Yoruba names for Herbs, Fertility Herbs, Plants & Spices

Yoruba names for herbs, fertility herbs, Plants & Spices. All the names of herbs and plants in yoruba language.

Herbs are plants with aromatic or savoury properties that are used for medicinal purposes, as food spices, and also for fragrances. The leaves, stem, roots, and even seeds of these plants have various culinary and medicinal benefits.

Before the advent of pharmacological medicines in Nigeria, people used herbal preparation for treating diseases and keeping themselves healthy.

Herbal medicine is still a popular practice in this modern age. There are many herbal plants used for all sort of culinary, fertility and medicinal purposes.

Checkout some common Yoruba herbs and their uses. You will also find a section containing common Yoruba herbs for fertility. Some herbs in yoruba language

Below are some of the popular Yoruba herbs, their English names, and uses.

• • Basil plant – Nchanwu in Yoruba
  • Fenugreek – ewedu in yoruba, hulba in Hausa
  • Hibiscus plant – Zobo
  • Tamarind – tsamia
  • Tumeric – ata Ile pupa in Yoruba
  • Cayenne – Bawa
  • Chilli – Shombo in Yoruba
  • Black pepper – iyere in Yoruba, Oziza in igbo
  • Thorny pigweed/prickly amaranth – tete eleegun in yoruba
  • alternanthera nodiflora – Dagunro
  • Butryospermum paradoxum – Shea tree – Ori
  • Allium sativum -Garlic – Ayu in yoruba
  • Capsicum frutescens – Tabasco pepper – Ata-wewe
  • Lactuca capensis – Lettuce – Yanrin
  • Bryophyllum pinnatum – Air Plant, Life Plant,
  • Miracle Leaf or Goethe Plant – Abamoda
  • Zingiber officinale – Ginger – Jinja, Atale in yoruba
  • Dioscorea dumetorum – Sweet Yam- Esuru
  • Enantia chloranta – Awopa
  • Khaya grandifoliola, K. senegalensis, K. ivorensis – Oganwo
  • Sphenocentrum jollyanum – Akerejupon
  • Olax subscorpioidea – Ifan, Ifon
  • Tetrapleura tetraptera – Aidan, Aridan
  • Lecaniodiscus cupanioides – Akika
  • Lippia multiflora – Efirin-gogoro, Efirin-oko
    Jatropha curcas – Botuje, Lapalapa
  • Jatropha gossypifolia – cotton-leaf physicnut- Botuje pupa
  • Jatropha multifida – coral plant, physic nut or Guatemala rhubarb – Ogege
  • Cymbopogon citratus – lemon grass- Kooko-oba
  • Pterocarpus erinaceus – Apepo, Agbelosun
  • Pterocarpus osun – Osun
  • Pterocarpus santalinioides – Gbengbe
  • Catharanthus roseus -Madagascar rosy periwinkle – Apabida pupa
  • Carica papaya – Papaya – Ibepe
  • Dioclea scandens – Dasa
  • Dioclea reflexa – Agbarin, Epe, Arin
  • Lawsonia inermis – Henna plant – Laali, Lali
  • Turmeric powder in Yoruba – Atale pupa
  • Ficus exasperata -Ficus Tree – Epin
  • Ficus asperifolia – Ipin
  • Ficus capensis – Opoto
  • Ficus elegans – Asoro
  • Ficus mucuso – Odan-afomo
  • Ficus thoningii – Odan-abaa
  • Ficus vallis-choudae – Ogunro
  • Vernonia amygdalina – Ewuro
  • Phyllanthus amarus – stonebreaker or seed-under-leaf- Eyin-olobe
  • Mucuna sloanei – Werepe
  • Mucuna pruriens – Ewe-ina, Yerepe
  • Alstonia congensis – Ahun
  • Mangifera indica – Mango – Mangoro in yoruba
    Nauclea latifolia – Egbesi
  • Sorghum bicolor – Poroporo okababa
  • Senna fistula – Aidantoro
  • Erythophleum suaveolens – Erun obo, Olu-obo
  • Ocimum gratissimum – Clove Basil- Efirin
  • Telfaria occidentalis – Fluted gourd – Ugwu
  • Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides – Senegal prickly-ash or artar root – Orin ata
  • Acalypha wilkesiana – Jiwini, Ewe larapupa
  • Sida cordifolia – flannel weed – Iso-obo
  • Sida pilosa – Eesinle
  • Sida rhombifolia – Iseketu pupa
  • Thaumatococcus danielli – Ewe moi-moi
  • Azadirachta indica – Neem, Nimtree or Indian Lilac – Dongoyaro
  • Aloe vera – Ahon-erin or eti erin
  • Aloe barteri – Eti-erin, Ida-egun, Ida-orisa
  • Garcinia kola – bitter kola – Orogbo
  • Ageratum conyzoides – Billygoat-weed, Chick weed, Goatweed, Whiteweed – Imi-esu
  • Abelmoschus esculentus – Okra- Ila
  • Abrus precatorius -jequirity, Crab’s eye, rosary pea, precatory pea or bean, John Crow
  • Bead, Indian licorice – Oju-ologbo
  • Abutilon mauritianum – Furu
  • Acacia ataxacantha – Ihun, Ewon adele
  • Acacia nilotica – Baani, Booni
  • Acanthospermum hispidum – Bristly starbur,
  • Goat’s head, Hispid starburr – Dagunro
  • Acanthus montanus – Bear’s Breech or Mountain
  • Thistle – Ahon-ekun, Irunmu arugbo
  • Adansonia digitata – baobab – Ose
  • Aerva lanata – mountain knotgrass – Efun-ile
  • Aframomum melegueta – Grains of Paradise – Atare
  • Alafia barteri – Agbari etu
  • Allium ascalonicum – The shallot – Alubosa elewe, alubosa oni
  • Allium ascalonicum – The shallot – Alubosa elewe, alubosa onisu
  • Alchornea cordifolia – Ipa
  • Caesalpinia pulcherima – Barbados pride, dwarf poinciana, Barbados flower-fence – Eko-omode
  • Afzelia africana – Afzelia, Lenke, Lengue, or Doussi – Apa-igbo
  • Alternanthera sessilis – sessile joyweed or dwarf copperleaf – Reku-reku
  • Anacardium occidentale – Cashew – Kasu
  • Anthocleista djalonensis, Anthocleista liebrechtsiana – Sapo, Shapo
  • Arachis hypogea – peanut, or groundnut – Epa
  • Bambusa vulgaris – Golden Bamboo, or Buddha’s
    Belly Bamboo – Oparun
  • Baphia nitida – African sandalwood – Osun, Irosun
  • Allanblackia floribunda – tallow tree – Eku, Eso roro
  • Byrsocarpus coccineus – Amuje wewe
  • Calendula officinalis – pot marigold – Ododo-Maria in yoruba
  • Calotropis procera – Sodom apple – Bomubomu
  • Canarium schweinfurthii – African elemi or canarium – Paapo, Origbo
  • Canavalia ensiformis – jack bean – Sese-nla
  • Carapa procera – Carapa – Abo-oganwo
  • Cardiospermum halicacabum – balloon plant or love in a puff – Shaworo
  • Celastrus indica – Ponju-owiwi
  • Ceiba pentandra – Araba
  • Cissampelos owariensis – Ewe jokoje
  • Chromolaena odorata – Siam weed – Akintola, Awolowo
  • Tetracarpidium conophorum – Nigerian walnut – Awusa, Asala
  • Vernonia colorata – Ironweed – Eriro-Ijebu
  • Xylopia aethiopica – Eeru, Erunje
  • Tridax procumbens – Igbalode, Muwagun
  • Waltheria indica – Ewe-epo
  • Vitex doniana – Oori-nla
  • Uvaria chamae – finger root or bush banana – Eruju
  • Viscum album – mistletoe- Afomo in yoruba
  • Uvaria afzelii – Gbongbose, Anikan wogba-arun
  • Urena lobata – Ilasa-agborin, Ilasa-omode
  • Uraria picta – Alupayida
  • Voacanga africana – Ako-dodo
  • Argemone mexicana – Mexican poppy, Mexican prickly poppy, Flowering thistle, cardo or cardosanto – Egun arugbo, Ekan-ekun
  • Artocarpus altilis – Berefurutu
  • Arachis hypogea – peanut, or groundnut – Epa
  • Boerhaavia diffusa – punarnava – Etiponla, Olowojeja
  • Borreria verticillata – Irawo ile
  • Carpolobia lutea – Osunsun
  • Citrullus colocynthis – colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, desert gourd, egusi, or vine of Sodom – Egusi-baara
  • Citrus aurantium – Bitter orange, Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange – Osan
  • Aspilia africana – Yunyun
  • Nicotiana tabacum – Ewe taba
  • Guava – guafa
  • Shea butter tree – emi, emi-egidi
  • Alligator weed – sawewe
  • Chromolaena odorata – Siam weed – Akintola, Awolowo
  • Tetracarpidium conophorum – Nigerian walnut – Awusa, Asala
  • Dandelion – efo yanrin in yoruba
  • Yoruba name for rosemary leaves – ewe rosemary
  • Yoruba name for bay leaf – Bay bunkum
  • Yoruba name for lavender – lafenda
  • Yoruba name for Lavender oil – epo lafenda
  • Yoruba name for cinnamon – Oloorun
  • Yoruba name for mint leaf – ewe minti
  • Celery in Yoruba – Śeleri
  • Parsley leaf in Yoruba – Effirin
  • What is ginkgo biloba called in Yoruba? – obi gbogbo nse

• Assignment
• What are the Yoruba names for the following herbs and plants below:
• • Yoruba name for black seed
  • Yoruba local name for flax seed
  • What is fennel seed called in yoruba language
  • Fenugreek seed in Yoruba language
  • Yoruba name for lavender croton
  • What is sage leaf called in Yoruba:
  • Saw palmetto in Yoruba
  • Cumin seed in Yoruba
  • Yoruba name for maca root
  • What is alfafa in Yoruba
  • Oregano in Yoruba
  • Marjoram in Yoruba
  • Yoruba name for ginseng
  • Wormwood in Yoruba
  • King grass in Yoruba
  • Negro Pepper in yoruba

Cotton seed is called owu in yoruba

Submit your answers in the comments section below

Culled from Taxanomy of Botany