Twelve Herbs Every Prepper Should Know

Here at the Independent Herbalist, there are twelve herbs that I have fallen in love with over the years for their versatility and common availability. All of these herbs can be grown almost anywhere, and most of them are either native or have naturalized widely in North America (which means they are great candidates for foraging as well as gardening!)  

Below, I have made a list of the plants along with a link to the USDA plant database. By following the link, you will be taken to pictures of each plant, range maps of where it grows wild, and a related links tab. Under the related links tab, you can find ethnobotanical information (that's the recorded medicinal uses of Native peoples) and gardening information on each plant. Many of the herbs also have a PDF file put together by the USDA plant database people, but not all- so be sure to check out that related links tab!

There are an incredible range of uses for each of the herbs below, but think of this as an introduction or study guide to help learn how to visually identify each plant and learn a general overview of some historical uses. 
 
Angelica:  Angelic archangelica or Angelica atropurpurea (most herbalists consider them interchangeable)

Bee Balm: Monarda fistulosa

Catnip: Nepeta cataria 

Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Elder: Sambucus nigra or Sambucus nigra spp canadensis (American elder is considered interchangeable with the European Sambucus nigra)

Hawthorn: Crataegus monogyna

Lemon Balm: Melissa officinalis

Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Peppermint: Mentha x piperita

Rose: Rosa canina

Valerian: Valeriana officinalis

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

The USDA Database is a wonderful resources for many other plants as well- just bear in mind you need to have the scientific binomial for the plants you want to research (ie 'Taraxacum officinale' vs Dandelion). It can be a bit fiddly, but it's well worth it!

Stay tuned, our next post will be: Herbs+What?: The Quick Guide to Herbal Preparations  

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.

TCM on the Web

Here are two free, online resources that I like to browse in addition to my Traditional Chinese Medicine related books. Enjoy! :)

http://www.itmonline.org/about.htm

http://www.yinyanghouse.com/ (look for the 'Theory' tab at the top of the page to access their databases)