Purple Haze: The Resinous Medicine of Aster Rhizome, Leaf, and Flower
Botanical Names: Dieteria bigelovii (formerly Aster bigelovii), but also Aster tataricus, Symphyotrichum (formerly Aster) novae-angliae, Aster subspicatus, and probably many others. Common Names: Purple Sticky Aster, Bigelow’s Spine Aster, also Douglas Aster, New England Aster, etc., Taste: Bitter, sweet, aromatic Impression: Oily, aromatic Energetics: Slightly warm, Moistening in the oily sense Actions: Aromatic (and thus, Carminative), Relaxant Diaphoretic, Expectorant Specific Indications: Lung deficiency, Cough with cold signs, Asthma with tension and spasmodic coughing/wheezing, Cough initiated by cold/flu onset with tension I first learned of this beautiful medicine from Jim McDonald through his work with the very similar New England Aster, which in turn...
Poléo: The Meandering Ways of Wild Mint
This post is for the Wild Mint month of the Wild Things Roundup hosted by Wendy Petty’s Hunger & Thirst blog Poléo: The Meandering Ways of Wild Mint by Kiva Ringtail Rose Botanical Name: Mentha arvensis (often considered synonymous with M. canadensis) Common Names: Wild Mint, Corn Mint, Brook Mint, Horse Mint, Corn Mint Energetic Tendencies: Variable temperature, dry Taste/Impression: Aromatic, acrid Actions: diaphoretic, stimulant nervine, aromatic digestive (including carminative), emmenagogue, spasmolytic, choleretic (via regulating liver qi.) Tucked in among the opalescent hedges of Bluestem Willows and silver-skinned Canyon Alders that line the San Francisco River’s lush banks, a wreath of lavender spikes adorn the square stems of the River...
River Medicine: Alder’s Transformation of Lymph, Blood, and The Human Ecology
This monograph was previously published by Plant Healer Magazine River Medicine: Alder’s Transformation of Lymph, Blood, and The Human Ecology by Kiva Rose “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” - Norman MacLean Common Names: Alder, Mountain Alder, Canyon Alder, Red Alder, River Alder, Thinleaf Alder etc., Botanical Name: Alnus spp. specifically the A. oblongifolia and A. incana that grow in my local area, other species commonly used in medicine include A. rubra and A. serrulata Botanical Family: Betulaceae My affection for this elegant and common tree is second to none. One of the key species in wetland areas on the canyon and mountain Southwest recovering from overgrazing, its curved branches shade the waterways all...
A Flower For First Aid: Rose and Wound Care
My readers will all likely be very familiar with my fondness for any and all Rosa species, and most especially for my local wild Rosa woodsii. There’s no doubt that Rose is a popular plant among herbalists across the globe. Often though, I notice that it tends to be primarily known for emotional issues. While I would be the last person to debate its applicability in those situations (which are of course inherently tied into the individual’s overall physiology rather than being a separate domain), I do sometimes perceive a lack of serious consideration of Rose’s more down and dirty healing attributes. This post is my attempt at showing why and how Rosa can be utilized in first aid, and specifically in wound care. I will provide a brief overview of the...
Weedwifery: A Feral Approach to Folk Herbalism
With the current drought here in southwestern New Mexico only getting worse right now, I have never been so grateful for widely available, locally abundant, feral as all hell weeds. So much of the land in every direction is eerily brown and dormant despite the warm weather. There are very few birds or insects compared to a normal May in the canyon. And from photographs, you’d be likely to think it’s Winter right now. The quickest way to get a fix of lush green is to find a perennial waterway like our lovely San Francisco River running just below the mesa our cabins are situation on and…. checking out the weeds in people’s yards, in vacant lots and other disturbed areas. Some of these species are native, some are not, but what unites them...
Redroot: Blood Medicine
Redroot: Blood Medicine by Kiva Rose Botanical Name: Ceanothus spp. Botanical Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) Common Names: Redroot, Redshank, Buckbrush, Mountain Lilac, Desert Buckthorn, New Jersey Tea Taste & Impression: Sweet, Aromatic (some species), Astringent Energetics: Neutral-Warm, Dry Vital Actions: Lymphatic Alterative, Astringent, Expectorant, Relaxant, Nervine Used As: Antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic Indications: Fibrocystic breast disease, mastitis, lymphadenitis, tonsillitis, mononucleosis, splenitis, hepatitis, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis Tissue State Indication: Laxity Parts Used: The red to pink roots. Some herbalists also use the bark of the upper plant but the taste is very different and I haven’t done enough experimenting...
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