Results for Category: Herb Talk
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...
A Family Herb: Stinging Nettle Leaf Uses
The first plants to rise up in the spring, gracing the world with green, often include the very herbs we can most successfully use...
A Family Herb: Dandelion
Hillsides and fields awash with vibrant greens and yellow blooms beckon us outside to enjoy warming springtime weather. It’s here, right under our feet, that we may find one of the most treasured plants in the world of herbalism. Well-known by children and often the bane of gardeners, the humble dandelion (Taraxcum officinale) is a…
Purslane: A Nutritional Herb
By Nina Katz – Herbalist Purslane is a land-based vegetable that is extremely high in nutrients and makes a great addition to many food recipes. Today I want to briefly speak to you about the nutrients purslane can offer you when eaten as a food as well as share some great recipes from fellow wild-food…
How To Have A Sensational Experience With Oatstraw
by Rebecca Swartwood Salty, sweet, milky, feminine, watery, strengthening, silky, easy… These were my initial impressions after ...
4 Reasons Thyme Is An Herb For Winter Health
There are many herbal allies that you may enjoy working with during the long, cold winter months. Elderberry and elecampane are ...
3 Raspberry Leaf Benefits For Women
When thinking of raspberry, visions of tart, delicious little berries come to mind, yet the familiar raspberry offers us much more than a wholesome snack. When we look beyond the tasty fruits of this hardy plant, we find that the raspberry leaf benefits for women are numerous, including being used as a helpful ally during…
History and Uses of Common Ivy
Helix hedera, or common ivy, is a familiar garden and houseplant to many people. Sometimes, ivy is used as a greenery decoration during the holidays, and an old Christmas carol “The Holly and The Ivy,†even bears the plant in its title. Using ivy in holiday decorations, though, is a custom that goes back all…
Learn About the Mistletoe
Mistletoe, Viscum Album The familiar, white-berried token of the winter holiday season, mistletoe, is a parasitic plant that grow...
Plantain, A Story
We have plantain growing all over our yard. I’m a new, not yet budding herbalist, and I have yet to use it. I have been lying in...
A Family Herb: Chamomile Flower
The lovely little chamomile flower is reminiscent of peaceful sunshine filled days, which speaks to the gentle power of this plant for easing discomfort and bringing happiness. In herbalism the two most commonly used chamomiles are the German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla syn. Matricaria recutita), which may be the most familiar, and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)….
Motherwort: The Plant World’s Mama Bear
Motherwort is the plant world’s mama bear. Or mama lion, from its Latin name Leonurus cardiaca, which translates to the Lion-Hearted One (Bennett, 2014). Motherwort Plant Profile This mint-family member has the ubiquitous square-stems that run in the family. Motherwort’s miniature blooms are delicately painted soft pink, and resemble the healthy womb and reproductive system…
The Horseradish Plant: Harvesting, Processing & Uses
Fall is fast approaching, and with it comes the harvesting of roots. And the horseradish plant is high on our list! For those of y...
Red Clover Blossoms
How many times have you walked passed these red clover blossoms without even a second thought? I remember picking them as a little...
The Benefits of Elderberries Sambucus nigra and Sambucus canadensis
Across the country, the elderberries are turning dark purple or black and herbies everywhere are harvesting them, drying them, and formulating their favorite elderberry preparations for the seasons ahead. In my blog in June, we talked about the plant, the flowers, and some of the wonderful lore and magic that surround the elder. The flowers…
Cooling Down with Summer Rose
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is the season of yang and is associated with the fire element, the Heart, and Small intestine. Energy peaks and it is the time of growth, light, and abundance. Summer is the season of joy and for most of us, it is a more relaxed and fun time of year….
Jewelweed, A Story
Post written by John Bailey, student in the Intermediate Herbal Course. Who ever knew that herbs and other things that help us on ...
Recipes Using Bee Balm
As we discussed in our last article, many names have been given to the plant monarda: bee balm, bergamot, or Oswego tea (more on ...
A Family Herb: The Comforts Of Rose
The lovely rose has more than a beautiful face. Highly prized throughout history as an herbal remedy, roses (Rosa spp.) have long been used to help soothe and heal humanity’s woes. Gentle rose is a calming nervine and a helpful respiratory and immune ally as well as a useful topical remedy. Bring the comforts of…
Benefits of Bee Balm: Monarda fistulosa and M. didyma
Bee balm is the common name of both Monarda didyma, which has red flowers, or Monarda fistulosa, which can have lavender, pink, or white flowers. M. didyma and M. fistulosa are two of the most popular species among the seventeen species and over fifty cultivars of the plant. One or more of them are found…
The Benefits Of Lavender In The Family Home
At our house, lavender is a constant friend, helping to keep our home and its occupants safe, clean, and comfortable. Rich with an...
23 Ways to Use Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most recognized and used herbs in the western world. Many people think of it first for anxiety and insomni...
Get to Know the Versatile Chamomile Plant
From the Astereraceae (daisy) family comes the Matricaria recutita (German chamomile) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile). Both are known as chamomile, although North Americans tend to use the German chamomile plant, while those in the UK use more of the Roman variety. These two unrelated chamomile plants share many of the same constituents, have a similar appearance and aroma,…
9 Ways To Use Valerian, Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a lovely garden plant with pinkish-white aromatic flowers. A perennial to Zone 4, valerian thrives in sun to partial shade, is easily propagated, and requires little care. Plant it in the back of your garden, though, since it can grow up to six feet tall! Valerian is more than a garden…
A Family Herb: Lemon Balm Benefits
Delightfully fragrant lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a wonderful herb for the entire family. In fact, it is one of my familyâ...
Getting to Know the Valerian Plant
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)Â is on the other end of the fragrance spectrum. Although some people like the smell of the valeri...
Stinging Nettle Plant: A Spring Favorite
Many herbalists can hardly wait for spring to nourish their bodies naturally with fresh greens from the earth. Much like our ancestors, we harvest (learn how) the highly nutritious nettle, incorporate it into our diets, and dry enough to get us to next spring. Nettle (Urtica dioica) has fulfilled many needs for humans in the past. It has…
A Family Herb: Violet Plant
Violet plants are a pure delight for the senses, enchanting children and adults alike with their lovely, sweet-smelling purple flowers and precious, bright green heart-shaped leaves. A seasonal springtime flower, violets are often among the first plants to peek their little flowering heads up towards the sun. Gather the flowers in the spring and enjoy…
Celebrate HerbDay with Herb of the Yearâ„¢: Savory Monograph
To draw attention to HerbDay 2015, we are celebrating with the reveal of our Savory monograph from The Herbarium, which just so h...
