I have so many herbs I could say are my favorites. My most favorite ever is probably Hawthorn, and the flowers are usually in bloom in the early summer, the berries don't come in until later in the summer or early fall.
I love goldenrod. It is also a late summer herb, and one of my favorites. I make goldenrod tinctures that I use for urinary tract health, respiratory health, and seasonal allergies. I also LOVE goldenrod oil - which I make every year and either use it by itself or turn it into an amazing salve along with calendula oil and cannabis oil. Really amazing for pain and soreness, and even headaches with no essential oils needed (although let's be real, we dont really NEED essential oils most of the time and the herbs themselves do just fine....maybe without the same punch that the EO bring, but I think punches are overrated these days and we'd do well to sit back with a bit more gentle softness and time.......Humans...always in such a hurry!)
Roses roses roses! Another favorite of mine and it's no surprise that Hawthorn is in the rose family. This is a gentle astringent herb and is just absolutely beautiful for the heart. It softens without dulling. It is the one thing that I often give all new clients that work with me. My favorite way to do rose is in a glycerite, which is what I call my half glycerin/half alcohol extracts. It has longevity to it and seems to richen with time. Every year I go to a special beach, usually on a full moon, and harvest petals.
Calendula! Now we usually won't find this growing wild, at least I never have, but it is a common plant in many gardens. It is so incredibly versatile and a very safe plant to use, even for small children and babies. My favorite way to use Calendula is in an olive oil, which I can then turn into a salve all on its own. It can also be tinctured and taken as a tea (a bit bitter!), and I love its addition in digestive bitters!
Yarrow.....oh Yarrow....the Quintessential Cardiovascular Herb! I have a newer relationship with Yarrow, and only brought this beautiful plant into my life about 5 years ago. It entered after I had been dealing with a UTI, and Yarrow combined with Goldenrod was exactly whatI needed after a round of antibiotics to help really clear things through. It has also become one of the herbs (along with Hawthorn and Lobelia) that I have recommended to clients for "that which should not be named" that dominated the world for about 2-3 years. A little fun fact about yarrow........if you have a nosebleed, you can take a yarrow leaf, crush it a bit, roll it up and stick it right into your nose. It will halt the bleeding fairly quickly.
We mustn't forget the trees! This time of year, the Spruce always call to me. Their bright green tips are one of the most excellent supports for all things respiratory. Even when they might not be the focus, due to the tissue state and energetics needed, I find that they always make a lovely and supportive addition. I usually use them in a tincture form, but they make a lovely tea and steam as well. AND one of my most lovely salves of all time was. made with an unrefined coconut oil infused with spruce tips - the scent was absolutely amazing!
There are certainly many other herbs that are about during the summer here, that I do make use of: self heal (my lawn is filled with it!), ground Ivy (also found on my lawn), plantain ( we have the long leaf variety abundant here), burdock (which I dont dig until the fall, unless some pops up in a place in the gardens where I dont want it to be, in which case I do dig it up to put it to use, rather than just chopping it down)....and I also mustn't forget the stinging nettle I have growing alongside the woods. Also one of my favorite plants and probably the favorite thing of mine that I have planted here.
I am always. meeting new herbs and continue to expand my relationships with these amazing summer plants!
What are your favorite herbs? How to you use them?
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