorn, the ancestor of the common plum tree, is no exception to the rule. While eating the fruit and discarding the pit prevents poisoning, biting into the fresh flower damages its tissues and triggers the release of bitter almond and cyanide flavors. Conversely, infusing the dried flower without crushing it in simmering water does not cause the degradation of cyanogenic glycosides and, therefore, does not lead to the release of cyanide.

Hoping that this information has been enlightening without being too alarming, we now invite you to explore the beneficial properties of dried flowers and fruits of the blackthorn, taking care, of course, to remove the pits.

New plants 👏

• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
• Plum tree (Prunus domestica)
• African plum tree (African Prunus)

Immerse yourself in the world of plum trees, and discover how they are used on our platform.

Plant updated 👏

• Stinking chamomile (Anthemis cotula)

Syrup workshop 👏

🗓️ December 14, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

We know syrup, but how do you prepare it yourself?

The workshop is full 🤗 More info on our website phyto-info.com/atelier.

Another gem 👏

Pierre, M., & Lis, M. (2022). Secrets des plantes pour se soigner naturellement. Artémis éditions.

Michel Pierre is known for having taken over and run for many years the family and historic herbalist shop “L’Herboristerie du Palais Royal” in Paris. Michel Lis, nicknamed Michel the gardener or green moustache, was a French journalist, known for having hosted the column Michel le jardinier on France Inter.

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was the news for our month of November, if you are interested in our search tool, more info on phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

Our books say that Xenocrates, one of Emperor Tiberius’s physicians, claimed that mallow seeds sprinkled on the genitals increased male pleasure… 🤔 Okay, let’s leave old stories aside and focus on the trendy effects of the moment. Mallow, among other things, soothes our digestive tract and intestines to help them regain balance. It saves us from both constipation and diarrhea. A true champion 😎

And that’s not all! Since we started going through our books to create our plant fact sheets, this is the first time we have found two courageous sources indicating that a plant can be used safely during pregnancy and breastfeeding 🤯 We still can’t believe it, few experts dare to give advice on the use of plants during these crucial periods for women. In any case, ladies, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, treat yourself to a mallow infusion.

New plants 👏

• Blue mallow (Malva sylvestris)
• Hollyhock mallow (Malva alcea)
• Chinese mallow (Malva verticillata)

Immerse yourself in the world of benedicts, and discover how they are used on our platform.

Vinegar and oxymel workshop 👏

There is only one place left available

🗓️ November 9, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. What exactly is an oxymel? And why combine plants with vinegar?

More information on our website phyto-info.com/atelier. Reserve your place, contact us (contact@phyto-info.com) 🤗

New illustrations 👏

• German chamomille (Matricaria chamomilla)
• Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea)
• Golden chamomile (Chrysanthellum americanum)
• Stinking chamomile (Anthemis cotula)
• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
• Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

A big thank you to Hélène from the P’tites Boussoles workshop for the illustrations.

Another gem 👏

We fell in love with a botanical identification guide aimed at beginners.

Couplan, F. (2019). Reconnaître facilement les plantes. Delachaux et Niestlé.

This guide stands out from other, shall we say more traditional, guides by its use of sensory criteria such as touch or even tasting of plants. Rather than relying solely on sight (shape and color, counting stamens, etc.), Couplan encourages the reader to use touch, smell, and even taste to identify over 300 common plants of Western Europe.

The identification key is illustrated and without complex technical jargon 🥰

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was our October news item; if you are interested in our search tool, more info at phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

In the world of plants, there are those that occupy a central place in scientific studies and books, and then there are the others. The world of research and industry is merciless towards those whose commercial value is not tangible. They are simply ignored.

An excellent example of a widely studied European plant is St. John’s wort. While St. John’s wort generates more than 62,000 results on Google Scholar (a search tool for scientific articles), centaurea centaurium only shows 22, and none of the sources really talk about it, it is simply relegated to the background of the real subject of study.

Of the fifty or so books we consult to create our plant fact sheets, only three mention it. No matter, at Phyto-info, we are committed to giving a second wind to these forgotten plants of modern times by referencing them in our database. We even wrote an article about it (/en/blog/donnons-une-voix-aux-oubliees/).

It should be noted that the centaurea centaurium has not always had the same scientific name. Linnaeus in 1753 gave it the name Centaurea centaurium, except that he made a mistake by classifying it in the genus Centaurea. In his defense, at the time taxonomy was based on morphological criteria and not on genetic classification. Centaurea centaurium becomes Rhaponticoides centaurium, however it retains its small name of great centaury even though it is not one.

Although our plant profile has been ready for a long time, we unfortunately had to abandon its publication due to a lack of visual representation. Regardless of its scientific name, we simply couldn’t find any photos until one day, against all odds, while strolling through the botanical garden of Milly-la-Forêt, we saw it there, under its old name, in bloom and resplendent.

New plant 👏

• Centaurea centaurium (Rhaponticoides centaurium)

Discover now the 5 ancestral (and forgotten) uses of the centaurea centaurium (Rhaponticoides centaurium) that we have carefully listed on our platform.

Our upcoming workshops 👏

Practical information about the workshops

• Every second Sunday of the month from November to April
• From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Voillans
• Groups of 4 participants maximum
• Member price 10 euros - Non-member price 30 euros

Themes of the 6 workshops

• Vinegar and oxymel workshop (November 9)
• Plant syrups workshop (December 14)
• Infused oils and ointments workshop (January 11)
• Infusion and decoction workshop (February 8)
• Workshop on powders, capsules and tablets (March 8)
• TIncture, wine and elixir workshop (April 12)

First date, November 9th 🥰

What exactly is an elixir? And why combine plants with vinegar? In this workshop, we explain what they are and how to prepare them. On the menu, among other things, is a fiery vinegar ideal for dealing with the first signs of a cold.

More information on our website phyto-info.com/atelier. Reserve your place, contact us (contact@phyto-info.com) 🤗

And a big thank you to Hélène from the P’tites Boussoles workshop for the illustration that will accompany our workshops this season.

Celebration 👏

We passed the 90-plant mark this month, next goal… 100 😳 🎉

Would you like to know more about a particular plant? If you are a member, send us their name by email, and we will add it to our database so that it can be viewed by everyone. Every contribution counts towards making this search tool a collective success, we’re counting on you 👏

We were asked for the blue mallow (thank you), we’ll get to it soon.

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was the news of our month of September, if our search tool interests you, more information on phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone 🌿

At the moment, it’s the only thing you see near wetlands, the hemp agrimony with its small pinkish-purple flowers in terminal clusters. Before it was known that one of its main constituents was a pyrrolizidine alkaloid, potentially toxic to the liver, it was used freely for viral problems and immune deficiencies, and with success. But that was before, now we know…

It should also be noted that the fresh leaves of hemp agrimony are equally known for their healing properties; injured deer rub themselves on them to heal. But we’re not deer and while fresh leaves can help heal wounds, they also contain a very toxic alcohol, tremetol, which is problematic if ingested. Fortunately, this alcohol disappears completely when the leaves are dried.

Animals are not exempt; tremetol is also toxic to them. In the 19th century, European settlers in the United States suffered from a mysterious disease, as did their livestock. People who drank milk from contaminated cows developed a serious, often fatal illness characterized by intense thirst, vomiting, and general weakness, known as “toxic milk disease”. It took a while to realize that the culprit was the tremetol contained in rough eupatorium, the same tremetol also found in hemp agrimony 😳

In conclusion, hemp agrimony, if there is no other choice of plants, must be used very dry for a very short period and with extreme caution.

New plants 👏

• Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
• Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
• Gravel root (Eutrochium purpureum)

Read the instructions and precautions for using these plants on our platform.

Our upcoming workshops 👏

It’s decided! The workshops will resume in November. We are preparing the new flyer and will update our website very soon with the full description of each workshop.

The workshops will be held every second Sunday of the month, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. To guarantee your place, remember to register, as we limit groups to a maximum of 4 participants.

Member price: 10 euros - Non-member price: 30 euros

Workshop themes

• Vinegar and oxymel workshop (November)
• Plant syrup workshop (December)
• Workshop on infused oils and ointments (January)
• Infusions and decoctions workshop (February)
• Workshop on powders, capsules and tablets (March)
• Tincture, wine and elixir workshop (April)

More info next month!

Medicinal plants are sometimes used in cooking… 👏

We visited the edible forest of Hennezel, a one-hectare plot managed by the OAZO non-profit organization. This nourishing paradise is home to no less than 500 plant species… a true exploration with unexpected flavors. To learn more about this incredible biodiversity, read the story of our experience.

Our two favorite books 👏

It’s finally here! We had wanted to acquire the Wichtl and Anton for a long time despite its price. It is now one of our essential references and we are delighted about it.

Wichtl, M., & Anton, R. (2003). Plantes thérapeutiques: tradition, pratique officinale, science et thérapeutique (2e éd.). Editions TEC & DOC.

We also got our hands on another reference work in English, that of Maud Grieve. Sophia Emma Magdalene Grieve, also known as Maud or Margaret, was a renowned and highly influential herbalist in her time, playing a key role in the rehabilitation of herbal medicine in Great Britain at the beginning of the 20th century.

Grieve, M. (1931). A modern herbal: the medicinal, culinary, cosmetic, and economic properties, cultivation, and folklore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs, and trees with all their modern scientific uses. Tiger Books International.

🌿 🌻 🌾

This was the news of our month of August, if you are interested in our search tool, more info on phyto-info.com.

To discover our plant finder, head to this page.

Search now Become a member

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗

Next newsletter in a month! Stay tuned!