Student Feature: Cat Seixas (@ The Olive Trees And The Moon)
In the first installment of our Student Feature Series, we chatted with Cat Seixas (@TheOliveTreesAndTheMoon) about how herbalism has impacted her life for the better and empowered her to more deeply understand her family’s health. Cat is an inspiration to us all. She and her partner have spent the last six years building their gorgeous…
Roots of African American Herbalism: Herbal Use by Enslaved Africans
This article cannot possibly cover more than 400 years of herbal use and knowledge by enslaved Africans and their descendants. This is just the beginning of my journey as a Black herbalist understanding my own history, the plant knowledge contained within it, and my ancestral connections to herbalism. This post skims the surface of the…
Practices and Herbs for Happiness
Given the drastic upheaval that has touched all of our lives in 2020, feeling a bit more stressed or run ragged than normal is to be expected. We are living in unprecedented times—a time of great hope and potential and also a time of great loss and uncertainty for many. If you wake up most…
A Foraged Feast: Nutritional Value of Edible Wild Food
Since we launched our foraging course, we’ve been fascinated by the nutritional density of edible wild food varieties compared to their cultivated counterparts. As a sneak peek into The Foraging Course, we’re diving into this topic with an excerpt pulled directly from Lesson 2. Wild edibles tend to contain more beneficial nutrients like vitamins and…
Anise Monograph: Pimpinella Anisum
The following anise monograph is an example of the type of thorough, well-researched monographs available on our membership site, The Herbarium. This beautiful anise monograph is written by The Herbarium contributor, Michayla Conrad. Common Name: Anise burnet saxifrage, aniseed, anise, anise seed, sweet cumin Botanical Name: Pimpinella anisum L. Family Name: Apiaceae TCM Name: Hui…
7 Best Plants for a Beginner’s Herb Garden
Growing your own herbs is a time-tested way to deepen your relationship with the plants in your apothecary. I’ll never forget the first time I brushed against sage (Salvia officinalis) in my own garden and was surprised at how cool the velvety leaves felt against my skin. Later, when I learned that sage is often…
Homemade Sunburn Spray for After-Sun Care (With Video!)
Many a fun summer day has ended with the sting of a sunburn. Maybe you could have seen it coming, but now what can you do? The tight, hot, burning feeling is not only uncomfortable, it can prevent us from savoring long summer days and enjoying further outdoor activities. Thankfully, our herbal allies can help…
Handmade Floral Paper: A Family-Friendly Project
Herbal craft projects help fuel our creativity and reinvigorate our connection with the natural word. Like all plant lovers, our hearts skip a beat whenever we’re presented with just-for-fun herbal creations, like homemade floral cookies and pressed flower arrangements. As such, you can imagine our excitement when a few of our resident herbalists presented the…
Botany Beginnings: Who was Theophrastus?
Approximately 2,300 years ago, a time which we can somewhat imagine through the marble monuments still standing and the relatively few parchments that have survived, a person named Theophrastus (c. 370 BCE – c. 287 BCE) reportedly wrote 227 books about animals, trees, shrubs, fruits, and flowers. Although he wasn’t the only scientific writer at…
Comfrey Cream Recipe for Achy Joints and Muscles
Can a comfrey (Symphytum officianale) root extraction help ease aching joints and muscles? Many of those following the folk use of comfrey up to present-day think so. Additionally, there is scientific research demonstrating comfrey’s effectiveness at soothing muscle and joint pain, some of which are highlighted in this post. The warm weather has a way…
