Five Herbs to Get You Through Winter

Every season has its herbs, the plants that speak to what the body needs when conditions are specific. Winter is not a time to be without plant allies, and these five are the ones that matter most when the days are short and illness is more likely to be around....

Chamomile: The Herb That Everyone Thinks They Know

Most people have had chamomile tea. The little round teabag, the faintly apple-scented steam, the mild flavor that is pleasant enough without being remarkable. That version of chamomile is not wrong, exactly. But it is like meeting someone at a party and thinking you...

Lemon Balm: The Joyful Herb

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has been called the herb that makes the heart merry. Herbalists who worked with it centuries ago wrote this, and it captures something that anyone who has spent real time with the plant recognizes. There is a gentle, lifting quality to...

The Spring Herb Walk: What to Look for Right Now

The first days of March bring a particular excitement for anyone who pays attention to plants. The light is changing. Something shifts in the hedgerows. The very first green appears, tentative and tender but making its declaration. Spring’s first herbs are among...

Nettles: The Herb That Bites Back and Nourishes Deeply

Most people have an involuntary relationship with nettles: a brush against one that left a memorable stinging impression. The plant responsible for that sting is, from the herbalist’s perspective, one of the most nutritionally complete and medicinally...