When thinking of the four-legged farm animal this website revolves around, one might want to know its connection to “Horny Goat Weed”. That’s the nickname of a genus of plants scientifically titled Epimedium which has no real relationship to the barnyard friend. The only correlation between the two is their names. However, there is obviously a big difference between being horned and being horny.
The “weed” – which is also known as “rowdy lamb herb” and “fairy wings” – is known to be an aphrodisiac. Natives from where most of the plants are produced originate from, southern China, found the epimedium’s flower to be a great sexual stimulant. Once the bud of the plant opens its four petals, it’s ready for consumption and the result is said to improve the love life of those who consume it.
The way epimedium’s properties were discovered is how it got its most popular nickname. It’s said a goat keeper in China noticed the bucks of his herd would eat a plant he considered a weed, then begin exhibiting sexual advances towards the female goats. The herder took notice of these signs and decided to test the plant’s effect on humans.
Since then, “goat weed” has been a popular stimulant for men to use when feeling the need to create extra arousal. Today consumers purchase the plant in raw herb, pill, or blended forms for immediate use.
The active ingredient in goat weed, which stimulates and arouses digestor, is icariin. While science trials have not been run thoroughly on human anatomy, tests on other animals suggest the aphrodisiac increases the blood flow to the penis and alleviates menopausal discomfort. It likely increases the nitric oxide levels in men’s reproductive organs naturally, while keeping a woman interested.
Called “Yin Yang Huo” in China, this plant is the food of the mythical yin yang animal, the “sexual beast” said by folklore to have one hundred carnal climaxes every day. That old belief has earned the plant an important place in traditional Chinese medicines that will last forever. The plant has been used for over 2,000 years by people native to the lands where it grows.
A chief physician and five colleagues of the famous Longhua hospital in Shanghai, China agree that the plant’s ability to boost sexual pleasures is real. They spoke with FoxNews.com on Epimedium.
“We have all used Epimedium for decades in our practices. It is the very best sexual tonic for both men and women,” the group professes.
There are several species of goat weed, among which perhaps the best known and most widely cultivated are E. brevicornum, E. sagittatum, and E. grandiflorum.
In Asia, particularly Japan, goat weed is quite common. Many with home gardens grow the plant for its aesthetics and sexual use. From the Eastern world, the “rowdy lamb herb” has spread across the globe. As of 2013 it’s finding a raging growth in popularity amongst Americans. However, it is somewhat harder for most American homes to grow their personal supply as the plant requires an environment like a forest floor to grow successfully.
It’s believed the current over-exploitation of the plant may have dire consequences for the plant’s original environment. Epimedium has been over-harvested in many regions, including Southern China. Many exploiters of the wild plant take no account of how it supports other vegetation and animals in places where it’s common. The high demand for the “fairy wings” keeps natives of the plant’s habitats keen to profit potential and business interests, sometimes at the risk of other environmental considerations. Some species are now endangered as a result.