Herbal Explorer Field Notes

A tincture is, in the simplest terms: plant material left to soak for a length of time. Usually, the liquid in your tincture would be alcohol of 80 proof or higher. You can also tincture with glycerin. In most cases, tinctures seem to be the best for preserving herbs and for administration. There are many ways plant material can be prepared. You could Google almost any plant and choose to make tinctures a dozen different ways, and nobody is to stop you. Or you could certainly

This mustard is the one that I would use in tincture. Its name helps me remember that one of its uses is for bursitis... Capsella bursa-pastoris. Note, 4 petals. The Shepard's "purse" is the seedpod. Melissa

This is mullein. This is last year's stalk. Probably parent to many of the plants in my yard now. I left this stalk from last fall, I had harvested leaves and flowers from this plant and had no idea he would still be standing strong a full year later. These are the pretty yellow flowers from those stalks. You can use many beneficial plants in a cooked oil, and you can use nearly any oil! To make a cooked oil infusion: Add plant material to a glass gar with just enough oil (th

I was gifted this beautiful celery and wanted to use it to its fullest ... So, I removed the leaves... Dried them in the oven @ 200 degrees until crispy, you can also use a dehydrator. Rub the leaves through a sieve. Mixed with equal parts salt. I happen to have pink Himalayan salt. Store in an airtight jar. I've been using this in place of most of my salt by keeping a small shaker jar handy. Melissa

Stellaria, reminder of the stars in the sky. The leaves generally feel cool to the touch, moist, and taste like corn silk. A delicious treat and medicinal powerhouse. Melissa

Ambrosia trifida, benefits?!? Let's look at this plant a little closer instead of just seeing our allergies flare up. Who is this enormous plant? What roles does it play? It's latin name gives us an idea of it's identity: Ambrosia - food of the gods trifida, tri or three pronged (leaf shape) This is indeed giant ragweed and it is native to North America - I am looking up to get this picture, it truly can get to be a giant plant. The pollen is ending, you can still see some ye

Pine resin in tea bags, melted into coconut oil. This will be used to make a salve. I am going to let this slowly simmer off and on all weekend to allow the pine resin to melt as much as possible. The smell and feel of slow simmering makes a home feel cozy. In the case of pine, it also has a soothing effect. Paul Red Elk taught that pine is the tree of forgiveness. This makes perfect sense when you think about how to use pine - cover and heal a wound, penetrating deeply. Whet

Cramp bark is a soft tissue muscle relaxant. Think of it for those overworked and tired muscles. I find it especially helpful for tired arched shoulders. Cramp Bark can be used for all soft muscle tissue. Remember that the intestines and the uterus are also soft muscle tissue. It can be useful for all cramping, from deep leg cramps to small tics and tremors. If being used for sore muscles or a sudden leg cramp, consider a convenient liniment spray, or a splash of tincture ru