For more than 2,000 years, Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) has been regarded as one of the best herbal remedies for coughs. The ancient Greeks called it ‘bechihon,’ the Romans called it ‘tussilago,’ both mean “cough plant.” It was also known as ‘coughwort.’ Dioscorides recommended smoking it for lung problems. The flowers contain an ingredient that is expectorant in nature, and very soothing to the mucous membranes, such as the chest and lungs. Coltsfoot sedates the cough reflex and resolves wheezing. The leaves are applied topically to relieve insect bites and stings.