In Our Forest Now. . .

As summer begins to fade many herbs are waiting to be harvested. Here are some of the plants we’re seeing or harvesting now.

Yellow Passionflower

Yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea), is very small, with leaves 3 inches across while it’s greenish-yellow flowers are barely 1 inch across. It takes a sharp eye to notice the small blooms against the deep green of the forest. Like the more commonly used Passiflora incarnata (a much larger plant), whose blooms are pink, yellow passionflower is a nervine relaxant and
antispasmodic. Because yellow passionflower is rare, I have never harvested
it, preferring to use the more weedy P. incarnata.

Black Cohosh

It is almost time to harvest black cohosh (Actaea racemosa). The flowers have faded, and the seed heads are ripening quickly. I always like to harvest this root late in the year, after the foliage dies back, when the only visible identifying characteristic is the dried seed head of the flowers.

Jewelweed

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is still flowering in damp, cool places. At my house, we’ve been harvesting this plant all summer to treat severe cases of poison ivy. It always works! Now is the time to make jewelweed salve for winter and spring use. [For the recipe, see page 98 in my book, Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians.]

Boneset

Boneset, (Eupatorium perforatum) is one of my favorite herbs. The other day I was happy to see it blooming along the shores of the pond while I was swimming. Look for boneset lining the edges of bodies of fresh water. In this picture you can see the distinctive way the opposing leaves grow together around the stem, making it easy to identify.

Calendar

Patricia's Schedule

If you can’t make it in person to attend one of Patricia’s herb classes at BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies in Northeast Georgia, look for her at these other great herb events. Contact individual sponsors for registration and other details. To receive updates, subscribe to our BotanoLogos Newsletter (at right).

September 18, 2008

Herb Walk and Medicine Making Class

Spend the day at the Foxfire Center in Mountain City learning about Appalachian plants. We’ll spend the morning walking the beautiful trails at the Center looking at the many medicinal plants that thrive here. In the afternoon, you’ll learn how to make a simple skin salve using wild herbs.

Date/Time: Thursday, September 18, 2008. 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Location: Foxfire Center, Mountain City, Georgia. Directions at www.foxfire.org

Cost: $25.00. Pre-registration required. Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Registration: Call 706-746-5828 or giftshop@foxfire.org.

October 3 to 5, 2008

Southeastern Women’s Herb Conference

Don’t miss this exhilarating celebration of herbs and women’s wisdom event! Patricia will lead an herb walk and present an intensive seminar on Five Phase Theory.

Location: Camp Rockmont, Black Mountain, NC (near Asheville, NC)

Registration and More Details

October 15, 2008

Medicinal Plants Symposium,
State Botanical Garden, Athens, Georgia.

In this day-long seminar, participants will discover a variety of medicinal plants and some of the belief systems that guide their use. Topics include use and cultivation of medicinal plants native to the Southeast; important Latin American herbs; current research concerning the health benefits of phytochemicals; and the use of herbal medicines within native American healing traditions such as the Cherokee and Mayan cultures.

Sessions will highlight a sample of ethnobotanically important plants that can survive the stress of thirsty Georgia gardens. Join us in exploring the differences between modern and traditional medicines, as well as current efforts to promote the appropriate and effective use of medicinal plants in 21^st century healthcare.

Cost: Members $40.00; Non-members $45.00 Register Now

Meeting Times: Oct 15, 2008 8:45 AM - 3:00 PM

Location: Callaway Auditorium, State Botanical Garden of Athens, Georgia

BotanoLogos

For over 14 years, the BotanoLogos School for Herbal Studies has specialized in teaching about Southern Appalachian medicinal herbs.

Our programs provide experiential learning in the botanically rich Appalachian mountains of Northeast Georgia, USA.

Program director Patricia Kyritsi Howell, Registered Herbalist (AHG) is the author of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians, an essential reference about how to use native medicinal plants.

Current Course Offerings:

2009 Herbal Studies Certification Program Registration Now Open!

(Please check Calendar or Certification Program for more information)

Buy Your Copy of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians Today!