Submitted by Debra Bluth of Seed and Legend Herbs

The Japanese Knotweed is now up to my ribs, the Trout Lilies have just lost their blossoms, and the Starflowers are just emerging here in southern Maine, where I spend half of my time. Plant-wise, we’re about 2 weeks behind Boston (where I spend the other half of my time). It’s a sunny morning here, cool enough to wear my sweatshirt.

I was just out there in the woods, squatting in a gorgeous little grove of plants, collecting blossoms, breathing in their glorious scent. My form of heaven. This morning I am in the midst of making a Lily of the Valley flower essence. I love leaving the glass bowl there, nestled within the plants, sun sparkling on the water. I’ll tune into it here and there over the next few hours from inside the house here, see how it’s coming along. Eventually I’ll head out to collect it, dilute it, and when I’ve got a stock level of the essence I’ll take a drop of that and lie down for awhile and sense what effect it has on me. I’ll also ask the spirit of the plant for any additional teaching besides what I sense personally. A very good way to spend a day.

Flower essences can work deeply and directly in our energetic system. Sometimes the effect is subtle; people will simply notice their lives are improving while on a course of essences. They’re making better choices, their thoughts are healthier. Sometimes the effect of the essences is extreme, bringing an intense response as stagnant energy begins to loosen and move. Old or held grief might stir, or rage, or sometimes these things might manifest in physical sensation such as headaches or vertigo as they move their way out of our system. Sometimes old traumas bubble up to the surface; energies we’ve carried for years can dissipate (I once, during a session with my teacher/practitioner, felt the energy of someone leave my energetic field — someone I hadn’t had literal contact with or even really consciously thought about for over thirty years). Sometimes the essences work shamanically — the vibration of a particular plant calls in situations to our lives that help us to work on and loosen an entrenched pattern. Sometimes the essences bring in new energies, healthy ones we have yet to experience — positive mothering, for example, or a respect for our own boundaries, or patience with ourselves. Whatever the level of shift, it’s my sincere belief that the essences support us in becoming who we are meant to be — they help free us from energy patterns that bind us, help us feel safer and stronger to be our real selves, help us open our hearts to love and to joy and connection with life.

I think of flower essences as a path. It’s possible to take a single step on the path and that can be very helpful, like being able to lean on an old friend in times of difficulty. It’s also possible to really go on a flower essence journey — to take yourself on, in a way, with the support of the essences (this is when it’s helpful to have a practitioner as a mirror and a guide…). This is when you take the time and the space to pay attention to the subtle shifts and changes in your body and consciousness, to pay attention to your dreams, your thought patterns, shifts in your desires and behavior. I sometimes recommend that clients also be in a course of psychotherapy while working with flower essences — in this way there is support for energetic changes to be more consciously fully integrated. I also always recommend that people take time to be quiet each day so that the busy layers can settle, leaving room for more subtle awareness to emerge.

The thing about a real path is that it’s never-ending. There’s always more to discover. We can always go deeper — with ourselves, with nature, with life. Our consciousness is unfathomably rich and mysterious. I am in awe of how the plants, each one unique in its vibration, so generously tap into our consciousness and work their magic. The more I explore with the essences, the more I feel this way. They move me, deeply. They surprise and astound me. I am so grateful that I get to share them.

Submitted by Mischa Schuler of Wild Carrot Herbs.

Among the ironies of international borders, is that plant and animal species pay little heed to these politically assigned designations.  Seeds carried in pant cuffs, pockets, or packages, deliberately or whimsically; or already a part of the continent before continental drift occurred.  In any case, here we are, in the Eastern Townships, endowed with Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioca.

There is remarkable similarity in the indigenous use of Nettle across the Northern Hemisphere.  Here it grows abundantly along the banks of the St. Frances River – emerging bright green in late April, tender, edible; turning a dark rich green by mid-summer, with thick, tall fibrous stalks.

Nettle reaches heights that seem almost arrogant, as well as elegant, swaying gently in soft breezes, yet steady and deeply rooted.  Her slender sturdy stem supports several sprays of slightly toothed leaves, all sporting fine hairs along the underside.  Each thin hair, when held with delicate fingers, is soft; yet when grasped firmly, or when brushed against, each hair becomes a miniature spike releasing formic acid into the unexpecting victim, often with the result of a rash lasting several minutes to several hours.

Much of the beauty and medicine of this plant rests in its sting.  It is a curious circulatory stimulant used topically for arthritic joints and ailments.  The fresh plant is harvested, and immediately used on the skin with gentle lashes to generate a histaminic response, welcoming a cascade of immune cells to carry away the offense and ease the arthritic pain.

Once heated in tea, soup, or lasagna (in lieu of spinach, for example), Nettle’s formic acid loses its bite and becomes among the nutrients available to the human gut.  Nettle is very high in protein, calcium, and trace minerals, which are drawn up from its deep tap root.  Thus, Nettle is an excellent aid for those challenged by or concerned with osteoporosis.  In tea form, the minerals necessary for bone formation are bio-available, and when drunk four times a week over the course of a year, have been shown to improve bone density considerably in informal tests.

Nettle prefers to be harvested for food when it is small and its leaves are not yet tough.  At fifteen centimeters, with a pair of gloves and clippers, one could easily harvest a handful sufficient for a lovely potato-nettle soup, a cleansing late-spring delicacy.

Nettles does have the reputation as a blood cleanser and energizing tonic, and so it is no surprise that in North America, native tribes used the foliage as a pot herb, an energizing tonic, and as a circulatory stimulant when used topically.  In addition, past peoples used the strong, end-of-summer stalk for cordage.

A healthy dose of Urtica tea can be prepared in the evening as such: into a liter mason jar, place a glove-full of fresh leaves (or, a handful of dried leaves), and pour just-boiled water atop.  Cap the jar.  Let sit overnight on the counter top.  In the morning, strain out the leaves, marvel at the deep earthy green that remains, and sip on this throughout the day, with a touch of honey if you like.

Submitted by Del Bachand of Generations Healing Center in Oxford, MA.

Blueberry bushes yield more than just fruit….their leaves, though not as tasty as their berries, have medicinal properties that are far more useful.

A tea made with blueberry leaves can help to regulate, or even lower, blood sugar in diabetics.  A simple cup in the morning before breakfast, and a cup in the evening before dinner, can make a world of difference.  The key is to drink the tea on a daily basis – make it part of your routine.

We are fortunate to live in the northeast as both highbush and lowbush blueberries are plentiful in the wild.  Two of the most common species found in our area are Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush) andVaccinium angustifolium (lowbush).  While the two varieties typically prefer different soil conditions it is not unusual to find them growing side by side.  The leaves of both varieties can be harvested at any time between May and October, and while mature leaves are perfectly fine, I prefer the new tender leaves that sprout at the ends of the branches.  Not only are they a bit lighter tasting but ‘pinching’ the new leaves encourages new growth.

Small bundles of leaves still on their twigs can be hung to dry in a cool, dark, and well ventilated place.  I find it takes much less time if the leaves are removed from the twigs and laid on a screen to dry.  Either way, once the leaves are completely dried they should be stored in an airtight container. You would normally use 1 – 2 teaspoons of dried leaves for each cup of tea,  steeped for a minimum of 5 minutes.  If you want a stronger tea, or are making a large batch to be refrigerated, you may want to steep it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Perhaps plain old blueberry leaf tea is not robust or sweet enough for your taste buds?  No need to add un-natural sweeteners….a pinch of stevia leaf, a dash of cinnamon, and a blueberry or two is all you need to make a decidedly different yet delicious cup of tea.

Stevia is another herb that is a “sugar challenged human’s” best friend.  It is naturally sweet (just 1 teaspoon of powdered stevia leaves equals ¼ cup of sugar) and can be used not only in tea, but in coffee, cookies, jams, pies and more.

Stevia rebaudiana is native to the sub-tropical areas of South America and has been used for centuries by the Guarani.  The plant, though bearing a resemblance to mint, grows to 2-3 feet in height and makes an excellent plant for small areas or containers as it is a slow spreader.  It is relatively easy to grow by ‘rooting’ the stems to form new plants.  The leaves should be picked before the plant blossoms and simply laid out to dry.

Blueberry and Stevia – two more of nature’s gifts.

Since her youth Del has had an affinity with the natural world and spent years expanding her knowledge of North American and European herbs, with an emphasis on working with plants native to New England. Del has taught herbal workshops for the past 10 years atGenerations Healing Center and for many groups throughout the northeast. In addition to teaching she is a consultant, speaker at holistic venues, and writes herbal columns for several publications. Del will be teaching her class, Mother Nature’s Medicine, on Sunday June 9th at Herbstalk.

Submitted by Ryn Midura of The CommonWealth Center for Herbal Medicine

Often, discussions of “women’s health” or “men’s health” are limited to the reproductive systems. When I teach about men’s reproductive health, I like to include an overview of common problems for men, because sexual function is dependent on the vitality of the rest of the body. But even before I get to that, I start with a discussion of the place of men in society today, and how it is problematically different from our ancestral patterns. There are several elements to this, but one of the most important has to do with cycle.

Men don’t menstruate, but they do have cycles, little-recognized and less-studied though they be. You can identify them in your own body and mind, tune into them, and learn something useful about yourself – if you’re willing to do the work. The thing is, this work might not look like “work” as understood today. It’s about perception, and reflection, and connection; awakening your senses and directing them with intent, building skills of memory and pattern recognition.

It’s also about recognizing things that are right in front of your face. One of the most important cycles we live through is that of day and night, activity and sleep. In a culture of grey cubicles and electric lights, where is our contact with the blue sky at midday and the stars at night? What are the consequences of that absence on all our other cycles? On the physical level, sleep debt and melatonin dysregulation have direct and measurable effects on health, including hormonal disruptions that can impact physical performance and sexual function.

On a deeper level, this is a symptom of our homogenized experience of time: we expect all our employees to produce the same amount of work in the dead of winter as the height of summer. We expect our salesmen and spokesmen to go out and sell or convince or cajole, no matter if they’re feeling overtaxed or irritable or simply tired. Nothing in nature works this way; our bodies don’t work this way. When we expect them to, we invite disappointment.

As a culture we claim to value self-reliance, but we don’t teach it and we don’t make allowances for it. We have to choose to pursue it. Start by going to the forest (or the nearest approximate greenspace), alone, with nothing but a notebook and a knife, and staying as long as you can – even if it’s only twenty minutes. There are well-researched physiological benefits to this act of “forest bathing”.

Look at trees. Listen to birds. Breathe. You’re not here to do anything, you’re just here to be here. If this is difficult, examine the difficulty. Where does your mind go? Where does your body twitch? This will show you your habitual patterns of imbalance in a context where you can’t ignore them by clicking on another link or refreshing Facebook.

Are you reliving a difficult conversation or a fight, thinking up clever arguments that would have shut down your opponent, getting angry and hurt all over again? Drink some yarrow infusion, or take tincture; yarrow releases pent-up heat and frustration, and provides emotional armor.

Are you tensing up your muscles, gritting your teeth, clenching your butt, unable to enjoy where you are? Take kava. It relaxes muscles and lightens the mind without sedation.

Are you feeling your heartburn act up, just about to pop an antacid? Drink some catnip tea, or eat a leaf right off the plant. Catnip is great for anxiety rising from the stomach; it releases the gaseous and psychological pressures that contribute to reflux.

Are you floating away in abstractions, visions of spreadsheets dancing in your head? Take wood betony; it’ll drop you down into your center and root you there.

Just as you can’t truly rely on a work partner without recognizing their limitations, you can’t be self-reliant if you don’t know your own limits and imbalances. What you’ll find will be your own, but whatever it is, there’s an herb out there that can help. Start by recognizing these patterns, and you’ll be ready to put the knowledge into action when it presents itself to you. On that note, I’ll see you at Herbstalk!

submitted by jes morgan of good4you herbals

dandelion , burdock + yellow dock are known to be super beneficial for spring detoxification . i love to combine these three and make a root tincture to take daily before meals . but they offer us so much beyond this capstone remedy …as the roots give us their deep healing gifts , their leaves give us rich amazing food . in this short blurb i’ll give u guys the low down on impressing ur hipster friends

yellow dock leaves on the right + dandelion leaves + flowers on the left


all about the roots ::

i like to harvest the roots either in the fall of the first year of their cycle or in very early spring of their second year cycle . all these plants are biennials, meaning they live for two years . i personally like to wait for the spring harvest to obtain the meatier second year roots . in order to do this, u have to remember where these magical beauties grow, so u can go back and harvest the roots before they start producing leaves . once the plants start producing leaves, the energy of the medicine tends to go upward . i like to harvest the roots at the full moon in pisces in march . here the energy is all the way up in the roots and not so much towards the ground . but honestly, if u get the roots before they start producing leaves, u are golden (just like color of yellow dock roots,  lol) . each one of these plants offers us amazing medicine . yellow dock root specifically is excellent for detoxifying the liver . the best way to intake the plant in this fashion is through a tincture . obtain the fresh yellow dock root or dried if u can’t find it fresh . fill a pint size of quart size mason jar up to almost the tipity top with the roots . pour any type of alcohol u’d like over it . if u like vodka … then go for that . rum or anything that u like to enjoy on those wild nights . as long as the alcohol percentage is 40% to 50%, u are fine . fill all the way to the top of the jar with alcohol . shake everyday + strain in two weeks or when the plant material looks like all of it has been absorbed in the alcohol . yellow dock root will yield an amazing yellow color . you can do the same with burdock + dandelion root or combine all three to make the magical herbal bitters triad tincture ! dandelion root is specifically excellent for the liver as well . burdock is amazing for purifying the blood . these three roots together make an excellent bitter tonic . i like to take a dropper full of the triad 15 minutes before meals to help with digestion ! it is amazing amazing stuff .

all about the leaves + flowers ::

as far as the magical leaves go , i love harvesting the leaves of dandelion to make all sorts of creations . my favorite thus far is herbal pesto . just replace the basil in ur pesto recipe with dandelion leaves and u are good to go ! i love using yellow dock leaves to make food that requires cooking a little longer . yellow dock is a little less tender than dandelion leaves – so i like to add yellow dock leaves to recipes like lasagna, omelets, etc . all these greens can be used in recipes that require greens like kale, etc . creativity goes a super long way . definitely be confident about yellow dock leaf identification because there are a few toxic look-a-likes !  i also enjoy using dandelion flowers to make fritters ! play around with the consistency to from a paste and voila ! u can impress ur hipster friends for ages to come . don’t forget in the fall u can harvest yellow dock + those velcro like burdock seeds to grow some in ur back yard for many years to come . btw, did u know velcro was inspired to be invented by burdock seeds ? nature is the greatest gift giver  .

dandelion flower fritters


find these plant gifts in my etsy shop ::

with these three amazing plant friends of mine i have created a few products for my herbal co. judge not tea is my blood purification spring tonic . it features dandelion leaf + root, burdock root and yellow dock root . i also offer the amazing bitters tincture i mentioned above as well as a DIY tincture kit to make ur own at home . happy harvesting + creating !

Submitted by Jade Alicandro Mace of Milk & Honey Herbs

Making wild salad can easily become a cherished spring ritual.  It’s relaxing and fun, and I’d say that collecting your dinner is a medicinal act in itself, not to mention the benefits of eating it!  I like to grab a big basket and lay out my harvest, mostly for the aesthetic value, but a paper or cloth bag will do just fine. Enjoy the quiet, meditative act of harvesting, and the special opportunity to observe the plant’s features, characteristics, and habitat of choice.  The trick to making a palatable wild salad is to collect these plants when they are young, in the spring.  As the days get warmer and the plants get older and begin to put more of their energy into flowering, many of these species become too bitter or astringent for most palates. Hence, they are a delicacy to be enjoyed each spring!

Wild Salad


Here’s how to make it:

Wild Salad
1/2 Organic Mesclun Greens
1/2 Wild!

For the wild part here’s what I like to use, in any combination…I usually go pretty heavy on the chickweed and dandelion…..

Wild Strawberry leaf (Fragraria vesca)
Dandelion leaf + flower (Taraxacum officinalis)
Oxeye Daisy leaf (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Field Garlic leaf (Allium sp.)
Yellow Dock leaf (Rumex crispus)
Wild Carrot leaf (Daucus carota)
Bee Balm young tops (Monarda didyma)
Violet leaf + flowers (Viola sp.)
Cleavers Herb young tops (Gallium aparine)
Garlic Mustard leaf (Allium petiolata)
Chickweed herb (Stellaria media)
Day Lily young shoots (Hemerocallis sp.)
Plantain leaf (Plantago lanceolata or P. major)
Chicory leaf (Cichorium intybus)
Mugwort young tops (Artemesia vulgaris)
Sheep Sorrel leaf (Rumex acetosella)

Mix all together, add in your favorite dressing, and enjoy!

Uses:
In addition to being delicious and incredibly good for you (many of these species are off the charts in vitamins and trace mineral content), wild salad is gently detoxifying, as many of these herbs are classified as liver tonics and/or alteratives, also known as blood purifiers.  I consider wild salad to be a spring tonic. The bitter and sour flavors stimulate our digestion and help the liver work optimally to clear the blood of toxins and other unwanted substances.  On a side-note, the liver and gallbladder also happen to be associated with spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine, definitely not a coincidence!  And alteratives, or blood purifiers, help the body break down and remove metabolic waste, both through our digestive system and urinary system, and are often considered to be all-around “tonics” that promote vitality and good health, so eat up!

Basket o’ herbs


It’s easy to take advantage of the wide distribution of many of these edible plants. Chances are, you’ve got some growing within walking distance of your home, even if you’re in the city!  It is of course important to consider a few guidelines anytime you’re doing any wildcrafting.  First, stay away from roads!  I try to be at least 25 feet away and do my best to avoid gathering from roadsides at all for obvious reasons.  Other areas to stay away from are along railroad tracks, areas often used for dog walking, and areas where you suspect the soil may be contaminated.  And lastly, be sure you know what you are harvesting! Try to attend local herb and edible plant walks in your area and get to know your field guide.  Peterson’s makes a nice Edible Plant guide. Be sure to see the list of resources included at the bottom of this post.  So, where to harvest?  Local organic farms and CSAs are a great place to start- they will be psyched that you want to eat their weeds!  The same goes for any gardeners you know who use organic methods…they will be happy you want to dig up their dandelion.  Many of these plants like recently disturbed areas and edges and you’re more likely to find them co-habitating with humans than deep in the forest (which is potent food for thought when you think about it).  Also, searching for and finding favorite patches of wild edibles is part of the mystique of foraging…so enjoy the hunt!

Favorite Resources:

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so wild) Places
By “Wildman” Steve Brill

Botany in a Day
By Thomas J Elpel

Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region
By Melvin R Gilmore

How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine & Crafts
By Frances Densmore

Invasive Plant Medicine
By Timothy Lee Scott

Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States & Canada
By Charles Francis Saunders

Stalking the Wild Asparagus and Stalking the Healthful Herbs
By Euell Gibbons

Peterson’s Field Guide to Edible Plants