Broad-Leaved Peppermint (Eucalyptus)

Long before European settlement, Aboriginal Australians used the leaves of various eucalypts, including this peppermint-scented species, as a wash for wounds and a steam for easing chest and sinus complaints. Colonial settlers took up the practice eagerly, and by the nineteenth century the aromatic, camphor-like leaf had become a household standby for winter colds. Eucalyptus dives later took on a second life in industry, prized above other eucalypts for its high piperitone content, which chemists found useful as a stepping stone to other valuable compounds. Its everyday folk use, though, has always stayed close to the same simple idea, hot steam and fragrant leaves to help clear a heavy head.