Cardinal Flower, Lobelia Cardinalis

Lobelia cardinalis, commonly known as cardinal flower, is a North American native wildflower that can be found in most US states outside of the Northwest. L. Cardinalis is a perennial that enjoys moist soil, such as by a stream or pond, and it prefers sun or partial shade. The flowers attract hummingbirds and rely on them for pollination. 

Although cardinal flower is related to the common herb Lobelia (lobelia inflata), it is not generally used by modern herbalists. Historical herbalists, such as the eclectics, also have little to say about it.

Lloyd and Lloyd, in Drugs and Medicines of North America, 1884-1887, note the use of an infusion or powder of the plant for worms, but it is based on written mention of the herb by two other authors. A third author is mentioned, Johann David Schoepf of Materia Medica Americanna, as having said that L. cardinalis had similar properties to Lobelia syphilitica, but Lloyd and Lloyd felt that Schoepf knew little about it regardless.

However, ethnobotanical resources, such as the USDA plants database and the University of Michigan's Ethnobotany database, confirm that cardinal flower originally had many herbal uses. The Cherokee and Iroquois seem to have used it extensively, and several other tribes used it occasionally.

Some common traditional uses included: 

• Use of the cooled infusion of the plant to stem nosebleeds
• A decoction of the whole plant given for sicknesses caused by grieving
• An infusion of the leaves taken internally for colds, fevers, and rheumatism
• Poultices made out of the roots were used externally for sores (especially those taking a long time to heal), fever blisters, injuries, swelling and rheumatism
• As part of treatment for croup, syphilis, typhoid, and tuberculosis 

Other traditional applications of cardinal flower included uses as an analgesic, anticonvulsive, antispasmodic and gynecological aid.

Additionally, the Iroquois believed it to strengthen other herbs when used in conjunction with them.

In many ways, the uses of L. cardinalis appear to overlap those of L. inflata, although L. inflata was more commonly used as an emetic and to address spasms, epileptic conditions and issues of the lungs. However, both types of lobelia are considered to be potentially toxic, with overuse or abuse by humans possibly leading to paralysis, coma and death. 

Ground Ivy, Glechoma Hederacea

Ground Ivy, Glechoma Hederacea, is a lovely little European native that has naturalized itself here in the US, and mainly likes to establish itself around houses and old home sites. Often considered a weed for its ability to take over a lawn, it’s a member of the mint family and can be used as a salad or soup green. It was also used in medieval beer brewing as a flavoring agent, and to help clarify and preserve the beer.

This plant grew abundantly at the house where I lived as a kid, forming thick patches in the lawn from repetitive mowing. On hot summer days, Ground Ivy gives off a strong, spicy sweet and earthy fragrance that is even stronger when small bare feet run over the top of it. We enjoyed lying on our bellies in the middle of the yard so we could be closer to it.

According to old herbals such as Cook's 'The Physiomedical Dispensatory", Ground Ivy was considered to be a very mild plant. Traditional uses for Ground Ivy include diuretic, expectorant, diaphoretic and tonic. It was considered to support the lungs, the kidneys, and the liver.

I discovered a stand of Ground Ivy by one of the pasture gates earlier this week, but it took me a little while to find the time to harvest. Finally, one morning after barn chores were finished, I took a bowl with me down to the pasture to investigate.  

I read in “Medicine of the Earth” by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi that Ground Ivy makes an effective oil for cuts and scrapes. I did not have success with the method she described, which was to place a jar full of leaves out in the sun and allow the oil to collect in the bottom. But, I was able to make a nice infused oil with olive oil as a base. I noticed after handling the fresh leaves that several small cuts on my fingers were no longer sore, so I am looking forward to having the olive oil/ground ivy combination around this winter when the fresh leaves are scarce. 

New House! ! !

Well, it's official! I'm now nestled snug as a bug at the foot of the mountains I have loved so much ever since I was a child. And Oh, The Plants!

I have two persimmon trees in my front yard, a huge patch of ground ivy at the front gate, passionflower twining in my fields amidst the sweetest mint I have ever smelled,  a stand of cattails in the pond, broadleaved plantain and dandelions everywhere, brambles, nettles, and all the good wild greens, and a sycamore tree by my back porch.

And that's just what I have noticed casually over the past week. There are so many new adventures about to happen. . .

Button Bush- Poisonous, but Pretty

American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis)

American Sycamore, Platanus Occidentalis, has fascinated me ever since I was a little kid. Once, a long time ago, I saw the trees across a wide field by a river, and hoped for a chance to see them up close. Wish granted, when I moved here I suddenly found the trees all around me - especially by the river at what quickly became my favorite local park.

After the last storm, I discovered a very large downed branch along my favorite walking route near my neighborhood. Dog on one side, massive limb on the other, I wandered home and giggled about all the cars that were slowing down to take a good look at the walking tree!

They are very pretty trees, especially in the fall and winter, because the outer bark peels off in great scales to reveal the white wood underneath. Most of the sycamores here have huge leaves with saw teeth around the edges, but the specimen I brought home is one of the less common ones with smaller, smooth leaves.

Actually, these trees aren't sycamores at all, but rather a member of the Plane tree family. In some areas, London Planes, a  hybrid between the Platanus Occidentalis and Platanus Orientalis (the one native to India and the Middle East) is commonly used as a landscaping plant. Both P. Occidentalis and P. Orientalis have traditional medicinal uses, so it would be interesting to see how the London Planes might fare in the hands of an interested herbalist. 

But, based on the leaf shape, the single fruit per stem, and the location of the one I found the other day, I have a piece of Platanus Occidentalis to play with.




It had been a while since I last read up on this tree. After shredding some twigs, peeling off some inner bark, and installing the bits and pieces into a canning jar full of vodka, I turned my attention to finding more detailed information than what I remembered. (Which was: "Diaphoretic and diuretic. . . I think.")

Here are the sources I turned up with an online search: a USDA Plant Guide ; the University of Michigan's ethnobotany database; and a blurb from Scudder.

The USDA Plant Guide summarized the traditional ethnobotanical uses of P. Occidentalist:


"Ethnobotanic: Native Americans used sycamore for a variety of medicinal purposes, including cold and cough remedies, as well as dietary, dermatological, gynecological, respiratory, and gastrointestinal aids."

The University of Michigan's ethnobotanical database went into a little more detail. Generally, root decoctions were used for gynecological purposes, such as to help expel the afterbirth, and the inner bark was favored for a myriad of other uses.

Among the internal uses for the inner bark:

• given in cases of milky urine, or difficult urination with yellow discharge. 
• mixed with honey locust bark as a gargle for sore throat and hoarseness and as a drink for colds
• blood purifier
• measles
• dysentery
• internal pain and ulcers
• hemorrhages 
• lung troubles: asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, coughs
• catarrh (copious mucus associated with head colds, chest coughs, and sinus infections)

An infusion of the inner bark was even deemed safe enough to give to infants for rashes. That may or may not be useful information: from what I understand, babies are prone to experiencing all sorts of rashes, and the literature I had access to didn't say specifically what kind of rashes.

Topically, a decoction of the inner bark was used for skin eruptions and eczema, to dry up and prevent scarring from smallpox rashes, as a wash for knife and ax wounds, and to bathe infected sores. Additionally, a combination of the bark and roots was used to make a foot soak for rheumatism

There was even a mention of the plant being used 'in a steam bath for indigestion or biliousness', but, once again, the database is a little vague on the specifics.

Scudder had this to say:

"Platanus.

Dose.—Of an infusion of one ounce to a pint of boiling water, from two to six ounces.

The bark and twigs of the Platanus Occidentalis, or Sycamore, is said to be diaphoretic, diuretic, anodyne, and antispasmodic. It is sometimes employed in infusion in the acute exanthematous fevers—as measles, scarlet fever, etc.—when the eruption is slowly or imperfectly developed, or when it recedes. It is used as a diuretic in nephritic affections, calculous irritation, and other diseases of the urinary organs. It has also been used in pertussis, night-sweats, and dysentery, with advantage. We have used a strong decoction of the bark of this and the white oak in night-sweats, the infusion being used internally at the same time."

Also, I found one other pretty cool article on the edible and other miscellaneous uses of  American Sycamore is over at this website: Eat The Weeds. 

I'm really looking forward to experimenting with the extract I'm making, as well as the more traditional bark and twig decoctions. Has anyone else used this plant or know of anyone who has?
 

Quick and Easy Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry is a great syrup to have on hand. It has a pleasant taste, and is traditionally used to support the immune system during cold and flu season. July isn't exactly cold and flu season, but fresh elderberries will be ripening soon, so this is the time of year to start thinking about making syrup.

If you have access to fresh elderberries, you can usually boil them down with only a little extra water and the end result will be a very strong juice that makes an excellent syrup. If you only have dried berries, though, the process is a little different. I chose to use dried berries because they are very inexpensive and easily available, and they still make a very nice syrup. 

Elderberry syrup can be enjoyed by the spoonful or stirred into a glass of sparkling water, or as a flavored syrup on pancakes, ice cream or whatever strikes your fancy. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried elderberries
1 cup distilled water
1 cup honey (preferably raw)

Supplies:
Non reactive saucepan with lid
Fine mesh strainer
Large glass measuring cup
Glass Jar
Metal Spoon

Place elderberries and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover with lid and let stand for ten minutes.

Place mesh stainer over the large glass measuring cup and pour berries and juice into the strainer. Use the back of the spoon to press berries against the strainer until most of the juice has been removed and the berries are mostly dry. Discard the mashed berries, and return the juice to the saucepan.

Add the honey to the juice and return the pan to low heat. Stir constantly until the honey and juice are completely mixed. This doesn't take long, only about 30 seconds or so.

Pour into the glass jar and cap tightly, label and date. Store in the refrigerator.

According to Richo Cech in his book Making Plant Medicine, an herbal syrup made with these proportions (1 part by volume of strong herbal decoction or infusion to 2 parts by volume of Honey) can have an expected shelf life of one year if sterilized glass jars are used.

My syrup yielded about 10 oz for less than $5.00. I found twelve ounces of local honey for around four dollars at a farmer's market, and found four ounces of dried elderberries online for $3.50. The bag of elderberries I bought had about two cups worth of dried berries to play with, so I still have enough berries for three more batches of syrup.

To compare, leading brands of elderberry syrup at my neighborhood health food store can cost as much as $20 for 3oz! 

Busy Week Ahead!

Last Wednesday was eagerly awaited. I rushed home from barn chores, and then dragged my feet to leave for the waitressing job, listening for the UPS truck. I was waiting ever so patiently- haha, ok, I was jumping up and down on the doorstep like a flying monkey, which got a repeat performance when I came home that afternoon and found that the package had finally arrived.    

Yes, I'm a total dork, and I get very excited when I have new herbal supplies. . .

This time, all the excitement was over:

Orange Peel Powder (for Herbal Kitchen Recipes)

Calamus Root (I was curious after reading Jim McDonald's article)

Elderberries (for Recipes and Extracts)

Easy Day Tea (I haven't had much time to mix up my own teas lately, and this one looked delicious!)

Honeybush Tea (really tasty- just be careful not to steep more than two or three minutes, otherwise it looses all the flavor and just tastes astringent)

Twenty-Four 4 oz bottles, with screw top lids (I decided to try these instead of droppers this time. Droppers and I get along less than famously)

Other than the teas, I had to wait until this weekend to dig into the order, so it's been tidily arranged on the counter waiting for me.

Yesterday I was able to press out those extracts that have been lurking beneath my counter since October of last year, and also the Liriodendron extract. 

Other than that, I haven't been up to much this past week- at least not herbally speaking. There haven't been any new and interesting weeds begging to be written about, and I haven't done any heavy reading.

I have been very busy on the personal and work front, and it looks like that will continue, but I hope to have good news on that soon!

Have a great week!
Agatha

Wild Carrot (Daucas Carota)

Wild Carrot, Daucus Carota, is a very common weed in my part of the world. It's also known as Queen Anne's Lace. Surprise, surprise, it's not native, and comes from Europe originally. Actually, I was surprised, although I'm not really sure why. I knew that quite a few of  the other "southern" weeds come from elsewhere. Maybe it's because this one seems so un-exotic compared to mimosa and honeysuckle.

Another surprise was that only one of my herbal books had anything to say about Queen Anne's Lace. Matthew Wood's book, The Book of Herbal Wisdom, has a brief chapter on this plant. It's much more common in older literature, and I found useful references in King's American Dispensatory, Scudder's American Eclectic Materia Medica and Cook's The Physiomedical Dispensatory. Grieve's A Modern Herbal echoes most of what is found in the other older sources, although she was writing in the 1930's rather than the late 1800s, so her language is much more direct and uncomplicated.

Modern herbalists seem to prefer the immature seeds and the flowering tops before they have gone to seed, and occasionally use the roots. I found only one instance of the leaves being used, which was in A Modern Herbal, and mentioned that the leaves could be combined with honey and applied to weeping sores. The seeds are by far the most common portion of the plant used, both historically and presently.

The seeds have three main classifications of use: as a carminative, as a diuretic, and as a rather complex women's herb. Infusions and extracts seem to be the preferred methods of preparation. Preparation and common use ranges from a teaspoon to a cup of water just brought off the boil, to an ounce of seed per pint of water consumed over the course of the day. Chewing the seeds or adding ground seeds to honey or nut butter is also an option.

Scudder comments on the seeds:

 "The seeds are diuretic, stimulant, aromatic and carminative, and are used in nephritic diseases, gravel, irritution and inflammation of the bladder and urethra, suppression of urine, dysuria from blisters and other causes, gonorrhoea, dropsy, etc."

Matthew Wood confirms modern herbalists' experience with Wild Carrot as a carminative, diuretic, and an aid in removing sediments in the bladder and kidneys. Because of this influence it can be useful to restore the body's balance in cases of  kidney stones, gout and rheumatism.

He also relates that women have used the seeds to regulate the menstrual cycle. The main influences appear to be an ability to regulate heavy flow, curb the excessive growth of the uterine membrane, and aid against clotting. And yet, here is where the full complexity of this plant as a women's herb comes to light. Although it has a toning influence on the uterine lining overall, some women have successfully used the herb in natural family planning.

In fact, herbalist Robin Rose Bennett organized a small herbal study on Wild Carrot, which can be found here. She includes information on the most common ways to take Wild Carrot for natural family planning and outlines how it was used by the women in the study. There is also an analysis of pregnancies that occurred during the study and whether or not Wild Carrot was being used as suggested in those instances. Although the study was small, with only thirty participants, it is very interesting to read. 

That sums up the seeds, but what about the roots? Cook has the most to say about the roots:  

"The boiled roots also act on the kidneys; and form an excellent emollient and gently stimulating poultice in irritable ulcers of all grades. But the fresh and unboiled roots, finely grated, make a peculiar stimulating application of great value. They are excellent in all low forms of sores; such as carbuncles, degenerate abscesses, and buboes; and all fetid ulcers of the malignant, cachectic, and scrofulous grades."

So, according to him, boiled roots are a diuretic and they also are a softening (emollient) poultice on skin ulcerations when applied topically. Scudder mentions that the boiled roots make a good poultice for burns and "inflamed surfaces".  But the fresh, grated roots seem to make a better topical application as far as Cook is concerned:

" They correct the fetor, relieve the aching, and quickly promote sound granulation. It is said that they will even abate the suffering of phagedaena and of cancer. They certainly deserve far more attention than they have received from the profession; and sores in which it seems impossible to arouse a healing process by ordinary means, will usually improve at once under this application. The raw carrots are not to be continued after full vital action in the part has been established."

As usual, some translation is useful when dealing with older herbal texts. "Phageadaena" is a type of rapidly spreading ulcer. By "fetor" Cook means a foul odor emanating from a wound or sore, and "granulation" is the step in healing when the body begins the process of filling in the sore with new tissue.

Not bad for another USDA "noxious weed". If you choose to harvest your own Wild Carrot, be sure to use a reliable field guide to help you identify. Considering that Wild Carrot could be easily confused with Poison Hemlock, accurate identification is not something to take lightly. Some points to check for are the red flower in the center, the correct leaf shape and the hairy stems.

Wild Carrot loves to grow along roadsides, and this is not an ideal place to harvest from no matter how healthy the plants may look- they can easily pick up all kinds of noxious wastes and heavy metals that have leaked into the soil from storm run off.

If you choose to plant this lovely little weed in your garden, beware that it hybridizes with domestic carrot varieties. This might influence the properties of the Wild Carrot seed, and will definitely put a crimp in your heirloom carrot seed-saving plans unless you grow one or the other in isolation. 

The Herbalist Has Been Up To. . .#1

No Good, As Usual! :)

Seeing: Queen Anne's Lace and Trumpet Vines
Smelling: Mimosa and Honeysuckle
Touching: Tree Frogs!
Tasting:  Creamy Venison with Herbs de Provence, served over noodles
Hearing: Crows and Foxes
Reading: The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism by Matthew Wood

Albizia Pictures

The Albizia trees were almost finished blooming by the time I arrived to take pictures, but here is a close up of one of the blossoms:

This is a close up of one of the main branches. The bark has a very distinctive texture.

And here is a pic with the flowers, bark and leaves:

Mimosa (Albizia Julibrissin)

The mimosa trees are in full bloom this week! I've never had a chance to work with these trees even though they are quite common in our area, so it has been great fun to see them up close at the barn where I work. The ponies also seem to like them. The other morning it looked rather like we had a paddock full of giraffes, because they have eaten all the easy to reach bits of leaf and flowers but just won't give up on the hopes of another nibble!


As far as appearances go, Albizia julibrissin trees are easy to miss unless they are blooming.  They are small, skinny trees with fern-like leaves that fold up at night or when it rains. They lose their leaves in the fall and usually look a bit skeletal without them. But when an Albizia tree is blooming, it's another matter: they have big, puffball blossoms that usually come in bright, cheery pink and white, and they smell heavenly! The blossoms remind me a little of gardenias, but mostly like peach soda.

This tree originally came from Asia, and was introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental. In our part of the world (Southeastern US) it has naturalized in many areas, much like that other escaped ornamental, honeysuckle. So pretty, so invasive, so incredibly useful!

Herbally speaking, the blossoms and the bark are considered to be the useful parts of the plant. Traditionally, it was viewed as a sedative with special affinity for emotional disturbances such as anxiety and testiness from bottling up the emotions.The flowers were seen as having a more uplifting action on the emotions, and the bark as having a more grounding effect. Other uses included insomnia, poor memory, and amnesia. Additionally, the bark had another use more related to the physical body: it was considered to be extremely valuable for many types of injuries, including wounds and bone fractures.

I'm hoping I will have some pics of this lovely plant by next week- I keep forgetting to take my camera with me to work. (I know, I know, Bad Plantparazzi!)  In the meantime, here's a link to a really great article on Albizia over at the East West School of Herbology's website:

Albizia: The Tree of Happiness by Michael Tierra L.Ac, O.M.D.

Tulip Tree Bits!

Mother's Day Sunday was rather soggy here. But that didn't stop me from wandering around the garden with my mom as she showed me all of her latest lovelies. I bought her a foam flower a few years ago for a problem shady spot she was trying to coax to life, and between that and all of her hostas and hellebores she has a magnificent little hideaway going now. On the sunny side of things, her butterfly weed, stoke's aster and passionflower are gorgeous, and the gardenias are absolute show stoppers this year.

She knows that I have been wanting some tulip tree branches, but the storms so far haven't brought down any limbs. So, after our garden tour, she provided me with the long handled garden shears and pointed out where the trees in the back yard have some low-hanging branches.

My herbal escapades are generally a source of interest and amusement within our family, and Sunday was no different. My brother appeared in short order, to enquire if I was gnawing on the shrubberies again. He gamely chewed on the twig I handed him, and agreed with me that it smells nice but tastes a little bitter. My dad came outside, in time to observe my brother making faces. He declined my offer of a twig of his own. . .

I chose a branch that was crossing over some of the other branches. I figured if I was going to be a pest and take a branch rather than wait for a windfall, the least I could do was select one that could potentially cause problems later on if left to its own devices.

Then I broke the branch down into manageable pieces and brought it home.

Once home, I stripped the bark from the twigs. The inner bark slides off very easily if you choose the right time of year (spring is good) and then it's just a matter of separating the rough outer bark from the inner.

Green/yellow inner bark and brown outer bark.

The outer bark is basically dead cells that protect the active inner bark (think skin on top of blood vessels in human terms) so I didn't worry too much about stripping it all off. A veggie peeler works really well for this step.

Inner bark after using the vegetable peeler.

 Then I shredded the bark a little finer, and snipped it into shorter pieces with kitchen shears.

Next, the bark bits went into a jar with some vodka. I didn't realize I was almost out of vodka, but I had enough to cover the bark. Looks like just enough. . .

The larger portions of the branch yielded thicker and juicier bark.

 The eclectics used either alcohol or cold water preparations of liriodendron- they believed hot water preparations destroyed the useful constituents of the herb, so vodka should make a nice extract.

Two minutes in the menstruum and already taking on the principles of the herb.

Mmmmm, Tulip Tree bits! Time to go do some more research and take a look at the amount the Eclectics used in any given case. Most modern herbalists use 15-30 drops of an extract up to several times a day for an adult, but it really depends on the person and the herb. . .

Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica)

This beautiful flower is from a Honeysuckle vine, lonicera japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle. Although there are several species of native honeysuckle that grow throughout North America, this is the honeysuckle most people are familiar with. It has a heady aroma and flashy appearance that attract attention.

Although it was innocently introduced in the 1800s as a garden ornamental, this plant has made its way onto the USDA's invasive weed list, maligned for its habit of smothering and wreaking havoc on native plant habitat. Birds love the little blue-black berries that appear on the vines in the fall, and are generally the main carriers of the seeds, spreading them out over large areas.

Surprisingly, this beautiful nuisance has a hidden artistic talent. How about some honeysuckle paper and ink? Patterson Clark, who writes the Washington Post column Urban Jungle,  is a visual artist who searches out invasive plants around DC. He takes the plants back to his studio, where he processes them into paper and ink to use in his artwork. American Craft Magazine wrote an interesting article on what he does, and his website is here at Alienweeds. According to Clark, the leaves of honeysuckle make a greenish black ink, and the inner bark of the stems makes a golden yellow paper. 

But honeysuckle doesn't stop there. It's a useful member of the traditional herbal community as well! According to Traditional Chinese Herbalism, Vol 2, by Michael and Leslie Tierra, the young stems of honeysuckle are useful for supporting joint health in cases of arthritis and rheumatism, while the flowers are used across a broad spectrum of Heat* disorders.

Plus, most herbalists here in the south could easily pick a basketful of the flowers to make their own extract, and do native plants a favor in the process. Honeysuckle could also be used as a substitute for traditional Heat clearing herbs such as goldenseal and echinacea, which both face over-harvesting pressure and should be carefully obtained through companies with sustainable harvest practices when used.  

*Herbalists use the term Heat to describe the human body being out of balance in a way that might be expressed as fever, inflammation, soreness, redness, pain, swelling, or abcesses.

Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron Tulipifera)

Tulip Poplar, Tulipifera Liriodendron, is one of the most strangely beautiful trees of the southeast, thanks to it's elegant growth habits and rather bizarre flowers. The trees grow very tall and straight, and have slightly drooping branches with broad, uniquely shaped leaves. There were several old tulip trees in my backyard when I was a kid. The twigs had a sweet, mysterious scent that I loved.

Revisiting the trees this year, I was intrigued again by the smell of the fresh twigs. I wondered if these magnificent trees have an herbal tradition behind them. 

  
In fact, they do. All parts of the tree, from leaves to seeds to bark to root, seem to have been employed at least some of the time, but the inner bark or root seem to have been the most popular.

The tree seems to have been used in a lot of different ways: as a nervine, tonic, stimulant, anthelmentic, febrifuge, anti-rheumatic, gastrointestinal aid, and anti-diarrheal.The bark was used for intermittent fevers, and it was sometimes used as a substitute for cinchona.

(By the way, cinchona is the stuff that the tonic water of gin-and-tonic fame was originally made of, so of course now I'm wondering what a Tulip Tree gin and tonic would taste like. Sounds like a fun experiment to me!)

Other uses included an ingredient in cough syrup and as a wash or poultice for wounds and broken bones.

From what I read, Cook, in The Physiomedical Dispensatory, 1869, sums up it's uses in the Eclectic literature very nicely:

"The bark of the liriodendron is one of the mildest and least bitter of the tonics, chiefly relaxant and only moderately stimulant, but with no astringency whatever. While it improves the appetite and digestion to a fair extent, and for this purpose is unsurpassed in convalescence, its most valuable action is upon the nervous system and uterus. In nervousness, nervous irritability, hysteria, and chronic pains through the womb, it is an agent of the greatest efficacy–both soothing and sustaining. The menses are not influenced by it; but it proves valuable in chronic dysmenorrhea as well as in leucorrhea, prolapsus of a mild grade, and the uterine suffering incident to pregnancy. By its influence on the nervous system it sometimes promotes the flow of urine; and it favors greater freedom of the bowels, without being in any sense cathartic. If combined with spikenard, boneset, or other agents influencing the lungs, its virtues will be directed largely to these organs; and then is of peculiar service in old coughs and pulmonary weakness. The mildness of its action sometimes suggests inertness, but this is quite an error; for its gentleness increases its value as a peculiar nervine tonic, and makes it very acceptable to the stomach; though it is not an agent fitted to languid or sluggish conditions, or states of depression." 

Translation: Cook thinks it useful for certain female problems, as a digestive tonic useful for improving the appetite and digestion after illness, and that it has very gentle but effective actions on the nervous system. He also states that if it is used with lung supporting herbs it helps with old coughs and helps strengthen the lungs.

Scudder, in Specific Medication and Specific Medicines, 1870, stated that

"It is stimulant and tonic to the digestive apparatus, improving digestion and blood making. It also exerts an influence upon the nervous system, strengthening innervation and relieving those symptoms called nervous."

So, Scudder seconds that it is a nervine and useful as a digestive aid.

I would love to work with this tree when I get the chance. It's not available from any commercial sources that I can tell, so it will have to go on my wild crafting wish list for the time being. I'm sure some of the trees behind my parents' house will drop a few limbs before the summer is over- that seems to be typical for them when summer storms come through, if I remember correctly. Interestingly, the Eclectics believed it could be effectively extracted in either alcohol or with cold water, but that boiling destroyed its active principles.

King's American Dispensatory and Lloyd's Drugs and Medicines of North America have more great info on Tulip Tree, and thanks to Henriette's Herbal web page and blog, they are available to read for free online.
Also, one of my other standby online references, the University of Michigan's ethnobotanical database, turned up a good general list of historical uses: just type 'liriodendron' into the search box to repeat the search.

Black Willow (Salix Nigra)

When most herbalists think about willow, they think about white willow, Salix alba, which is easy enough to find at health food stores. Otherwise, the word 'willow' might conjure up images of the graceful landscape tree with long trailing branches. That would be weeping willow, or Salix babylonica. Very few people are aware of our native willow species, Salix nigra, or its herbal history.

Black willows have a much less dramatic appearance than the familiar and flamboyant weeping willows. Still graceful, but much more upright and slender. They love to keep their feet wet, and the ones I spend time around have grown up amongst white oak, tulip trees, maples and sweet gums in an area near a small creek. They are currently in their seed-setting stage, so there is a great deal of fluff wandering about in the air. I find it rather playful and endearing, although my friends have explained to me that it is, in fact, a Dreadful Nuisance.

Although it isn't much used by herbalists now, black willow was used by the Eclectic physicians, and appears in several of their Materia Medica reference books. 

According to King's American Dispensary (1898), the bark, root and aments (the long, drooping clusters of flowers) were all used for certain purposes.

Similar to white willow, the bark of black willow contains salicin and tannins. It was used to make poultices for gangrene and ulcers, and also to make a cream for the rash caused by poison ivy.

The root was used as a bitter tonic, taken internally for "intermittents" (recurring fevers), asthma, or gout.

Interestingly, the aments are cited as being used to make the preferred preparation of black willow. This is very different than white willow, where only the bark seems to have been favored. The aments, like the bark, were cited as being beneficial for gangrene. However, their main use seemed to be as an anaphrodisiac. Considering the time period in which the Dispensary was written, we find such language as

"it is especially adapted to the disorders of the sexually intemperate male or female, and of the youth, subject day or night to libidinous suggestions and lascivious dreams terminating in pollutions. . ."

The Dispensary goes on to amend that:

"Not only does salix nigra act as a check to sexual passion and misuse, but it proves a useful tonic and sedative to many conditions following in the wake of sexual intemperance, among which may be mentioned spermatorrhoea its varied forms, and prostatitis, cystitis, and ovaritits."

All of which would strongly suggest that, Victorian prudishness aside, the herb has an effect on the central nervous system, and also that it has cooling actions in the body with an affinity to the reproductive organs. 

In fact, Ellingwood, in The American Materia Medica (1919), had this to say about black willow:

"It will exercise a direct and satisfactory influence in many cases of hysteria, overcoming the extreme excitability and nervousness, headache and the globus hystericus, and will permit quiet, restful sleep. It will serve an excellent purpose in these cases in combination with general nerve tonics and restoratives, greatly enhancing their influence."

So it looks like it could be a very useful herb to add to nervine blends or central nervous system tonics.

Ellingwood also mentioned the use of the aments rather than the bark.

It looks like all of our willows have gone to seed, so I suppose I will have to wait until next year to make an extract. Might be able to make a salve or cream from the bark though- which would be good to have on hand because we have plenty of poison ivy to go around! Who knows, though? I might be able to find a late bloomer or two.

Chickweed and Cleavers

If you need your garden weeded, ask an herbalist. If they are anything like me, they will be happy to grub everything out of your garden that you don't want. . .as long as they can keep it!

After weeding a friends garden, I came home with loads of chickweed and cleavers and needed a quick way to preserve them. Both make pretty tasty greens - chickweed is excellent raw, cleavers is better if you steam it- but I wanted to make them husband-friendly. Especially as I brought them home pretty much specifically for him and his stubborn skin problems.

Chickweed

Both herbs have a high water content when fresh, so I didn't want to use vodka for extracts like I would with the dried versions.

Cleavers

I settled on pulling out my blender, adding water, and pressing  out the juice from the resulting mash.

Life is short- Make Messes!

Cleavers, Left. Chickweed, Right.

 Then I used ice cube trays to throw everything in the freezer.

He takes a cube out and melts it in a cup of water as he needs them, and so far this has worked great. I think it helps that I also used the fish-shaped ice cube trays.

Fishes, my Precious!

Tea Tuesday #4: Alfalfa, Nettle, and Peppermint

Happy Spring Equinox! The weather here has felt more like early summer than early spring, so I thought a peppermint based tea would be nice this week. Peppermint has a wonderful cooling effect and it's one of my favorite hot weather drinks. I love to drink it sweetened over ice without any other herbs, but I thought some alfalfa and nettles would be good today in honor of spring. A nice cleansing, cooling drink. I will definitely be drinking it this afternoon in my water bottle at work!

Because I wanted to make enough that I will have it ready for work over the next couple of days, and because I will probably pour it over ice, the recipe today is a little larger and more concentrated than the teas I usually make.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp nettle leaves
2 Tbsp alfalfa
4 Tbsp peppermint
4 Cups filtered or distilled water
Sugar, Honey or other sweetener to taste

Directions:
Mix the herbs together and place in a large glass measuring cup. Bring the water to a boil in a tea kettle and then pour over the herbs. Cover the measuring cup with a plate, and allow to steep for ten minutes. Strain out the herbs and pour into a glass or ceramic pitcher (glass canning jars also work well). Store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, mix with water and sweeten to taste.

I usually like to dilute this blend at least half and half with water, but it depends on my mood whether I use more or less water than that. Perfect spring drink:

Health Highlights
Peppermint: cooling, soothing to the digestive tract
Nettles: rich mineral content, refreshing spring tonic
Alfalfa: rich mineral content, refreshing spring tonic

Tea Tusday #3 Sage, Astragalus, Calendula

Toady I wanted something to support immunity, considering that I have been fending off that stiff necked, stiff muscled, blah, I might be coming down with something sort of feeling.

So I pulled out some herbs from my cabinet of curiosities and blended them up: two parts sage, one part astragalus, one part calendula.

Sage is one of my favorite herbs when I am feeling stretched thin and frazzled, and I find it also works wonderfully on tight neck muscles preceding a cold. Astragalus is an old standby for winter immunity woes, and Calendula is a lesser known but equally potent winter ally for sluggish lymph glands.

The yellow petals are especially cheerful looking on grey, drizzly days like today,

and the tea even takes on the cheerful yellow color of the calendula blossoms! I'm not quite sure how to describe the taste of this one. The sage comes through very clearly, and the other two stay more in the background. Astragalus always tastes a bit sweet and spicy, and a bit like the way pencil shavings smell. Calendula has a warm, earthy, hay taste.

Juliette of the Herbs

Over lunch today, I watched a documentary about Juliette de Baircli Levy (1912-2009) called Juleitte of the Herbs. I haven't yet read any of her books (The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable especially interests me) but after watching the movie they have been bumped up the reading list.

The documentary came out in 1998, and I missed it then (I was twelve, and the world of herbs was just beginning to open up to me) Thankfully, now Juliette of the Herbs is available to watch online via Culture Unplugged, so I was able to do some delightful catching up. Many, many thanks to Antoinette over at The Herbit for posting the link that led me to it!

The documentary has a slow, meandering pace and is suffused with peacefulness and joy that comes from Juliette's interaction with the world around her- plant, animal, and people alike. Her beautiful afghan hounds make regular appearances throughout, as do various goats, cats and other creatures. As an herbalist and animal lover, this documentary was quite a treat for me! I also know that reading her books is going to be that much more meaningful to me now, because I have a better understanding of the wonderful woman behind them.

Herbal Sprinkle Blends

My hubby gave me some cute owl salt and pepper shakers for valentines day. I decided to fill them with herbal sprinkle blends from The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride.

Here they are with the adorable frog Sumac shaker that also graces my kitchen counter. Aren't they adorable?

The blue owl has the Peppermill Blend (juniper, coriander and black peppercorns).

The pink owl has the Red Powder blend (Rose hips, Hawthorn, and rosepetals, sans the orange peel called for in the original recipe because I didn't have any.)

Having some interesting spice blends on hand makes even our last-minute, thrown together meals much more exciting. I love the Peppermill Blend on red lentils, and the Red Powder Blend is really nice on scrambled eggs.

Tea Tuesday #2: Rose Hips and Hibiscus

I had a craving for something red, with rose hips. And, preferably, hibiscus. The end result just so happens to be spectacularly heart-friendly, and with today being Valentine's Day, well, how perfect!
 
Ingredients:
Rose petals, one part (in this case, approximately two tablespoons)
Hibiscus flowers, one part
Rose Hips, four or five
Hawthorne berries, four or five

Health highlights:
Hibiscus: heart health, healthy water balance, supports healthy blood pressure, promotes regularity
Rose Petals: heart health, mood support, promotes regularity
Rose Hips: high in vitamin c, antioxidants, and iron
Hawthorne Berries: heart health, supports healthy blood pressure, promotes regularity

To make the tea, measure out and then lightly crush the ingredients while the water boils. When the water reaches a boil, remove from heat. Measure herb blend into a tea strainer, one tablespoon full of the herbal blend per cup of water. 

Let steep for five minutes, then remove tea strainer from cup. This tea has a pleasantly fruity, tart taste from the rose hips and hibiscus, and a subtle floral note from the rose petals. Enjoy it as is, or try one of these delicious options:

• Hot and sweetened with honey
• Over ice with cranberry juice or cranberry juice blend, to taste
• With sumac berries in addition to the rose hips and hawthorn berries

Tea Tuesdays #1: Coltsfoot and Thyme

The other day, I wanted something to help out with the winter grungies which had taken up in my chest for the week. After raiding the Cabinet, this is the result:

1 tbsp each of thyme, hyssop, and coltsfoot
2 tbsp of peppermint
five or six rosehips

I used one tablespoon of the mix in eight ounces of just boiled water. I let it steep a little longer than usual, about fifteen minutes, because I wanted it to be nice and strong.
The first taste is that of peppermint, with a light finish of thyme and hyssop, almost a bit resinous. Added honey to taste as a sweetener.

Health Highlights
Thyme: upper respiratory support, antiseptic and astringent properties
Hyssop: promotes sweating and has diuretic and expectorant properties
*Coltsfoot: soothing to the lungs; expectorant, anti-inflammatory and antitussive properties
Peppermint: digestive support, excellent flavor

*Note about Coltsfoot: I have seen it noted in some herbal references that Coltsfoot contains alkaloids that are best avoided during nursing and pregnancy, daily or long term use in children, and in people with liver disease. (Healing with the Herbs of Life by Leslie Tierra L.ac, A.H.G)

Tea Tuesdays

For some reason, this post did not publish last week as planned, so without further ado: the introduction for Tea Tuesdays!

Copious amounts of teas are consumed regularly at my house, so I thought it might be fun to start a weekly feature with some of my infusion related adventures.

Making herbal tea is a great way to add nourishing variety to your daily fare. Herbal teas, also known as tisanes or infusions, can be created purely for taste, or with a specific health supporting goal in mind.

One of the things I enjoy most about blending teas at home is being spontaneous and creative with what I have on hand. Therefore, I encourage you to experiment with improvisations of your own. Granted, I do have a spectacular amount of herbal material in my cabinet of curiosities, and my teas reflect that abundance. If you would prefer to replicate my concoctions exactly rather than develop wild experiments of your own, the ingredients should be easily available and very inexpensive either online or at your local health food store.

So, cozy up with your tea kettle and follow along on our tisane escapades every week!

Herbal Mischief Reading List

So, last month I wrote a little post about all the herbal mischief I am planning for this year. Part of that post referred to a reading list I was putting together. Here it is! My reading list for the year:

Herbalism in America (excluding Native traditions, which I would like to focus on next year)

The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism, by Matthew Woods
Medical Protestants: The Eclectics in American Medicine, by John S Haller
The People's Doctor: Samuel Thomson and the American Botanical Movement, by John S. Haller
and possibly
Kindly Medicine: physio-medicalism in America, by John S. Haller

I wish I could find a few other authors as well, but this will be a good start.

Herbals and European Herbal History
Medieval Herbals: the Illustrative Traditions, by Minta Collins
The Old English Herbals, by Eleanour Sinclair Rhode
Herbals: their origin and evolution, by Agnes Arber

And I would like to at least browse through the following:

Gerard's Herbal, by John Gerard
Culpeper's Complete Herbal, by Nicholas Culpeper
A modern herbal, by Maude Grieve

I think I will probably purchase them one or two at a time, some of them are a bit on the pricey side. Well, at least for me, the expert at dredging up $2.oo herbal books at the local used bookshops :) 

Herbal Mischief for the New Year!

I have lots of incredible herbal mischief planned for the next few months! I want to 'play with my herbs' this year, rather than focus only on the theory and science side of things. However, I'd still like an overall focus or theme for what I'm doing. So, this year, my themes are Historical Herbalism and The Herbal Household. My free time will be full of the two things I like best: reading; and cramming my little condo full of useful, delightful, herbal creations.

As far as Historical Herbalism goes, I am very interested in the history of herbalism in the west, especially from the middle ages onward. I would love to focus on the herbalism of Britain and North America during that time span. In general, I would like to gain an overall picture of the ways herbalism has changed over time, and brush up on important names and dates. Still need to do some initial research, but should be putting together a tentative reading list over the next week or so. Also picking out which herbs I would like to study in depth this year alongside western herbalism. 

One of the things I would like to do with the Herbal Household theme is: Eat More Herbs! There is quite a collection of intriguing recipes in my herbal notebook, and a rather large portion of my kitchen is being overtaken by interesting oils, vinegars, herbal sprinkles, and teas. I would like to add herbal motifs to my home decorating and wardrobe, too, which is going to be even  more fun!

The Apothecary got inventoried today, so I can put together a shopping list for the ingredients needed in my culinary experiments and replenish my herbal must-haves. There is something immensely satisfying about opening up my herbal cupboard and having plenty of supplies to play with whenever the mood strikes. . .

A shelf or two in my cabinet of curiosities. .

"Geez lady, you and your dried plants!
You know you should be feeding me, right?"

I think it's going to be a very entertaining and exciting year here at the Indie Herbalist!