Results for Category: Botanical
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,…
8 Everyday Herbs of the Caribbean
Three months ago, my son and I came to live in Manzanillo, Costa Rica, a small beach town on the southern Caribbean coast. As a W...
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? Generally, red clover is a safe herb to use, however, when it comes to this season of a woman’s life, there are a few important things to consider as there are many conflicting views surrounding the…
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…
A Family Herb: Amazing Mint
Beautifully fragrant with a delightful taste, amazing mint (Mentha genus) is a helpful and welcome herb for everyone in the family...
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...
How To Stay Cool Using Herbs
Summer is just around the corner, and many of us are looking forward to the seasonal activities that come along with it—grilling outdoors with friends and family, visits to the beach or our favorite swimming holes, outdoor concerts and events, and more fun in the sun. But depending on where you live, things might be…
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 body, mind, and spirit. This stately tree, a time-tested favorite herbal remedy in Europe, is often found lining city streets and growing in parks. And it may surprise you to know that linden flower and…
Reflections of an Herb Gardener
To those who are afraid of starting an herb garden, don’t be. The rewards of having your own fresh herbs to use and dry, the the...
