Lindsay Kolasa

Vending with Robin at CDAF

SGSA logo

Plant walk

As some of you may know, I ran a wild-harvested, hand-crafted herbal apothecary for almost five years in Mississippi from 2013-2017 called Sweet Gum Springs Apothecary.  I created and ran the apothecary with another herbalist for the first two years, Mandi Sanders, a wonderful herbalist.

At the apothecary, we crafted Mississippi’s (and one of the Deep South’s) first Herbal CSA Programs (Community Supported Apothecary).  This program provided participants with monthly, seasonal herbal preparations and a newsletter brimming with plant medicine and seasonal insights.

CSA Newsletter

Plant Profiles

Herbal CSA Share

We dispensed an abundance of local plant medicine at local farmer’s markets and regional conferences and festivals.  I estimate that we sold and distributed about 2500 ounces of herbal tinctures — go plant medicine!

I taught at major conferences such as Southeast Women’s Herb Conference and the Organic Grower’s School’s festival (all in the Asheville, NC area).  I even found myself in more than one feisty garden club giving a presentation where I doled out the virtues of wild medicine and encouraged them to embrace and not kill the dandelions in their garden.

Dandelion gone to seed

In 2017 I decided to close the apothecary and shift my work to a much smaller scale (mostly teaching & writing…and eventually seeing clients again).  Due to the birth of my little one and our move to Chattanooga, TN (and then our move to Santa Barbara, CA — where I currently live)…I needed to take a break.

However, I still hand-craft plant medicine and have tinctures and salves available.  Check out my Herbs page for more info.

Ye ole apothecary shelf

Things are definitely at a much smaller scale these days AND I am in a new bioregion (coastal California)!  Actually, this is the coast I first started learning about herbal medicine, over a decade ago.

Full circle.

With that said, I wanted to create a blog post that listed all the formulas I used to sell to pay tribute to their simplicity, elegance, and thirst for healing those in need.  These formulas are brimming with Deep South and Appalachian plant goodness.  There are many plants I can’t get to anymore… I truly miss them.

However, I am revisiting old friends and making new ones in California.  Stay tuned…!

Sweet Gum Springs Apothecary goods

Salves, balms, and oils ~

The Balm (First Aid Salve – 1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz) – comfrey, yarrow, plantain, chickweed, wild geranium, lavender eo, EV organic olive oil, and local beeswax.

Anti-fungal Skin Salve (1 oz, 2 oz) – pau d’arco, black walnut, cloves, EV organic olive oil, and local beeswax.

Joint Care Salve (2 oz, 4 oz) – comfrey, sweet gum balls, cayenne, bear’s foot, EV organic olive oil, and local beeswax

For immune system support ~

Flu Fighter (1 oz, 2 oz) – st john’s wort, vervain, yarrow, and boneset.

ImmunoBooster Tincture (1 oz) – propolis, black walnut, prickly ash, echinacea, poke.

Elder-Sumac Immune Elixir (2 oz, 4 oz) – elder berries, sumac berries, glycerine, elder flowers.

Respiratory Relief Tincture (2 oz) – plantain, pleurisy root, reishi, pine resin, goldenrod, and lobelia.

Organ-system Overhaul Tincture (2 oz, 4 oz) – schisandra, ashwagandha, goji berry, and licorice.

Liver & Lymph Lovin’ Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz) – cleavers, dandelion roots and leaves, yellow dock, and burdock.

For women’s health ~

Happy Uterus Tincture (4 oz) – partridge berry, vervain, tulip poplar, agrimony, black cohosh, and yarrow. *NOT FOR USE DURING PREGNANCY*

Menopause Tincture (1 oz) – nettles, red clover, black cohosh, motherwort, vervain, holy basil and gotu kola.

Women’s Restore (4 oz) – shatavari, milky oats, mimosa, and motherwort.

After-birth tincture (1 oz) –  black haw, partridge berry, yarrow, and motherwort.

Endocrine Tonic Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) – angelica, chaste tree, hawthorn, vervain, agrimony, licorice root, ashwagandha.

UTI Formula (1 oz) –  usnea, cleavers, goldenrod, cornsilk, echinacea, red cedar.

For men’s health ~

Pine Pollen Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) – pine pollen

Prostate Health Tincture (2 oz) – nettle root, cornsilk, pine pollen.

For digestive health ~

Belly Beast and Yeast Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz) – black walnut, monarda, yellow dock, propolis, and plantain.

Grapefruit Bitters (2 oz) – grapefruit peel, yellowroot, angelica, ginger.

Peppermint Spirits Plus (2 oz) – peppermint tincture, holy basil, lemon balm, peppermint, spearmint glcyerite.

Total Tummy Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) – peach leaves and twigs, hawthorn leaves, twigs, and berries, privet leaves and twigs, holy basil, and rose petals.

For sleep support, mood, and nervous system~

Nighty Night Tincture (1 oz) – hops, passionflower, nettles, lemon balm.

Valerian Simple Tincture (1 oz)

Tension Release Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) – wild lettuce, skullcap, pedicularis, and black cohosh.

Shift & Uplift Tincture (2 oz) – st. john’s wort, mimosa, holy basil, reishi.

Brain Power Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) – eleuthero, gotu kola, gingko, and rosemary.

For heart health ~

Hyperthyroid Formula (1 oz) –  hawthorn berry and flower, black cohosh, skullcap, wood betony (stachys off), bugleweed, wild rose flower essence.

Heart’s Ease (1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz) – hawthorn, holy basil, black cohosh, tulip poplar.

For the little ones ~

Fussy Baby Colic Glycerine Tincture (1 oz, 2 oz) –  catnip, fennel, chamomile, and lemon balm.

For joint care ~

Nourished Joints Tincture (2 oz, 4 oz) – turmeric, true solomon’s seal, ginger, teasel, bear’s foot.