An Overview of Herbalism

For a good overview of herbal basics, check out Susun Weed’s, Be Your Own Herbal Expert
http://www.susunweed.com/An_Article_Weed_Self-help1.htm

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Advice for gathering or purchasing herbs

When making your own herbal preparations from fresh plant material you harvest yourself, it is important to be sure you have identified the herb correctly and you know exactly what you are working with. Spend the time to learn to identify beyond a shadow of a doubt your plants before attempting make any herbal prepration with them, or ingesting them in any way. There are some very safe and common herbs that can look very much like other, potentially poisionous, ones. Always, always make absolutely sure you know your plant! If there is the slightest doubt, do not attempt to use it!! There are many field guides available to help with plant identification, and many knowledgable herbalists who can show you exactly what to look for.

Learn to identify the properties of plants by referencing their latin names. This is important for correct plant identification in the field as well as when purchasing herbs from commercial providers. Some herbs are called by many different common names in different regions of the world, but the latin name will remain the same regardless. By referencing the latin name, you can always be sure you have the correct herb.

Gather only the freshest herbs that are in their prime. Do not gather bug-eaten, diseased, or dying herbs at the end of their life span. Look for where the energy is in the plant — that is the part you want to harvest. There is a season for each of the different kinds of medicine you can make with plants. You will be able to tell by the way they look and smell and feel if it is the right time to gather them. Harvest flowers when they are just beginning to open and are full of fragrance and life. Harvest leaves and foliage when they are at their vibrant, fragrant, and juicy best. Harvest fruits and berries and seeds when they are optimally ripe. When the above-ground herb has died away and the energy has moved down into the roots, that is the time to gather roots. You get the idea…

Get to know the plants in the ecosystem in which you live, your immediate environment, and use what is local to you as much as possible. This reduces the impact on the environment that comes from over-harvesting for commercial purposes and the pollution that is created to transport herbs over long distances.

Only pick as much as you need and never take ALL the plants. Strive to take no more than 1/3 of any given plant growing in any given patch. Never take plants that are rare and endangered. Instead reseed those so that there will be an abundance in future years.

When purchasing dried herbs, take the time to find the freshest source available. Dried herbs should look and smell similar to how they do when they are fresh. They should be full of life and energy. If your dried herbs smell like dust or look like straw, they probably are long past their prime and are useless for making medicine. I also have the same high standards for the herbs I use in my cosmetics and cleaning products. If you use sub-standard herbs, any product you make from them will also be sub-standard.

I personally have gotten the best and freshest dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Anything I have ever purchased from them has been vibrant and fragrant and full of color. They are much, much fresher than the medicinal dried herbs I have sometimes purchased from my local health food store. I highly recommend them.

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New Herbal Index coming soon! This will be a new area of the site where I will catalogue and organize information about as many specific herbs as possible. Will also include a Glossary and various articles about Herbal Healing. Look for it in the next few weeks!