A medicinal herb is any plant that has been authorised for medicinal use by an official source.

The beneficial effects of these plants were known and consciously cultivated in ancient cultures. In Hungary, Medicinal Herbs Experimental Station, founded in 1915, started the collection and cultivation of wild medicinal plants. Its work was later taken over by the Herbal Research Institute and Herbarium Centre.

The cultivation and collection of medicinal plants requires a great deal of expertise, as one is required to know the characteristics of the plants, how to harvest, store and dry them so that they can be used later. Harvesting should only take place in sunny and dry weather and only healthy, clean and worm-free plants should be collected. Busy roads, railways, pastures and fertilised fields must be avoided. It is not advisable to store harvested herbs in plastic bags, otherwise they will become scorched and blackened after drying. It is better to store them in paper boxes, wicker baskets, paper bags or nets. Wrap only the completely dry herbs, furthermore, they should be protected from moisture, light and contact with metals.

Medicinal herbs have recently enjoyed a revival, and for good reason. In the traditional folk medicine, herbs were widely used to treat various diseases, and that knowledge and naturalness are still alive. Herbs have been used for everything from pain relief and digestive problems to haemostasis. They also contain a wealth of vitamins, including vitamins A, B, C and E.

In the past, medicinal herbs played a very important role in folk medicine, but today their use is much more widespread. In addition to the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry, the cosmetics industry, the leather industry and the tobacco industry also use medicinal plants. The medical herbs also play an important role in veterinary medicine.