Wild Herbs LLC

Berry season is the best! These are blackberries with a few remaining boysenberries. We have been eating them fresh but if you have any delicious ideas on creative ways to use them, please let me know! Also shout out to the firefighters in our area and all the locations organizing donations. We have some huge wildfires coming close to the homes in surrounding cities near the Oregon border. Everyone please stay safe out there!

I found a plant I had never seen before in the Japanese garden. It’s a Golden Rain Tree. I had walked by it a hundred times and never noticed it, but one day it stood right out to me. Maybe that means it has a message for me! I found that has a description of its flower essence:“Golden Rain Tree Flower Essence creates rays of connection to others, enhancing learning and social connections. It supports the increase of knowledge and understanding through inter-connectedness. This essence shows the way to heartful and meaningful relationships.”

Clematis is one of the original Bach flower remedies. The essence is for those who daydream, and think about ideas but have a hard time putting them into action. It helps us realize what needs to get done in the moment, so we can actualize our dreams for the future. It is also such a dreamy flower, that it very much matches its description! 🤍🤍🤍

Wild Roses by the river, they are one of my favorite smells! When I used to work in wilderness therapy, every once in awhile, I would smell an amazing scent.. and when I finally found where it came from, it was the wild roses! Even the branches and leaves smell so good. Very beautiful too!

This is a Sunburst Dahlia, and the first time I’ve grown dahlia flowers. I have a great love for dahlias and all the organized petals. When I look at the color yellow, I often think of the solar plexus chakra. This is where we maintain our power and keep strength while being vulnerable with those you can trust. It helps us identify manipulation and not give up on our true feelings by being coerced. The flower essence is for confidence and a core strength, defining beauty as being yourself and shining brightly in uniqueness. 🌟🌟🌟

Echinacea is also known as Purple Coneflower, but it comes in many colors. I started these from seed a few years ago, and they grew a healthy root.. this is the second year they’ve come back. I will typically dry the leaves, petals, and seed heads to use in syrups and teas for immunity. It is especially indicated for hard workers that don’t take breaks, sometimes catching cold before they will rest. The flower remedy is to help you be yourself despite things transitioning and changing around you. I like keeping this plant close by, and it makes an extremely beautiful bouquet to💕

Cherries! The first thing I did when I moved to Idaho was plant a cherry tree. Fun fact: cherries contain melatonin and are anti-inflammatory. So for those who want a natural source of sleep support.. they would be a great choice! The importance of eating plants is beyond the wisdom we could gain in a lifetime. To quote Hippocrates from the 400s BC “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

The blueberries are ripening! Blueberries are relatives to the local huckleberries and both are wonderful for the eyes.. and look like eyes! The doctrine of signatures teaches us that natural plants that resemble something (like an organ or color connected to a body system) can be telling us the benefits for the properties of that plant. The number of antioxidants in the vaccinum plant family is amazing! More recently I’ve been studying glucose and the effects it has on the body; in excess it can leave our cells and become free radicals. This allows free radicals to wreak havoc on your cells, causing mutations. High antioxidant foods counteract these effects by bonding to the free radicals in the body and eliminating them. That’s why plants are so important to eat on a daily basis!

Its almost Halloween! So of course It’s getting cold outside so I had to harvest my flower pot of corn flowers! I love the color, these flowers are so highly pigmented that I’m excited to formulate a tea with them… hopefully it turns out colorful and delicious 😋

Hibiscus flowers always remind me of beautiful, tropical places! These 2 photos are 2 different ones that I came across this past summer. Both very different, and unique in their own way! Hibiscus plants, funny enough, are part of the mallow plant family. We use mallows in herbal medicine, often for soothing the GI tract lining.

Have you ever had Passion tea!? The bright red, tangy tea is made by many companies, even has a version of it… and wouldn’t you know, hibiscus is the main ingredient! Because of the diuretic properties, hibiscus can help with fluid balance in the body. Though diuretic, it doesn’t lower potassium levels in the blood! It is also known for helping to normalize blood pressure. Recent studies have shown hibiscus to help with cholesterol maintenance and even supporting blood sugar. It’s also a nice anti-aging summer drink because it is notably high in antioxidants, specifically anthocyanins. I think a tea made of the flowers is a perfect way to enjoy this plant, though in Mexican tradition there’s a lovely sugary drink known as Jamaica which is also delicious!

I used to keep Hibiscus flower essence in my apothecary, and have thought of bringing it in again. There are just so many great flowers to have! It is for playfulness, self expression, and feeling one with your body and mind. It is for those who might hermit themselves away, afraid of joining the community that surrounds them. Second chakra power is what resides in the essence of hibiscus… Bringing courage to take time for fun and for enjoying yourself!

Just sharing a beautiful sunset :)

Wild lettuce or Lactuca spp is the plant I will be speaking on today. This photo is of the seeds after the flower, and I was excited to find it growing along a field!

In herbal school I recall learning about wild lettuce, and how it contains analgesic and sedative components. It was taught that it would be especially helpful for those who have a hard time sleeping due to chronic pain. You would make medicine out of the fresh plant due to the medicine being in the white milky latex it exudes. It can also help with insomnia and anxiety, as well as those trying to get off of addictive substances.

As for the flower essence, it will bring a quiet internal feeling. Instead of confusion or overwhelm, it helps us get to a calm center so we can look at life from a healthy perspective and act based on wisdom. Sometimes we feel almost like we have ADHD when life moves so fast, but this plant can help bring us to a still place. Wild lettuce is often overlooked, the same as many weeds that grow on the wayside, but it is actually a very special plant.

Wild Sunflowers or Helianthus annuus are growing everywhere this time of year and they’re so pretty! Let me know which photo you like best: first or second :)

The flower essence for sunflower is to help us strive beyond weakness and fears of failure, as well as setting goals that push beyond our fears of becoming successful. What holds us back from growing? The answer is usually ourselves. We try to blame it on everything else, but the truth is we all have great potential within that we need to nourish. Once those perfect opportunities arise, we need to be ready and willing to say yes to them without fear! That’s where sunflower flower essence steps in and helps us actually do this, pushing us towards fulfilling our dreams.

Who doesn’t love sunflower seeds. Well, they are actually a wonderful choice for balancing our female hormones in seed cycling. During your luteal phase of your cycle eat 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower and sesame seeds daily. During follicular phase eat 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin and flax seeds a day. Seeds contain nourishing oils that help us produce hormones to balance our cycle naturally! Also, they’re delicious :) 🌻

Roses- I was reading old folk stories and came across this ancient Roman practice with roses. One of the wonderful things about roses are the petals, which are wound tightly together. Because of this they were thought to hold secrets among the petals. During important meetings roses were hung from above, and those in attendance were then said to be under an oath of the rose to keep the discussions of the meeting a secret. We used to talk about roses in herbal school as symbols of protection due to the thorny stems. They are teachers of keeping sacred things safe, which is similar to them being used for secrets! They are very beautiful and useful, indeed.

Spreading Phlox is the white flower that grows in clusters. This is the flower I want to talk about today, and one I have kept in my apothecary for years with a lot of use! They were growing all around this beautiful lake in the Sawtooth Mountains. They smell amazing and even more amazing are the essence qualities. It works on finding genuine friendships… people who are destined to be in your life. It eliminates the need to fit in with others just because they’re around you or convenient, or maybe they seem like the kind of people society says you should be like. Truthfully, we all need good genuine people to surround ourselves with that bring love and joy into our lives. Because the location was so beautiful, I had to include more photos. The yellow flower is rubberweed and I don’t know it or use it in my apothecary!

Red Feather Poppy! It’s near August and Poppy is one of the birth flowers of the month. How beautiful are these? Red poppy is for those who feel angry at what’s happening around them and need a push to become confident enough to change it! Finding our own courage can be powerful, and maybe even enough to change what’s happening around us! Enjoy your poppy flowers this summer!

White Chestnut is actually Horse Chestnut or Aesculus hippocastanum. I kept noticing this massive beautiful tree in the park I go to regularly, soon enough it grew beautiful blossoms. They were so high up in this tall tree that the photo I posted is the best I could get, by tip toes!

I never knew the chestnut Bach remedies were the same plant as the Horse Chestnut.. which makes sense why I was so drawn to it at the park! There are many flower remedies made from this tree, but it is also medicinal mainly in the seed or chestnuts. It is mostly known for its extract benefits for venous insufficiency and enlarged varicose veins.

The flower remedy of White Chestnut is often seen in flower remedies for sleep because of its benefit for repeated thought patterns. Sometimes what keeps us up at night is our minds, overthinking and over worrying. This remedy brings our minds to peace, gently lulling us back to sleep. It can also support those with excess mental activity during the day! The beautiful white flowers send the message of peaceful thinking patterns 🤍

Cornflower or Centaurea cyanus is edible, medicinal, and has wonderful spirit medicine. Because of its unique and beautiful color, it has long been used in potpourris and added to salads and teas. It has been used since ancient Egypt, and grows wild alongside crops in farmers fields. The Latin name comes from the Greek mythological centaur Chiron, who was known for being knowledgeable in botanicals and medicine. This is a plant rich in history.

Cornflowers are abundant in nutritive phytochemicals, including the anthocyanins that produce its richness of color. It has both internal and external benefits as a medicine, mainly due to it’s anti inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It can aid in inflammatory digestive issues including UTIs, as well as be applied as a poultice to external aches and pains.

As a natural dye, it can color frosting and sweets a beautiful blue or even dye fabrics. In culinary use, it benefits us with its vitamin and mineral content. As a flower remedy, cornflower helps those who lack confidence and feel different to those around them. It helps us appreciate the unique aspects that make us who we are, and brings courage to share them without fear or shame.

It popped up in my garden today to say hello, planted from a wildflower mix :)

I have tried planting Sweet Peas on my own from seed several times to no avail.. until this evening I was out in the garden when I spotted a beautiful white blossom! I had also never known Sweet Peas to grow white.. but you learn something new everyday! I’m enjoying the beauty and lovely scent while it lasts! I’m hoping for more Sweet Pea blossoms in the garden because of their significant energy (please refer to my previous post all about them) :)

A little ladybug luck from me to you 🐞🐞🐞this little guy caught my eye when I was out walking along the Payette River :)

Gladiola! This spring I decided to plant loads of gladiola bulbs to enjoy them this summer. They are one of the birth month flowers for August, which is my birthday! They are named after the gladiators of Ancient Rome and also called sword lilies. The flower remedy is used to teach us reciprocity in the way of balanced love and nurturing. I more recently have been working with children, and I’ve noticed how easy it is for them to be open and express themselves in many ways. My favorite is when they ask for a hug because I know they feel strong enough to ask for the love they need. Gladiola is known to open our chakras, meridians, and pathways to allow us to have an open sense of lovingness. Safety to express love without holding back is how we can nurture those in need, without requiring them to balance that love by returning it. The balance can reside within, and giving can become more natural along with receiving. I can’t wait to see the many colors of Gladiolus as they blossom all summer :)

Shasta Daisy! I keep noticing these in everyone’s gardens and thought they looked so lovely at sunset. They are used to make a flower essence for the mind. This remedy is for when we have been discovering many ideas, but need to piece them together to form one great big concept. To help us understand deep principles that apply to every aspect of life. It is said to be a great remedy for those who are considered intellectuals or use their minds frequently to put the overthinking energy towards greatness.

Strawberry season! We were lucky enough to drive out and picked these from a local farm… and I made strawberry agave jam :) Perfect time of year to visit a local farm with fresh produce 🍓🍓🍓

This is our first year harvest from our cherry tree! It was time to pick most of them since the birds were taking advantage of the free food… I can’t say we haven’t been snacking on them off the tree for the last week as well, but I was so happy that our tree produced some fruit this year since I just planted it last spring. I’m hoping for much much more than this in the years to come!🍒🍒🍒

Sweet Pea or Lathyrus spp. is one of those plants that reminds me of one of my favorite memories. I saw this plant growing in a patch by someone’s farm irrigation ditch. Just a beautiful full patch of bright pink blossoms by the old road where I walk sometimes.

Sweet Pea flower essence is one I have kept in my apothecary for a very long time, and used myself many times over the years.

My favorite occasion in which I encountered this plant was one evening after I taught the Herbal Flowers class in the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine’s herb garden. There I was following around my amazing professor JoAnn Sanchez, as she was chatting with me and cutting a beautiful bouquet of Sweet Pea blossoms. I didn’t know why she was walking among the rows of flowers and cutting them because she never mentioned why she was doing this while we were chatting about other things. I stood there curiously listening, then upon finishing, she handed me the bouquet and said, “For you, an early wedding present.” I was getting married in a few weeks, and had just taught the last class of the spring course. Little did she know that I was struggling to find a place to call home, until that evening… I took the bouquet home and put it in water, and went to see one more rental home.. this time everything worked out in that way you never expect… but know is actually a true blessing. I put this same bouquet as my second picture, and it smelled soooo wonderful I can’t explain the scent.

Funny thing, Sweet Pea flower essence is for finding a belonging place, a place to call home. Not only this, but it expands to helping you find that anything though seemingly impossible, is in fact, certainly possible. Though the blocked chance at opportunities might frustrate us, Sweet Pea helps us realize that each step is bringing us to our one true happiest opportunity that makes us feel we won the lottery and that luck is on our side. From forever forward, I will always be grateful to find a patch of Sweet Pea blossoms and see the opportunities open the door of gracious possibilities.

Columbine! I already wrote about this plant in the past, but out on an evening walk with the almost full moon rising and the sun setting I saw this beautiful flower… and then realized I have been taking the essence for the past week. I have noticed some changes in my mindset about being my true identity and not being afraid to show that person I hold within. Sometimes I hold back and can be considered quite shy, but I would rather not let that get in the way of life experience! I love the awakenings I’m having while taking this essence, I find it to be very helpful on my endocrine system, eliminating some of the stress that can cause a variety of health imbalances. Plus, what a lovely walk outside to run into such a beautiful flower.

Western Blue Flag or Iris missouriensis is a beautiful wild iris. I never even knew about this plant until my sister, niece, and I walked by it on a nature hike in Oregon. In fact, we saw many medicinal plants and smelled the ponderosa pine bark! My husband and I, and my 2 sister’s families went on a quick fishing trip at a lake in Oregon for free fishing day last week, it was such a beautiful day to be outside.

Upon research, I found that this plant has a strong tradition of being one of the best fibers to create fishing nets, and weave into camping bags and ropes. What a great find if we were in need of some strong cordage, but we brought some fishing poles!

As a medicine, I have never actually used this plant in any form, but I had heard about it and learned that the root made into a topical poultice is for skin sores and ulcers for infections. Internally, only the dried root is safely recommended though externally fresh seems to be fine. It is quite strong as a medicine, so often used in combination with other herbs as a cathartic. It helps our bodies produce digestive enzymes, and brings down bloating and also acts as a diuretic.

Blue flag flower essence is for inspiration and creativity. It helps us eliminate anything blocking our ability to seek deep connection to our own expression. It is a block to external influences, and will help protect us from anything causing us to disassociate from our truth. What a fun flower to stumble upon and learn about!

Pelargonium citrosa or Citronella Mosquito Plant, or Rose-scented geranium, or even Citrus Geranium is a very fun flower. I saw this in a nursery and had to bring it home to smell and look at everyday. I found out that the essential oil called citronella is actually from a plant in the cymbopogon or lemon grass family, so don’t let this flower trick you! It has a lovely geranium scent and can be used in culinary uses, such as flavoring sweets or a nice herbal tea.

Most plants in the geranium family have been traditionally used by many indigenous tribes throughout the world. I keep a geranium tincture in my apothecary called Cranes Bill to be used to seal up the digestive lining and tissue, and to stop bleeding. Similarly the tribes in South Africa use geraniums for ulcers, abscesses, sore throats, and digestive ailments. It may also help soothe the skin, and be helpful to soak in a tea for skin rashes.

The flower essence is one I have never used, but would be curious to try… it is said to be purifying to our spirits, and will help us gain greater light. It is for unity, to help us be such a light that we no longer need boundaries with others or constriction, this unity allows us to attract only the light in others; though we all carry some darkness. Not to mention, I just love seeing it and smelling it every day!

Cherries! It’s been rainy weather on and off all month.. and I have some cherries growing! Those blossoms were beautiful and smelled nice, but now I’m excited for the coming fruit! Cross my fingers and I’ll have enough cherries to make something delicious 😊

Fan flower! I was walking through a garden nursery yesterday in my small town and came across this extremely happy plant, it seemed to just be thriving in its environment and it caught my eye. Apparently these are more tropical plants, and I was surprised to find it here! I even found that it is an Australian Bush essence ; which is used to help us overcoming incompletion or feeling scattered and unable to focus. It brings an ability to commit to life and reach goals, becoming more whole as a person.