Red Clover Blossom (Trifolium pratense) It is no wonder that every animal in Bambi revered red clover as the ultimate delicacy. This common cattle forage truly is much too amazing to be walked past if you see her out and about. More medicine than...

Red Clover Herb (Trifolium pratense) It is no wonder that every animal in Bambi revered red clover as the ultimate delicacy. This common cattle forage truly is much too amazing to be walked past if you see her out and about. More medicine than just the...

Red Ginseng Root (Panax ginseng) How to compress a massive body of lore, history, international trade, cultivation, mythos, and healing surrounding the ‘king of herbs’ into a few sentences? Squeeze it into the humble two-legged, two-armed...

Reishi, Ganoderma lucidum, is a favorite fungi! In China, Reishi is known as the mushroom of immortality (which, as far as we can tell, should be taken metaphorically, not literally). While Reishi’s acclaim is well earned, use sparingly in cooking...

Rhodiola Root (Rhodiola rosea) This succulent not only grows as a wild groundcover over some areas of the Arctic, she also specializes in assisting the frozen tundras within all of us to thaw and blossom. A beacon of light within a barren...

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary may be the herbal equivalent of tying a knot in your handkerchief to help you remember something, except that rosemary has the added benefits of tasting and smelling fabulous and also hopefully working. No...

Rue (Ruta graveolens) It is almost too simple to remember what this beautiful plant looks like by its name. Rue does indeed have blue-ish leaves and a dark navy cast over it. Gray-hued rue, herb-of-grace, as this patient perennial is also called,...

Sage (Sal. officinalis) Salvia would love to have you believe that she is indeed the wisest of all herbs in the garden, and it’s up to you to determine the truth of the matter. One thing that is not up for debate, however, is sage’s...

The name for this sacred tree comes from the Sanskrit Raktacandana.  "Rakta" means "red" and "candana" means "sandal."  Native to India, the red sandalwood tree doesn't get too tall, but its dark red wood has become prized in Ayurvedic medicine...

Sassafras Root Bark (Sassafras albidum) Sassafras is so much fun to talk about that there’s hardly time to guzzle her down. But there she is already waiting for you, hiding in your root beer, and there she is again – in your gumbo!...

Deep in the everglades of the southern U.S. are forests thick with what look like green sunrise silhouettes, thousands of them, spiking their angulated arms up into humid air like a zoo of saw-toothed alligators. When these curious shrubby beasts finally...

Senna Pods (Senna alexandrina) Herbalism 101: don’t confuse your henna and your senna! Or you may wind up with a very beautifully dyed tongue and some funny-smelling hair. Seriously, though, Egyptian-born senna is an important seed to get to...

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) The name Shatavari is from an Indian word meaning "a woman who has a hundred husbands". It is so revered for women's and mother's health, but if we told you about that we couldn’t sell it to you (seriously, US laws...

Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) What are the essentials that any shepherd carries in his purse, you ask (and more practically, why not a backpack)? Well, naturally, nothing too precious: a staff, a temperature-controlled tea thermos, some...

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) As it sounds, skullcap is the herbal equivalent of a wearing a protective helmet bestowed by a benevolent botanical / fairy godmother against the bumps and knocks of life. Scutellaria is no ordinary mint, though...

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), certified biodynamic & organic.   As it sounds, skullcap is the herbal equivalent of a wearing a protective helmet bestowed by a benevolent botanical / fairy godmother against the bumps and knocks of...

Slippery Elm Bark Powder (Ulmus rubra) In a slippery situation? It has historically saved soldiers from starvation (American revolutionary soldiers at Valley Forge, PA, who subsisted on slippery elm porridge for 2 weeks!) and come to the rescue of...

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) No better way to learn more about a familiar – or unfamiliar – herb than to experi-mint with it, are we right? Spearmint teaches the lesson of learning important plant properties through taste. What do its...

The unique blue-green algae known as Spirulina has taken the world by storm.  Those familiar with its health-promoting benefits have converted to a whole new form of food worship.  Spirulina grows naturally in fresh and salt water but can also...

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) St. John’s wort is an herb whose reputation may precede itself, but no matter what you’ve heard about mild to moderate depression, here’s the truth: if ever there were a plant that embodied...

Stevia Leaf (Stevia rebaudiana) Sure, stevia is a sweetheart, but she’s a lot more than the sucrose-alternative natural sugar for which she’s become the poster child. A peek behind the phytochemical curtain into stevia’s private...

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) An analogy to ponder: time when the days are long but the years are short is to thyme where the stems are long but the leaves are short. We may have had to reach for that sprig of herbal wisdom, but the fact is that we live in a...

Triphala means "three fruits" and refers to the Amalaki, Bibhitaki and Haritaki fruits that make up this anti-inflammatory powder.  All three fruits are grown on trees native to India and have long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to support bowel...

The use of turmeric dates back as far as 4,000 years ago in India.  Its benefits are now world renowned.  It's more than a bright yellow spice that stains the fingers of those who cook with it.  It can be used to support healthy digestion,...

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) Of all the vibrant constellations in the herbal sky, uva ursi has some of the most memorable names. Kinnikinnik. Pinemat manzanita. Bearberry is probably the moniker easiest to remember, and uva ursi indeed...

Valerian Root (Valeriana wallichii) Ignore the haters. Valerian should no more be known as the stinky sock herb than cilantro should be known as the wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap-young-lady herb. True, there are valerian people and there are...

Green, green, green!  We sing the praises of green everywhere we go in honor of the chlorophyll it brings to our bodies.  Might our body love chlorophyll so much because it's the color of the heart chakra?  Perhaps when we eat green foods,...

White Oak Bark (Quercus alba) At some point in our life, we all find ourselves curled up next to a large, inviting oak tree that offers us more than shade.  Its nurturing arms seems to reach around our tired bodies and offer us respite from the...

White Willow Bark (Salix alba) Why was the weeping willow crying? While we don’t know for sure, we do know that it was NOT because she was in pain…after all, it’s the answer to aches that so famously lives inside of her. If...

Wild Cherry Bark (Prunus serotina) Don’t approach a wild cherry tree expecting to be greeted with plump and juicy fruits of the perfectly pickable variety, and you won’t be disappointed. Unlike its domestic cousin, wild cherry imparts the...

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) You frenzied forager, don’t get overexcited and fill your salad bowl up with wild lettuce by accident, will you? You’re in for a bittersweet treat, if so. Actually, nix the sweet. Wild lettuce has NO shame about...

Wild Yam Root (Dioscorea villosa) Yam I am. But don’t let the name fool you - this is not the stuff of loaded baked potatoes. Wild yam is a starch of a different color than what we’re used to, to say the least. For starters, these gangly and...

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) We could just leave it at that – it’s wormwood, hello?! – and let your imagination get the best of you trying to get to know this herb on your own. But while there’s so much in a name, we can at...

Yellow Dock Root (Rumex crispus) Not to be confused with flashy yellowroot (no relation) or its cousins good-natured curly dock or begrudging bitter dock or even brawny burdock, yellow dock is the merry monkey in the middle. Or is she the happy medium?...

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguarensis) This delicious coffee alternative is jam-packed with antioxidants familiar to the South American aborigines who began drinking this "tea" hundreds of years ago.  There is almost as much caffeine per cup as...

Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californium)  Spanish for "holy herb," Yerba Santa has a beautiful trumpet-like flower that hangs toward the earth.  She is not afraid to blare her horn and announce her arrival.  Those familiar with the grace...