Linden Flower (Tilia spp.) and its Uses

29. January 2010 · 1 comment · Categories: Herbs and Their Uses · Tags: , , ,

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American and European Bass trees, or linden trees, grow throughout my neighborhood.  They line the streets and when they blossom, the wonderful heady fragrance of the linden flowers is enough to get our family taking walks twice a day just to enjoy them.  I remember my European mother-in-law sneaking a few of the flowers to take home for tea.  While the flowers lose their intense aroma when dried, after the tea is brewed the scent of summertime is revived in my mug. 

Found: Rich wooded areas, suburban neighborhoods from New Brunswick to Florida and Texas to Manitoba. 

Identifying:  Grows 60 – 80 feet, sometimes even over 100 feet.  The leaves have fine sharp teeth and are somewhat heart shaped.  Unique winged stalks help propel the seeds.  

Parts Used: Flowers and bark

Medicinal Use:  Sedative, anti-spasmodic, hypotensive, diuretic, doaphoretic, mild astringent. American Indians made a tea of the inner bark for lunk ailments, heartburn, and weak stomach. A poultice of the bark was used for boils.  Tincture of the leaves, flower, and/or buds is traditionally used as a remedy for nervous headaches, painful digestion, or restlessness.  Sedative; useful for panic attacks, anxiety attacks, nervous headaches, migraines and dizziness, nervous vomiting.  Ancient use was for epilepsy and convulsion.  Europeans often use linden with hyperactivity or fevers in children. Cooling to herpes.  Also used for uterine pain and pelvic inflammatory disease.  Fevers, chills, shivering with sweating, colds and flu.  For itching skin with sores, herpes, shingles the bark can be used as a poultice.  High blood pressure. diarrhea.  Many herbalists use linden as a children’s remedy for fevers, cold and flu.

Preparation:  Dried linden flowers can be used as a tea, or a tincture may be used.  As tincture 30 – 40 drops 2 – 4 times daily.  For fevers, take drops in hot water to induce sweating. For poultice, bark should be well-beaten and then simmered in cream or milk.  

Allergic Reactions/Warnings: None known

Note: These posts are not meant to be a medical guide but an overview.  Consulting an herbal specialist is always recommended.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) and its Uses

18. September 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Herbs and Their Uses · Tags: ,

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Flickr Image Thanks to oceandesetoiles

Flickr Image Thanks to oceandesetoiles

Motherwort is one of those interesting plants that, to me, has incredible personality.  (Plantality?) It’s a helpful plant and a joy to find, although harvesting it can be rather prickly at times.  I made a tincture of some motherwort this year, and it quickly became a favorite of mine due to its ability to heal both the physical and the spiritual sides of “ouch”.  True to its name, this herb has a real mothering quality to it.

Found: Throughout most of the United States, this plant is alien to our country.  To see if it grows in your state, you can check this distribution map from the USDA Plants Database.

Identifying: Leonurus has a square stem and grows about 3 – 5 feet tall.  The leaves have 3 toothed lobes, and the flowers are pinkish-purple.  These flowering spikes get rather pokey, so if you plan on doing some wildcrafting, take gloves.  I don’t and always wish I did!

Parts Used: Whole flowering tops

Medicinal Use: Nervousness and anxiety, “heartache” from life events, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, heart palpitations. Sedative. Tea promotes menstruation and regulates menses; childbirth aid, postpartum, menopause, hot flashes. Also used for neuralgia, sciatica, spasms, stomach pains, fevers, chills and cold; the flu. Hypotensive, antispasmodic, cardiotonic, diuretic, antioxidant.  In Germany it’s been approved in use for nervous heart conditions. 

Preparation: Dried plant for tea, whole fresh chopped plant for tincture.

Allergic Reactions/Warnings: Rare contact dermatitis.  

Extras: Motherwort video by herbalist Michael Moore of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. 

Note: These posts are not meant to be a medical guide but an overview.  Consulting an herbal specialist is always recommended.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and its Uses

01. September 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Herbs and Their Uses · Tags: , ,

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Jewelweed

Jewelweed

The jewelweed is in flower, and I recently came across large amounts of it on a weekend walk through the woods.  Seemed it was everywhere, at every turn, blinking and shimmering in the sun like orange and yellow fairy hats.

Found: Wet and shady soil; most of U.S. (See USDA Distribution Map)

Identifying: Jewelweed grows 3 – 5 feet tall.  The leaves are oval and toothed with the lower ones growing opposite one another, the upper leaves growing in an alternate pattern.  The flowers are orange-yellow with dark orange-red spots.  They hang down and to me, they look like little pointy hats or bonnets.

Parts Used: Leaves, juice

Medicinal Use: As a fresh poultice for poison ivy, bruises and cuts, burns, eczema, sores and sprains, warts, ringworm, athlete’s foot and bug bites. 

Preparation: As a poultice, smash the fresh leaves and apply to affected area.  Or for poison ivy relief, prepare a tea and freeze into ice cubes. Rub on rash. If you encounter poison ivy or a nasty bug bite while in the woods, you can crush and rub the leaves directly on the skin. If you’ve got an all-over case of poison ivy, you can prepare a strong tea from the fresh plant and pour the tea into the bath for soaking.

Allergic Reactions/Warnings: 

Note: These posts are not meant to be a medical guide but an overview. Consulting an herbal specialist is always recommended.

A Large Area of Jewelweed. Isn't it Beautiful?

A Large Area of Jewelweed. Isn't it Beautiful?

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and its Uses

06. August 2009 · 5 comments · Categories: Herbs and Their Uses, Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

Valerian can be an incredibly helpful herb, though rather on the smelly side.  There’s some growing in our neighborhood right near the sidewalk in someone’s yard, and at certain times of the year we literally hold our breath as we pass by.  But it’s a plant well worth knowing for its useful properties, and in my opinion, nice to look at! 

Found: Roadsides, especially in the Northeast U.S. and parts of Canada.  Often in damp places with good soil, although it can be found in drier, more elevated areas as well.  Native to Europe, this plant escaped from gardens and is now growing wild.

Identifying: Grows 4 to 5 feet tall with very divided leaves which are a little “ferny” in appearance.  Lower leaves are toothed.  Flowers are small and pink to whitish, and grow in clusters similar to Queen Anne’s Lace.  They flower throughout the summer and often into early fall.

Parts Used: Root

Medical Use: Commonly used as a sedative and as a nerve tonic; pain reliever.  Calmative, antispasmodic.  Also used for hypochondria, nervous headaches, headaches that take place in the temporal lobe, irritability, depression, and feelings of despondency.  Good also for nervous restlessness.  Bronchial spasms, asthma.  Colds, fevers, measles, scarlet fever. Stomach ulcers, flatulence, spasms and convulsions coming from nervous tension.  Nervous heart palpitations, high blood pressure from emotional stress.  Menstrual spasms, pains after giving birth, low libido.  Lower back spasm, arthritis and gout, incoordination, paralysis.  Counters alcohol effects.

Preparation:  Can be made as a tea from the dried root, but it’s best as a tincture made from fresh root.

Allergic Reactions/Warnings:  Small doses often cause a relaxing result, while larger doses can actually stimulate.  However, some people react differently to valerian and even a small dose will wire them.  If using tea from the dried herb, and if it’s used regularly over an extended period of time, one may find themselves getting symptoms of depression.  Using tincture from fresh root helps avoid this issue.

Allergic Reactions/Warnings: Although it’s sometimes referred to as “Indian toilet paper”, some people are sensitive to the hairs on the leaves.  WILDCRAFTER’S WARNING:  This plant grows in similar conditions to hemlock, and it looks similar as well.  Do NOT harvest on your own unless you’re absolutely certain you know the plant well.  

Video: Herbalist Michael Moore collected video footage of numerous herbs, and they’re all on theSWSBM site.  Take a look at this valerian video to get a better idea of how it looks.  Videos can be quite helpful in learning to identify plants.

Note: These posts are not meant to be a medical guide but an overview. Consulting an herbal specialist is always recommended.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and its Uses

29. July 2009 · 3 comments · Categories: Herbs and Their Uses · Tags: , , ,

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Some herbs we may find ourselves drawn to more than others, like a dear friend. Such is the case with me and mullein. My kinship with this furry towering plant grew rather quickly, even though initially I thought it was a rather strange and weedy looking guy. (Don’t tell him that though!) But as soon as I experienced the benefits this plant has to offer the asthmatic, I was quickly fascinated with the common roadside gem. I’m never very far from some mullein tincture or dried leaves now, and even my three-year-old has seen it often enough to point at it and cry out, “Look, Mommy! It’s mullein!” Ah, my little herb hunter.

Here’s just a little about the mullein, or Verbascum thapsus. I wish I could share even more, but perhaps I’ll do a Part II someday, so many praises can I sing on this one.

Found: Roadsides, wastelands, at the forest’s edge, poor soils.  (I’ve even found it growing in dead leaves on top of old concrete.) Sandpits, gravel pits, 

Identifying: A biennial; first year grows in a basal rosette of large furry leaves, gray-green in color.  Broad and oval leaves.  Second year starts as first, but begins a tall straight stalk which brings the leaves up with it, ending in a flower spike.  Flowers yellow, blossoming July through September. 

Parts Used: Leaves, flowering tops.  One rarely hears of the root being used which is a pity.  I learned from Herbalist Jim McDonald that the root is indeed valuable, and I’ve since prized it as well, using it pretty regularly.

Medicinal Use: Leaf and flower for asthma, bronchitis, coughs and chest colds, expectorant, antispasmodic, diuretic, kidney infections.  Ulcers, tumors, piles.  Flowers soaked in olive oil is excellent for earaches. Highly mucilaginous, so it’s soothing to inflamed mucous membranes.  Anti-inflammatory.  Has been scientifically confirmed as an antiviral against herpes simplex and flu.  In India the stalk is used for cramps, fevers, and migraine. According to Herbalist Jim McDonald, the root is excellent for back issues (in particular the spine), especially a back that suddenly feels out of place. Spinal injuries, pain, misalignment. Also a great herb for people who think too much; “intellectual” types.  Nervousness, sleeplessness, hyperthyroidism.  Sinusitus, feeling of a tight head, painful earaches.  Sore throats, tonsillitis, mumps, allergies, pleurisy, croup.  Deep dry coughs.  Diahrrhea, dysentery, colitis, hemorrhoids.

A Young Mullein Rosette I Photographed in Late April

A Young Mullein Rosette I Photographed in Late April

Preparation:  Dried leaves as tea or tincture, flowers as oil, dried or fresh root as decoction, tea, or tincture.  As a tea, steep 1 tsp. dried leaf in almost boiling water for about 15 – 20 minutes.  Strain very well to remove hairs of leaf.  Root:  I’ve used as a tea, decoction, and tincture.  For tea use fresh or dried, about 1 tsp. to 1 cup of almost boiling water.  Let steep about 30 minutes, covered.  Decoction, place the dried chopped or ground root in 1 cup water, bring to low boil and cook for about 10 minutes.  Let cool to drinking temperature and strain.  

Allergic Reactions/Warnings: Although it’s sometimes referred to as “Indian toilet paper”, some people are sensitive to the hairs on the leaves.  

Video: Herbalist Michael Moore collected video footage of numerous herbs, and they’re all on the SWSBM site.  Take a look at this mullein video to get a better idea of how it looks.  Videos can be quite helpful in learning to identify plants.

Note: These posts are not meant to be a medical guide but an overview. Consulting an herbal specialist is always recommended.

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