Results for Category: Herb Talk
Adding Devil’s Club to your Materia Medica
When I first saw devil’s club in the wild woods, I had no idea what it was, but I was immediately entranced by it. The thick, yellowish-white stalk, wrapped in huge spines, was taller than me, and at the top, there sprouted several foot-long, alternate, umbrella-shaped leaves that also had numerous spines along the top…
5 Ways To Use Hollyhock In Your Materia Medica
You may have admired hollyhock (Althaea rosea) already in gardens, along bike paths, or in other sunny locations as a beautiful an...
6 Basil Varieties & What You Should Know About Them
Few things compare to the fresh smell and flavor of basil pesto. Throw some basil leaves and pine nuts (or even less expensive alm...
How To Incorporate Hemp In Your Materia Medica
With hemp (Cannabis sativa) only just beginning to emerge on the forefront of herbal practice and scientific research, there is much curiosity and confusion in the herbal community surrounding the general use of hemp and what distinguishes it from marijuana or weed. In this article, I will guide you through a basic introduction to hemp,…
The Lure and Lore of HOPS: The 2018 Herb of the Year
Each year since 1995, the International Herb Association picks an Herb of the Year. This year that herb is hops (Humulus spp.). Below you’ll find information about cultivating and harvesting hops as well as some interesting lure and lore about this year’s Herb of the Year. All About Hops Hops is a member of the…
Maitake 101: A Valuable Mushroom (+ Maitake Barley Risotto Recipe!)
Early October in New England means many things: cool and sunny days, peak fall color, crisp apples, and icy cold cider come to min...
7 Things You May Not Know About Passionflower
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L.) has a rich history of use here in the West. Not only has it been used by Native American t...
Adding Yarrow To Your Materia Medica
Yarrow grows freely in my gardens and I encourage it to do so, as much for its beauty as its beneficial uses. While the blooms have just gone by in my garden, the harvest is drying on the herb rack and macerating into a potent tincture in the herb cupboard. And while yarrow has long…
34 Ways To Use Roses
Summer heat means decadently fragrant roses are in riotous bloom! What could be more lovely than the full blossom of a rose? However, roses are more than just beautiful—would you believe that roses hold many beneficial herbal properties? There is plenty to love about this plant, and below we will discover many ways to use…
Who Else Wants To Learn About Spanish Moss?
For starters, Spanish moss is neither Spanish in origin, nor is it moss! Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is actually an epiphy...
All About Dandelion (For Your Materia Medica)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is most assuredly a treasured plant in my local materia medica and is appreciated by herbalists t...
Little-Known Ways To Use Lovage
If we were to walk back in time and enter a medieval medicinal or kitchen garden, in the back we would surely find a relatively unknown plant today—lovage. Unlike many herbs, lovage may have begun its journey with humans as a therapeutic plant and evolved into the culinary plant too few of us enjoy today….
Motherwort Through History
Here at the Academy, we often talk about historical knowledge and folk tradition comprising one of the legs of the three-legged stool that informs our understanding of a plant’s therapeutic uses. Scientific studies and the first-hand experience of modern herbalists are the other legs that complete the stool, balancing and reinforcing one another to give…
St. John’s Wort: Not Just For Depression
Stumbling upon a field of wildly growing St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is like discovering a ray of Earth-bound sunshin...
Sweet Violets of Spring
I’m sitting here, looking out the office window over the snow-covered hills and sniffing a wee bottle of violet leaf absolute th...
All About Wild Cherry Bark (Printable Monograph)
Wild cherry bark has been used in a variety of ways in years past to support the health of the body. Today, we want to peel back the layers so you can learn all about wild cherry bark and how to use it in your home or your herbal practice. Not only are we going…
15 Uses for Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a much loved staple in our kitchens. Its sweet, floral, clove-like, earthy, and spicy aroma and flavor complement cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, breads, oatmeal, cinnamon toast, applesauce, and mulled wines. Cinnamon is also included in spice blends from many cultures and is used throughout the world. Cinnamon’s virtues extend beyond its taste and…
8 Terrific Ways To Use Pine Needles Right Now
Have you ever wished you could stock your herbal apothecary with only a handful of herbs? Herbs that have so many uses, you’d ne...
Creating a Local Materia Medica with Burdock
Most of us know burdock, even if we don’t realize we know burdock. This plant’s ingenious seed dispersal system—its clingy b...
Creating a Local Materia Medica: Holy Basil
There is an herb in my local materia medica that is not native to my area, does not grow wild, isn’t hardy here in New England, and isn’t perennial—it requires annual seeding in the garden and is sensitive to frost. Despite these limitations, I am undeniably, profusely, and irrevocably in love with holy basil, and…
12 Traditional Herbs That Ease Pain
Over-the-counter pain relievers are a modern invention, but before they were available people relied on many different herbs to bring comfort during injury and illness. This article looks at twelve traditional herbs that ease pain and how herbalists approached their use. Many of these herbs have full profiles in our online learning resource, The Herbarium,…
Creating a Local Materia Medica With Motherwort
Motherwort is the gift that keeps on giving in my garden. A member of the tenacious mint family (Lamiaceae), she self-seeds hersel...
Is Red Clover Safe During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding?
Sure, it’s a valuable herb for women (and men too), but is using red clover safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Genera...
Creating a Local Materia Medica With Plantain (+ Plantain Salve Recipe)
Part of the beauty of a local materia medica is its humility, and you can’t get much more humble than plantain (Plantago spp.). Considered a weed the world over, this tenacious and resilient plant steadfastly grows in lawns, fields, roadsides, disturbed land, sidewalk cracks—you name it. And while plantain is often overlooked today (saved by…
Unlock the Power of Mint: A Family-Friendly Herb
Beautifully fragrant with a delightful taste, amazing mint (Mentha genus) is a helpful and welcome herb for everyone in the family. Right at home in a yummy cup of tea or in an herbal extract, the uses are simple to enjoy! There is a vast variety of mints to savor. Peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, apple…
Creating a Local Materia Medica with Yellow Dock
I had originally intended to write this month’s local materia medica about another herb entirely, but then I replaced the fe...
A Family Herb: Gentle Linden Flower and Leaf
Deliciously fragrant linden trees perfume the air in early summer, beckoning us to come and enjoy their beneficial properties for ...
Creating a Local Materia Medica with Violet
Modern herbalists are fortunate to have access to a vast array of herbs from far corners of the globe. Herbs and spices have long been a significant driver in world trade, and while this looks a bit different in the 21st century than it did in the 17th, we are still often intrigued most by…
A Family Herb: Helpful Calendula Blossoms
Vivacious, happy Calendula blossoms are a delight to grow and use in herbal remedies for everyone in the family. As a member of the Asteraceae family, Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a relative of other helpful plants such as chamomile, yarrow, dandelion, Echinacea, and Arnica. And just like its family members, Calendula has a plethora of…
How To Use Schisandra For The Liver
One of my favorite herbs is Schisandra chinensis (Wu Wei Zi). I don’t think there is anything that schisandra can’t do, and...
