There is something special about the plants that grow in the Amazon and other rainforests in the world. The Amazon is teaming with life and its biodiversity is unequaled. One hectare (2.47 acres) of Amazon rainforest land may contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants. Unfortunately, this biodiversity also includes an equally amazing number of bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite, and insect species that rainforest plants and inhabitants must combat.

To survive in this unique environment, rainforest plants create powerful and complex chemical defense mechanisms against these pathogens and harmful species. Many scientists are now studying these defensive plant chemicals for their antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic and anti-cancerous actions in their search for new drugs. It is of little wonder that the U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3,000 plants that are active against cancer cells and 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. These rainforest plants are powerhouses of active and beneficial plant chemicals and can be prepared into effective herbal remedies. They are the true wealth of the rainforest and they can be the pharmacy to the world.

The people in the rainforest, led by the shamans, medicine men, and herbal healers, have learned over thousands of years how to harness the power of these rainforest plants to protect themselves from the same harmful pathogens and to treat other common diseases. These plants have been their only pharmacy in the remote jungles of the Amazon. Their knowledge is irreplaceable. Rain-Tree and Leslie Taylor have led the way in documenting their knowledge to be put into the public purview and shared with all rather than to be secreted away until these plants or their active plant chemicals can be patented and profited by a few. Failure to document this knowledge would represent a tremendous economic and scientific loss to the world.

This website has been dedicated to sharing this knowledge of rainforest medicinal plants and their effective uses since 1995. The information shared in the Rain-Tree Tropical Plant Database and Leslie Taylor's books is crucial to help educate people everywhere what to use these powerful rainforest plants for and how to use them effectively.

Thousands of pages are found on this website concerning rainforest medicinal plants and the Amazon rainforest itself. We do not sell any herbal products, only books, and do not promote any specific brand of products. You’ll find the important facts you need, without any marketing hype, to make informed decisions on the benefits and uses of these truly amazing rainforest medicinal plants.

We hope you enjoy your journey through the Rain-Tree website and leave with the knowledge you need to positively affect your health.