Botanically Made Videos

❤️ Reishi has an affinity for the lungs. It, along with Cordyceps (another medicinal mushroom), can strengthen lung function and structure, plus it helps your body to better utilize oxygen. These effects have been shown to improve energy levels, improve sleep, and help reduce frequent occurences of infections like pneumonia and bronchitis in individuals who are susceptible. ❤️ The mushroom is rich in polysaccharides, specifically glucans. When these enter your body, your body views them as a threat, even though they are harmless and do not have negative side effects. This causes your immune system to respond to a false threat, which in turn strengthens, activates, and supports the bodies ability to actually fight off the real enemies when they come around. This same effect can also cause your body to be "distracted," in a sense, from things like allergies and autoimmune dysfunction. Pretty cool, right!? ❤️ Adaptogenic means a natural supplement (typically herbs but, in this case, a mushroom) that supports the bodies overall natural stress response. They restore balance and increase tolerance by supporting the production of neurotransmitters and hormones that are related to stress, energy, and mood. ❤️ There are many species of Reishi. The one featured in this video is the most common in the Midwest. Ganoderma Tsugae. However, the most studied variety and the one used in most medicinal mushroom products is Ganoderma Lucidum, which grows in several parts of Asia and has a rich history in traditional Chinese medicine. ❤️ Hot water extraction is necessary to receive the benefits from the polysaccharides. Other constituents and benefits are best received from a mushroom that has been extracted via alcohol. For this reason, it is best to create or purchase an extraction that has used both methods. This is called a double extraction. ❤️ Expect Reishi to work over a longer period of time with daily use. Don't expect immediate results! ❤

🌸 Hibiscus! It is rich in vitamin c, antioxidants, and it is amazing for the overall health of your heart. 🌸 Steep 2 TBSP of Hibiscus in a quart of water. You can save some this tea and make multiple drinks. 🌸 Use about 1 1/3 cup of the tea that you made. Add honey to taste. Then add a pinch of salt and the juice from half of a lime. Add your ice and shake it up! Easy, right!?! 🌸 I love this electrolyte drink on those hot days when I am depleted and feel like I need to be refreshed! 🌸 Comment "Hibiscus" if you want a link to the Hibiscus that I prefer to buy. ❤️🤗

Love me some purslane for an outdoor snack! It's truly one of my favorites. The taste is refreshing, and I like the crunch of the leaves. My last purslane video had some questions about spurge, the toxic look alike. I hope this helps clear up any confusion! The leaves are mucilaginous and are therefore good for irritated and inflamed mucus membranes. Think sore throat or an inflamed gut. I generally just eat this one raw, straight out of nature! Do you love purslane?

Have I convinced you that Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is worth loving!?!? This plant is very safe for most. Topically, it is great for kids and even babies (you will see it in many baby products, including lotions, wipes, and my Baby Bum Salve, which you can find on my website). If you are allergic to other flowers in the daisy family, proceed with caution! For gut soothing, nutrition, and Lymphatic flow, you can make tea from fresh or dried flowers! You can also use a tincture for lymphatic flow! Other fun ways to use it: Add it to homemade broth for an extra boost of nutrition! Make a strong tea to add to your bath if you are dealing with eczema, sunburn, skin inflammation, or skin irritation! I use this method a lot, too. Calendula is a main ingredient in my Beautuful and Smooth Herbal Bath Tea (available for purchase on my website!). Add the flowers petals to salad, eggs, casseroles, etc. You can sprinkle them on just about any dish to make it prettier and more nutritious! 😋 Comment below "Calendula" if you want a link to buy some flowers to make medicine for you and your family! Or comment "salve" for a link to my salves with Calendula! I send these messages manually. It is not automatic, so be patient with me!

🌿 You have probably seen these dark reddish brown stalks of seeds all over. If you haven't, you certainly will now! It grows abundantly and is considered invasive in multiple states. All dock species (Rumex spp.) have similar benefits, nutrition, and purposes. However, the most common varieties that are found and used are Curly Dock (Rumex Crispus) and Broad Leaved Dock (Rumex Obtusifolius). 🌿 Dock became a popular food source during the great depression! Since it is cold tolerant, drought tolerant, and abundant, it was often accesible to many people. The young leaves in the center of the basal rosette are tasty and can be eaten raw or cooked. The larger leaf stems can be cooked as a replacement for rhubarb! 🌿 In the late summer, Dock sends up a long flowering stalk that will produce a large amount of seeds, as seen in this video. These stalks of seeds can sometimes still be standing late into the winter. In fact, it is an excellent late winter source of food for birds. 🌿 The taproot is very high in iron and is quite bitter, so it can have positive effects on the digestive system. 🌿 These seeds can be dried and roasted before being ground into a flour. But you don't need to winnow them, yay! They can also be added to homemade Granola, eaten plain for a snack, added on top of salads, or any other dish that you may want a small and crunchy addition to. Many people have experimented with Dock seed crackers! A quick internet search will give you quite a few recipes! 🌿 To properly ID, look for large leaves thar form in a basal rosette. These leaves are anywhere from 3-18 inches long. The older leaves are longer and larger. The plant can grow up to 5 feet tall! 🌿 This particular plant sucks up a lot of minerals from the ground. It is best to avoid foraging it from places that may have lead or other heavy metal contamination.

Whole cloves can actually numb your mouth when you are dealing with any sort of oral pain! Isn't that amazing!? Plus, they are antimicrobial, and it's very safe! Of course, this will not heal whatever it is that is causing you pain, but it's a good way to lessen your intake of pain meds or ibuprofen until you are able to get in to the dentist. Try it out, you won't be disappointed. You can use 1 drop of the essential oil, and it will also numb your mouth. However, I do not recommend it! I am currently on the fence about using essential oils, especially internally like that, so I am not comfortable suggesting you use it that way. Plus, using 1 Clove is way more sustainable than using 1 drop of essential oil, and it works just as well! Follow me for more herbal tips and tricks!

Fresh Plantain Poultice is the most effective way to use it! It's excellent for stopping an itch and removing toxins that are just beneath the skin that are caused by things like poison ivy, bee stings, mosquito bites, etc. Let me know if you try it and how well it works for you!

🌼 Hypericum Perforatum 🌼 Best used fresh but dried works well, too! If using fresh, forage the top flowering parts of the plant. If purchasing dried, mountain rose herbs is the place to go, the link is in my bio! 🌼 For topical use, you can make an infused oil or a salve! Can also be used topically for basic wound repair. 🌼 Another lesser known benefit of the plant is that it is a liver tonic. It stimulates bile production, which will improve digestion and assimilation of nutrients. 🌼 Is a mild diuretic and a urinary tonic. It has been reportedly used to help children with bedwetting! 🌼 It may cause photosensitivity in some people, especially fair skinned people, so use with caution if you plan on being outside a lot or doing any sort of phototherapy. 🌼 Consult with your doctor about drug interactions if you are on certain medications. 🌼 Do you need some St John's Wort Oil or tea? Comment "Oil" or "Tea," and I will send you the link! Be patient with me as you wait for the link, I do not have the messages set up to send automatically.

Happy Independence Day! I am always so fascinated with the ways that herbs have been used historically! Herbal remedies were a big part of the health of the Euroupean settlers during the Revolutionary War! This is by no means an exhaustive list. Other herbs that were commonly used are Bee Balm, Mint, Chamomile, and Yarrow! What herbal remedies are you familiar with from the time of the Revolutionary War?

🌿 Wild Bergamot, AKA, Bee Balm. Monarda Fistulosa. It has so many great uses! Plus, she's a native plant in the Midwest! 🌿 You will find it in fields, pastures, and prairies. This is also a really easy one to grow in your garden, and it adds a beautiful touch of purple, midsummer blooms! 🌿 Crush a leaf, and you will smell the strong resemblance it has to thyme and oregano. You can dry out the leaves and flowers and use them in recipes in place of thyme and oregano. 🌿 Drink a tea made from the leaves and flowers for a sore throat, to battle congestion, to increase circulation, to calm your stomach, or to help fight off a common cold or flu. You can gargle the tea for a sore throat and swish it around in your mouth for swollen or infected gums. 🌿 You can make tea with fresh flowers and leaves or dried flowers and leaves. Use 2 tbsp of fresh plant matter per cup of hot water or 1 tbsp of dried plant matter per cup. Allow it to steep for about 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy! It pairs well with peppermint, ginger, eldeeflower, yarrow, or cinnamon! 🌿 For wounds, you can make a strong antibacterial paste to prevent infection by mixing the dried flowers and leaves with honey and applying it topically. You can also add this Bee Balm honey to your tea or warm water to drink. You can even use the tea topically as a wound wash. 🌿 As always, forage responsibly. Don't take more than you need (which isn't much!). Do not forage the Bee Balm if there isn't an abundance. And of course, do not forage unless you are 100% sure of the identity of the plant! 🌿 Air dry this plant by clipping off some stems, close to the base. Bundle those stems together and tie them, hang to dry for a few days. Then, remove the leaves and flowers and store them in an air-tight container. This is the best way to preserve the plant without losing too many of the medicinal volatile oils.

🌿 First, we must address protecting Echinacea! This is a serious concern. In the States, it is a native plant that is being over harvested and choked out by invasive plants, which has caused the @unitedplantsavers to determine that it is at risk. Only take what you need! And no more than 10% of the plant patch you find. You need to save some for other foragers, pollinators, and for the plant to be able to continue to thrive, spread, and grow. Forage responsibly! 🌿 Now, back to the benefits! If you have a compromised immune system, echinacea is definitely worth a try! It is also safe for children and pets! Yay! I started giving my oldest daughter a small amount of Echinacea Tincture every day when she was 1. She had a compromised immune system and would get sick all the time. It worked incredibly well to give her little body the defense boost it needed! 🌿 If you deal with an autoimmune condition, you may want to be cautious of using Echiancea. Some people can use it, and it works well for them, acting more like an immine modulator vs. an immune stimulator. However, some people have found it problematic because it stimulates the immune system, and those with autoimmune issues don't always need extra immune stimulation. I would suggest starting with small doses and listening to your body and how it responds. ❤️ 🌿 I actually prefer Echinacea for its antiviral properties. It actually inhibits components of the virus that allow it to hijack your cells, so cool, right!? You can use it while you are sick multiple times a day. If you use it as a preventative, you can take it in smaller doses on a daily basis during cold and flu season or when you've been exposed. However, you don't mecesarily want to take this every day, all the time, since it is stimulating to the immune system. 🌿 Fresh plant tincture and tea with dried plant matter are my favorite ways to use this plant. 🌿 For swollen lymph nodes, you can apply the tincture topically and massag

🌿 Herbal Infused Castille Soap without Essential Oils! Why use no essential oils? For a few reasons: 1) Essential oils are wildly unsustainable, making them quite expensive. Many of the essential oils on the market are also not legit at all because the industry is not regulated. Even those that are true essential oils, it takes so much plant matter to just get a few drops (for example, 600 lbs of rose petals makes 1 oz of essential oil) that it is not the most environmentally friendly choice. 2) Many people are sensitive to essential oils, both the smell and when used topically. 3) Plants are almost always better used in the full context of the plant instead of extracting specific constituents of the plants. 🌿 There are a few important things about making this soap.... While the herbs are steeping in the castile soap, keep it in a cool, dark place. Once it is time to strain, allow the soap to filter out on its own first. Then squeeze out as much as you can with the cheesecloth. This can get messy and sudsy! The Castille soap is now slightly thicker than it was when it was not infused with herbs. Use aromatic herbs for best results. Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender, Basil, Sage, etc. Instead of Jojoba Oil, you could also use Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, or Almond Oil. Here, I used eucalyptus for the nice scent and rose for its skin soothing benefits. There is no rose smell to this soap because the eucalyptus has more volatile oils to extract and a stronger smell.

🌵 This is a pokey one! But don't let that fool you! It is very nutritious, medicinal, and versatile! Harvest with caution, of course. Use thick sturdy gloves, preferably leather. Remove the large spines with a knife. The smaller hairy spines can be burnt off over an open flame, or you can peel them off with a knife. Don't harvest with a fabric bag as the small spines can get stuck in the fabric and not come out. A paper bag is your best option. Getting the small spines on your skin can cause a rash and irritation similar to that of fiberglass! So be careful and do your research before harvesting and foraging! 🌵 To utilize the fruit and pads as food, the skin is removed first. The pads are often chopped and can be used similarly to green peppers. The fruit and seeds can be used in drinks, jams, and desserts. Search Pinterest for recipes, and you won't be lacking inspiration! 🌵 The fruit is also called Tuna! 🌵 This cactus is found in many parts of North America. In the States, it is in some parts of the Midwest, the South, and the southwest. It is also commonly used in landscaping. In Mexico, it is a very common ingredient for many dishes! 🌵 What is your favorite way to use Prickly Pear? Inspire us in the comments!

I love all these books and reference them frequently! They are great for beginner and experienced herbalists to have on hand! Which one of these sounds most interesting or useful to you? Follow this link to see my list of book recs on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2MWEESXR6RAZ5?ref_=wl_share

🌿 This is an excellent first-time foragers or beginners plant! It's easy to identify, very safe, and works well! 🌿 You've probably seen both narrow and broad leaf plantain. The broad leaf looks very similar to this one, but its leaves are more (if you can guess, lol) broad. Bith varieties have the same medicinal benefits. They both grow leaves in a basal rosette and send up the flower stalks that look the same. 🌿 The flower stalks that rise up quite a few inches out of the middle of the plant produce small white flowers, which will then produce small seeds. These seeds are edible, nutritious, full of fiber, and the source of the common grocery store product, psyllium husks. 🌿 Topically, you can use this plant as a fresh spit poultice (yes, I said it correctly) or a poultice made with water. You can also use dried leaves to create an infused oil, which can then be turned into a salve for easier use and application. 🌿 Comment "Plantain," and I will send you a link to my Herbal Healing Salve, which contains Plantain as a primary ingredient. 🌿 You may want to consider using Plantain tea or infusion for ulcers, inflammatory bowel issues, irritated and inflamed lungs, or a sore throat. It pairs quite well with marshmallow root to help soothe irritated mucus membranes within the body. It has a demulcent (slimy) action that makes it a great plant choice for things like this.