Lemon Balm: The Immortal Life of Bees
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) goes by many names: bee balm, Melissa, heart’s delight, and sweet balm. Whatever we call it, bees adore the plant. Lemon balm has been used enthusiastically by beekeepers since ancient times. And it’s no wonder. This member of the mint family has an irresistible scent—the leaves smell both minty and lemony at…
Teacher Feature: Marlene Adelmann
Today, we would love to introduce you to someone we hold very dear here at the Herbal Academy: our Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann! Little did Marlene know that the first local herb classes she taught in the Boston area would one day grow up to be a global online herb school. We’re so glad…
Lavender Essential Oil: A Must-Have For Every Natural Medicine Chest
The lavender essential oil botanical family “Lamiaceae” is prolific in its production of aromatic and medicinal plants. One of its most famous members is lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), one of the most widely researched and commonly used essential oils in our modern pharmacopeia. It is so useful, in fact, that it is often called…
How To Make and Use Ginger Syrup
Ginger is a great herbal ally that should be a part of every home herbalist’s medicine cabinet. Not only does it have many health benefits, but it can be used in a variety of herbal preparations. Today, I want to show you how to easily make and use ginger syrup in your daily life, but…
Autumn Energetics And Self-Care
Summer is officially a wrap. The barbecues and pool parties have ceased, children are back to school, and you might be reminiscing over your vacation experiences (or looking longingly at others’ vacation photos on social media!). Gardeners have harvested their peak season of tomatoes and melons, while the lettuces and leafy greens emerge from their…
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,…
Student Share: Shaili Sutaria & Island Kiss
It is a joy to watch our students gain confidence as they explore their herbal studies. As teachers, we love to see the many ways our students take what they’ve learned and then go on to blossom on their own unique paths as herbalists.That’s just one of the many reasons we love staying in touch…
25 Free Herbal Resources To Help You Grow As An Herbalist
As an herbalist, I’m always gathering things, be they herbs, jars, or books. I’m also constantly searching for more information, various ways of using the herbs that grow around me, and the wisdom of those that have gone before me. While I purchase many things myself, there’s much wisdom to be found in the various…
How To Use Herbs For Pickling
Walk out in the vegetable garden at this time of year and panic at the bounty!! Soon gardeners will be overwhelmed with produce. We can make lovely salads, freeze, and can the produce…but we can use cucumbers and herbs for pickling, too. Is there anything more pleasing than gleaming jars of pickled onions on the…
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 Western-trained herbalist, this for me has meant a daily education on an entirely new materia medica featuring herbs of the Caribbean—virtually none of my familiar temperate-climate plants thrive here! Fortunately, there…
