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.

For more information on harvesting, medicine making, and uses of these and many other local native herbs, consult your copy of my book, Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians or join me for a class here in the mountains.

Calendar

Travel

Wild Crete Invites You to

Herbs, Wildflowers and Traditional Cuisine of Crete

A Travel Seminar for Plant Lovers

Crete, Greece – May 2 – 10, 2009

Image description Imagine yourself standing on a hillside that is covered with aromatic herbs and colorful wildflowers, looking out at the Aegean Sea. Spend ten days in spring 2009, savoring the incredible history, rich modern culture and natural beauty of the Greek island of Crete. Learn about local native plants and traditional foods while becoming inspired by a landscape and people who have lived in harmony with the earth for 8,000 years.

You’ll experience the lives of authentic mountain communities, get to know shepherds and organic farmers, wander the streets of 4,000-year-old towns, and stay in a remote 700- year-old village that has been restored into an elegant off-the-grid retreat center. You’ll visit some of the most significant museums and prehistoric archaeological sites in Greece and see some of the world’s most famous Byzantine frescoes and churches.

Image description And that’s just the backdrop for our educational focus on the medical botany of Crete and the Mediterranean. Hiking seminars introduce you to wild plants in their native habitats.

Tour leaders Patricia Kyritsi Howell, Registered Herbalist (AHG), and, Robinette Kennedy, PhD, Clinical Anthropologist, have been leading tours on Crete since 1997. We have over 40 years combined professional experience leading tours on Crete.

Image description As a result, we’re blessed to be members of an extensive network: owners of small cafés and inns; wine makers, archaeological guides, organic farmers, shepherds, bakers, and friends who will generously share their knowledge with you.

For complete details about the 2009 Seminar, visit www.wildcrete.com or call 706-746-5485.

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!