Sambucus spp., elderberry or elder, can be found throughout the Pacific Northwest. It is recognizable by its large leaves that are divided into 5-7 leaflets and its white foul-smelling flowers that grow in a cluster. In the summer bright red to dark berries, depending on species, form. Medicinally both the berry and the flower are [...]
Vitex agnus-castus, also known as Chaste tree or chasteberry has long been used to treat a variety of women’s hormonal complaints. Medicinally the berry is used and has an amphoteric effect. The word amphoteric is commonly used in chemistry to describe a compounds ability to act as either an acid or a base. Similarly, the [...]
Native to India, Gymnema sylvestre is best known for its use in treating diabetes. This woody, climbing plant also goes by its Hindi name gurmar, which means “sugar destroyer.” I first experienced this plant during my studies at Bastyr. We drank a tea made from the leaves and then were given something sweet to eat. We [...]
The common name mullein is derived from the Middle English word moleyne, which means soft. A fitting name if you have felt the soft downy leaves on this plant. The latin name Verbascum is derived from the Latin word for beard, barbascum. Medicinally, both the leaf and flower are used and is a powerful respiratory [...]
On my way to work this morning I saw several fennel plants poking through the soil. Fennel’s Latin name, Foeniculum vulgare, is derived from the Latin word foenum, meaning hay. This is in reference to the finely divided leaves. Medicinally the seed is used for a variety of complaints ranging from conjunctivitis to increasing milk [...]
Equisetum arvense, horsetail, is derived from the Latin word equis, meaning horse, and seta, meaning bristle. If you have seen this plant, you would agree the name is fitting. It is one of the oldest plants and was around during the time of the dinosaurs where it grew up to 40 feet. Today it is [...]
Spring is the perfect time to harvest Uritica dioica, or stinging nettles. On Thrive’s recent community plant walk in Discovery Park we saw hundreds of nettles starting to come up. The word urtica means “I burn” in Latin, and dioica means “two houses” or “two dwellings”. The burn, or sting, is secondary to chemicals released from [...]
