Mullein (Flowering Tops: UC Gill Tract Farm, Albany, CA) In these times of wildfires, there are many herbal allies that can support keeping your lungs healthy and immune system strong. Here are a few of my favorites: Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) (soothing, anti-inflammatory love for your respiratory system) Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) warming, ant ..read more

Inula helenium Latin Name: Inula helenium Common name(s): Elecampane, Elf Dock, Horseheal, Velvet Dock Family: Asteraceae Botany: Elecampane grows up to 4 to 5 feet tall, and blooms from June to August. It has bright yellow flowers, and fairly large, downy leaves. Habitat: Elecampane is an adaptable perennial, but prefers more moist soil, and shadier locations. History/Folklore: The name helenium from Helen of Troy. Elecampane is said to have sprung up from the place where her tears fell. The Romans and Anglo-Saxons used Elecampane for both food and medicine. The Romans in particular used the ..read more

Melissa officinalis Latin Name: Melissa officinalis Common name(s): Lemon Balm, Sweet Balm, Balm Mint, Sweet Mary Family: Lamiaceae Botany: Lemon Balm is a perennial herb that grows up to 5 feet tall. Habitat: Native to south-central Europe, Iran, and Central Asia, Lemon Balm has been naturalized in many other places around the globe. History/Folklore: Lemon Balm has a long history of use in Europe. It was considered the herb of the goddess Diana, and the herb that assisted ancient bee keepers in keeping honeybees happy and well fed. Sprigs of Lemon Balm were commonly added to beehives in an ..read more

(Elder Flowers: photo by author) Sambucus Spp. Latin Name: Sambucus nigra, Sambucus canadensis L. Common name(s): Elder, Elderberry, Elder flower, Black Elder, European Elder, American Elder Family: Adoxaceae Botany: Elders are deciduous shrubs that grow anywhere from 5 to 20 feet tall, with the European variety tending to be taller.  Habitat: Elder likes moist, rich soils. It grows along trails and roads, near lakes and streams, and in fields. History/Folklore: The American Elder was called the “tree of music” by some indigenous peoples, who made flutes from the branches. The European E ..read more

Avena sativa Avena Sativa Monograph Latin Name: Avena sativa Common name(s): Oats, Wild Oats Family: Poaceae Botany: Oats are a species of cereal grain, commonly used as a food for humans and livestock animals. Habitat: Oats are best grown in temperate regions. History/Folklore: The wild ancestors of Oats grew in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East. Domesticated Oats first appeared in Bronze Age Europe. Parts used: Seeds, fresh plant Constituents: starch, sugar, gum, oil, albumen, gluten, alkaline salts Actions: Nervine, tonic, stimulant, antispasmodic, emollient, anti-depressant, tropho ..read more

Symphytum officinale Latin Name: Symphytum officinale Common name(s): Comfrey, Knitbone Family: Boraginaceae Botany: Comfrey is a fast growing, perennial herb with large leaves and small, various colored, bell shaped flowers. Habitat: It’s native to Europe and prefers growing in damp, grassy places, but can also grow elsewhere. History/Folklore: Comfrey has a long history of use in Europe. In Ireland, the herb was commonly applied topically to cuts and wounds, and used for colds. In addition, folk herbalists there used Comfrey to treat the following: toothaches (County Kilkenny), kidney issue ..read more

Urtica dioica Latin Name: Urtica dioica Common name(s): Nettle, Big string nettle, common nettle, devil’s leaf, European nettle Family: Urticeae Botany: The species is divided into six subspecies. Five of them have hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems. The plant grows 3 to 7 ft tall in the summer months, and then dies back during the winter. It has spreading rhizomes, which have a yellow hue, as do the roots. The green leaves are 1 to 6 inches long and grow on the opposite sides of a rigid, wiry green stem. The leaves and stems are very hairy, with both stinging and ..read more

Galium aparine Latin Name: Galium aparine Common name(s): Cleavers, Goose Grass, Bedstraw Family: Rubiaceae Botany: Cleavers are annuals with tiny, star shaped flowers and creeping stems which cleave on whatever they grow on. Habitat: Grows around the globe, and is often found in fields, woods, and in disturbed soils and waste areas. History/Folklore: Cleavers has a history of use among several Native American peoples as a treatment for gonorrhea, and also as a dye. 16th Century English herbalist John Gerard called Cleavers a great remedy for bites from “venomous creatures” like snakes and s ..read more

Astragalus Latin Name: Astragalus, Astragalus propinquus, Astragalus membranaceus Common name(s): Milk Vetch, Astragalus, Huang Qi Family: Fabaceae Botany: Astragalus membranaceus is a perennial, native to Northern and Eastern China, as well as Mongolia and Korea. Habitat: Astragalus does well in deep, sandy, well drained, and somewhat alkaline soils, but is fairly adaptable to other conditions. History/Folklore: Astragalus has been a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice for thousands of years. As an adaptogen, it’s been used either alone or in formulas as a general Qi (or li ..read more

Verbascum thapsus Latin Name: Verbascum thapsus Common name(s): Mullein, Great Mullein, Common Mullein, Cow’s Lungwort, Wollen Blanket Herb, Mary’s Candle Family: Scrophulariaceae Botany: Mullein produces a rosette of leaves during its first year of growth. The flowering stalk grows during the second year, and can grow as tall as 6 to 8 feet. Habitat: There are nearly 300 species of Mullein native to Europe, North Africa, western and central Asia. Verbascum thapus is commonly found in the U.S., often growing in recently disturbed soils, open fields, and along roadsides. History/Folklore: Mull ..read more