Filed under herbs …

Plant Love & the Interns’ Final Projects

August 3, 2017 Sniff, sniff… Just had the most wonderful call with the interns last night. It was our last call as I’m simplifying things to prepare for the birth of this little one. Two of them have worked with me directly at the apothecary. And, one was a friend who became a satellite intern, … Continue reading →

Hearty Homemade Crackers

When I moved away from San Francisco in 2009, I was sure to take with me a small binder of recipes my nutritionist friend had given me.  She was the one that had exposed me to whole foods, traditional food ways, and the Weston A Price Foundation (which focuses on food, farming, and the healing … Continue reading →

Damiana: inner sunshine from our neighbors in the South

Common Name:  Damiana Latin name:  Turnera diffusa Family:  Turneraceae or Passifloraceae (I’ve seen both) Parts used:  leaves Tissue or system affinity:  Nervous system, Circulatory system Taste:  Pungent Energetics:  warming, slightly drying Actions:  anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, anxiolytic, nervine and metabolic stimulant Uses:  A native plant of southern Texas, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, this … Continue reading →

Peach: there’s more to it than the fruit!

Common Name:  Peach tree Latin name:  Prunus persica Family:  Rosaceae Parts used:  fresh leaves, fully dried leaves (((NOT wilted leaves, which contain higher levels of cyanide))) Tissue or system affinity:  digestive system, nervous system Taste:  Slightly sweet, aromatic Energetics:  cooling & moistening Actions:  relaxing nervine, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic Uses:  a traditional Southern Folk Medicine herb; … Continue reading →

Milky Oats: the herb that soothes and coats

Common Name:  Oats Latin name:  Avena sativa Family:  Poaceae (Grass family) Parts used:  fresh milky green seed heads, dried stalk, dried seeds Tissue or system affinity:  nervous system, mucous membranes, skin Taste:  slightly sweet Energetics:  neutral & moistening Actions:  nervine, nutritive, mineralizer Uses:  Oats are really overlooked as an herb.  Milky oats (tincture of the … Continue reading →

Peppermint: cool down & perk up

Common Name: Peppermint Latin name: Mentha peperita Family: Lamiaceae Parts used: leaves Tissue or system affinity: digestive system, nervous system Taste: pungent Energetics: cooling & drying Actions: mild analgesic, antinauseous, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive Uses: This herb is so commonly known and so legendary, that we know it is safe and effective (and a key herb … Continue reading →

Yarrow: herb of the battlefield (or just an amazing first aid herb)

Common Name:  Yarrow Latin name:  Achillea millefolium Family:  Asteraceae Parts used:  leaves, flowers Tissue or system affinity:  skin, uterus, urinary tract, throat, mucous membranes Taste:  bitter, astringent Energetics:  cooling & drying Actions:  anti-inflammatory, astringent, vulnerary, antiviral, diaphoretic, styptic, hemostatic, febrifuge, antibacterial, aromatic Uses:  One of the best first aid herbs I know of.  You can … Continue reading →

Agrimony: uncurling fists since the beginning of time

Common Name:  AgrimonyLatin name:  Agrimonia eupatoria (pictured above); we also have two natives species, one I find often along trails…however, I haven’t worked with them medicinally yet as I cultivate A. eupatoria in my garden (the two wild species are A. parviflora and A. rostellata)Family:  Rosaceae Parts used:  leaves (collected before flowering), flowers (flower essence)Tissue … Continue reading →