My botany professors in Florida first introduced me to partridgeberry, and with excitement I recognized the scientific name as a medicinal from one of my herbal books. This was back in the late 80s when the modern herbal literature was … Continue reading
Growing our own medicine creates an intimate connection with healing plants as we watch them emerge from the ground, and grow leaves, flowers, and fruits. I tend to be more curious about the plants around me, as I see, smell … Continue reading
Immunostimulants This group of herbs is typically used to treat short-term, acute infections through the stimulation of immune activity. Immunostimulants help the body to resist infection during the beginning stages of infection, as well as throughout the duration of infectious … Continue reading
Estrogens are a group of steroid hormones that function as the primary female reproductive messengers. Estrogen has its etymological roots in the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility Oestre, and can be broken down as follows: from estrus (period of fertility for … Continue reading
Gathering medicine and food from the wild connects us to the natural world, our ancestral heritage, and our wild animal selves. Being involved in our sustenance and healing is boldly empowering and ties us into simple living and the change … Continue reading
Partridge berry is an evergreen trailing vine which stays close to the ground as it weaves its way over the roots of hemlocks and other conifers. I have seen it growing in the shade of mature forests in acidic soils, … Continue reading
Meadowsweet is an easy to grow perennial with many medicinal uses and a tasty wintergreen flavor in tea and tincture. In my opinion it is underutilized here in the United States, I have learned about its medicinal virtues by … Continue reading
I first met this beautiful plant as “Green headed coneflower” while exploring the rivers of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I had learned about using its roots as an immune stimulant, similar to Echinacea roots, from my teacher, Michael Moore. … Continue reading
Yellowroot’s elegant, subtle maroon flowers are just emerging in March in the mountains of North Carolina. This native shrub in the buttercup family prefers the dappled sunlight and silty soils of the streamside and floodplain, but will tolerate drier soil … Continue reading
Sweet shrub or sweet bubbies (Calycanthus floridus, Calycanthaceae) is a fragrant shrub, found in the forest understory of rich hardwood coves, and alongside streams and rivers. Its range includes the southern Appalachians and piedmont. The origin of the name sweet … Continue reading