Latest Blog Posts

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Marshmallow: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

In honor of Clara, the awesome editor of our new book, this week marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) is our herb of the week! She was pregnant during the writing and editing phase, and just went on maternity leave. We couldn’t have done this without her, but the coolest thing for us was how enthusiastic she was…

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Introducing our new book – Herbal Medicine For Beginners

By CCHH

Our first book is here! We’re so excited to present our first book, and appropriately for a first book, it starts at the beginning! Herbal Medicine for Beginners is a great book for folks who are completely new to herbalism – and our students have said that it’s also a great, concise reminder of how to keep it…

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Violet: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

Violet (Viola odorata) is one of the first plants up in the spring, and we’re always so happy to see it each year! Flower Art Violet is one of many plants that make art: the beautiful purple flower is not actually its reproductive flower. There’s a second flower that happens later in the season, which…

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White Pine: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

White pine is one of my very favorite herbal teas – it’s so delicious! “Like drinking a Christmas tree” might not sound super appealing, but give it a try sometime. I bet you’ll love it. A Giving Tree Not only that, white pine has a lot to offer, starting with its needles. You don’t even…

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Solomon’s Seal: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

Next week is the Boston Marathon, and we’re prepping for a class on runner’s health at a local sports club – and that means, Solomon’s Seal is our herb of the week this time! Why? Because Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum, P. multiflorum) is one of the best plants I know for joint health. Joint Healing…

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Centaury: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

Centaury (Centaurium erythraea) was Ryn’s very first “herb of the month” when he began studying herbal medicine, and now it’s our herb of the week! Chiron’s Gift Originally, Ryn was drawn to this herb because it has centaurs in the name – and that’s as good a reason as any! Why centaurs? It’s rooted in…

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Plantain: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

The common plantain plants – Plantago major & P. rugelii & P. lanceolata – are medicinially identical, so we’ll cover all of them together in our entry this week. Break Up Biofilms When we say “plantain”, you might think of those little banana-like fruits – but that’s not the plantain we mean. Instead, we’re referring…

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Meadowsweet: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

This week’s featured herb is meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)! A Boon for Braces Meadowsweet has been one of my best friends on this whole orthodontics experience. It’s so soothing to the irritated insides of my cheeks, I can’t even tell you. It drastically reduces the pain, and noticeably speeds healing. When my braces are really bothering…

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Basil: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

Garden basil (Ocimum basilicum) may seem like just an ingredient in pesto, but wait! There’s more to this week’s herb! Mood Lifter One of my favorite things about basil is its ability to uplift the spirit – much like its close relative, tulsi (Ocimum sanctum). During stretches of grey weather in the winter, I find…

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Calamus: Herb of the Week

By Katja Swift

Calamus (Acorus calamus) is this week’s herb of the week! There is so much amazing about calamus, but the reason I picked it for this week is that we’re kicking off a Whole30, and calamus is a big help when you’re kicking the sugar habit. So here we go, calamus: let’s get through this week…

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