Making Dandelion Tincture
Here is the story of making Dandelion Tincture. We make it from the whole fresh plant, roots, leaves, crown, flowers, buds and all. The large photo above shows a fairly sizeable root. We pluck them by weeding the early spring garden beds. The photo...
Home Remedies for Fall & Winter
Here’s a terrific sampler of simple home remedies you can use throughout fall and winter, or anytime of year, when you’re feeling less than your usual excellent self.
Valerian Root – An ally for muscle relaxation
VALERIAN root – Valeriana officinalis – has a long history of herbal use. For instance, the people of Russia have been using it for over 2000 years. Native to Europe and western Asia, this plant of the honeysuckle family is a delicate-demeanored, leafy...
A Tale of Two Skullcaps
We carry two different Skullcap tinctures at The Wild & Weedy Apothecary – Chinese Skullcap, also called Baikal Skullcap; and American or Blue Skullcap. Both are used to treat the nervous system in one way or another.
Golden Poppy Balm soothes and calms
Golden Poppy Balm is a topical remedy with anti-microbial properties for wound healing and for various skin conditions such as eczema and minor cuts or scrapes. Our formula is made with coconut oil and is double infused with whole-plant Eschscholzia, that is, flowers,...
By Special Request – Elderberry Elixir II
New Batch – Elderberry Elixir
Chamomile, Mother Rabbit’s Remedy
There of two types of chamomile, and both have a fragrant, apple-like aroma. One is the low-growing Roman Chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile, a perennial ground cover. The other is German Chamomile, Maticaria recutita (or M. chamomilla), a delicate looking, lacy annual...
Considering Hawthorn
After all, what is a Hawthorn… a shrub? a tree? Although the black hawthorn tree – Crataegus douglasii – usually grows like a large shrub, with many suckering stems arising from the ground, here in northern Idaho there are huge tree-like specimens on...
Elderberry Elixir, Wild & Weedy style
We are proud and exited to add a new product to our line-up, Elderberry Elixir. All the ingredients are either wildcrafted or organic, and the honey used in the formula is raw. Does this elixir taste good? You bet! These are the herbs, roots, fruits and spices we’ve...
Schizandra, the Five-Flavored Berry energy tonic
Schizandra has been called “…one of the 50 fundamental herbs of Chinese medicine” by Stephen Buhner and is considered an excellent tonic and restorative on many levels. Schizandra is native to many parts of Asia, has numerous cousins, and has been traditionally used...
Gotu-kola – tonic rejuvinator for the memory, and more!
Gotu kola – Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle asiatica This plant of the Apiaceae (parsley) family likes a moist, watery environment, and in its native India, Sri Lanka, Australia, China, Japan and South Africa, finds accommodating conditions for growth. Gotu kola has...
Lemon Balm, Sweet Melissa
Lemon balm is very attractive to bees. It’s botanical name Melissa means “bee” in Latin, and it has been cultivated for over 2,000 years as a bee plant. I have a whole bed of it in my garden. There is a curious concoction dating from around the early seventeenth...
Calendula, merry and gold
Calendula officinalis – Calendula, Marigold, Pot Marigold, “calends” (Latin) Sunshine as the face of a flower, that’s Calendula. Till the clouds come out. Then she folds her petals, protecting like a collar turned up on a windy day. Calendula is a sturdy...
Making Chickweed Oil
Chickweed is very useful for cooling all types of inflammations.
Fragrant Red Root, Ceanothus
Red Root – Ceanothus americanus, C. spp. This plant has sometimes been called New Jersey Tea (never in Idaho, though), and it’s also called Buckbrush. In my region, Buckbrush leaves are shiny and very fragrant and the flowers are like frothy foam. It is a member of...
CAT’S CLAW – Uncaria tomentosa – also known as Uña de Gato
Native to Central and South America, indigenous people of the Amazon region have used Cat’s Claw for millennia, for conditions such as arthritis, bone pain, cirrhosis, dysentery, and shingles, to name a few. Similar species of Uncaria are used in China for central...
Japanese Knotweed root – Polygonum cuspidatum
Stephen Buhner calls this plant “a world-class invasive” and observes that many invasive species plants are useful for treating diseases. Japanese Knotweed (also called Bushy Knotweed) is a source of resveratrol and has a broad range of actions. It is especially...