Alchemical Plants of the Northeast

09 May 2010

By Adrienne Allen and Nick Cavanaugh

Photos by David Knack

Alchemical Plants of the Northeast

By Adrienne Allen and Nick Cavanaugh

Photos by David Knack

On April 3rd, Adrienne Allen, Nick Cavanaugh and David Knack made the journey to that jewel of the Fingerlakes, Ithaca, New York. They were in search of the wisdom of the early-Spring, an assortment of the first plants and the knowledge of these from phytotherapist and sage 7song. 7song, an herbal consultant based in Ithaca, NY, regularly offers his knowledge and skills at thte Ithaca Free Clinic and at Rainbow Gatherings herbalist hosted a plant walk (and conversation, although "plants don't speak English") in connection with the Free Skool in Ithaca, NY. The Ithaca Free Skool has regularly scheduled fantastic and useful workshops and these are, more often than not, free to the public. Most herbal medicine workshops require a course fee. However, our Alchemical friends took part in a rare opportunity to learn how to empower themselves with herbal medicine gratis. We all had a fine day to spend together while gathering and absorbing information.

The students and teacher spent the day learning about nourishing and healing herbs such as willow, mallow, burdock, dandelion, nettle and a plethora of others, but the most in depth of discussions took the asters boneset and yarrow into account. 7song conducted the class, Local Medicinal Plants, at the balmy home of one of the Ithaca Free Skool organizers. We also ventured outdoors, to the co-op market and along the creek running through the center of town. Being a sunny and clear day, finding and identifying plants happened with vivid results. Bulbs that planted by people who came before us bloomed along the urban waterway. Former students of 7song's serendipitously crossed our path...

While indoors, the twenty-something year old group got to feel very tight-knit and the house cats lounged alongside us. Some students even opted to sit in the free space under tables, this definitely is a good indication that learning the practice of herbal medicine, botanical medicine, phyto-therapy or however you want to term the art of using green, is becoming increasingly widespread. Take a look at what we have gleaned from Local Medicinal Plants and retain some of the fertile information. Integrate these plant resources for everyday health and well-being. These local herbs are abundant and easy to find. In the following text we'll give you some basic information and a couple of D.I.Y. herbal preparation projects.

General Preparation of Herbs

Drying Herbs:

To preserve your herbs, this is easily done in a dry, cool, dark place such as in a brown paper bag. Drying baskets are also convenient. 7song discourages hanging bundles of herbs to dry.

Although aesthetically pleasing, as a method it can be one of the more tedious ways to end up with dusty herbs. For the sun worshipers, solar dehydrators work very well...

D.I.Y Dehydrator...

( http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/content/view/155/92/...to learn how to make your own solar dehydrator from repurposed household materials)

Making Tinctures:

A tincture can also be called an herbal extract. It is made by soaking a plant in ethanol (drinking alcohol), which creates an extraction from the plant that is very concentrated and potent.

Making a tincture of a plant may be the most efficient way to access its beneficial properties, because a small amount of an herb can make a large amount of tincture. Being liquid, tinctures are also easy to store and simple to ingest.

The one thing to be aware of is the proper ratio of ethanol to water to herb, which varies from plant to plant. In general, fresh plants have more water than dry plants. Therefore, fresh plants require a more pure ethanol than dry plants.

For fresh plant tinctures, you could use 95% ethanol, i.e. 180 proof vodka, in a reliable ratio of one (1) part plant to two (2) parts ethanol (1:2). For dry plants, you could use 50% ethanol, i.e. 100 proof vodka, in a common ratio of one (1) part plant to four (4) or five (5) parts ethanol (1:4 or 1:5.)

D.I.Y Tinctures...

1. simply soak an herb in dark glass bottle with ethanol for at least 2 to 6 weeks.

2. give the container a little shake each day.

3. strain out the herb when it's done.

Using Boneset and Yarrow

Boneset
Latin name: Eupaterium perfuliatum

Common names: Common boneset, sweating plant.

Family: Asteracea

Description and where to find: Boneset is perennial. It is not aromatic. It grows near the boundaries of water (swamps, fenns, bogs), in mineral rich wetland. It comes up in April, and is harvested in August. Small, white to pink flower clusters, plants grow to about 1 meter.

Preparation: Harvest the flowers perfoliate leaves. Harvest before pappus (Latin for "old man", the pappus state occurs, when flower heads in the Asteracea family, such as dandelion and boneset, become feathery so that the seeds may be carried by the wind). It can be dried well without molding and will last 2-3 years if stored properly.
Fresh boneset is mainly prepared as a TINCTURE 1:2, 95% alcohol fresh herb weight/menstrum vol.
The more water in the plant matter, the more alcohol needed to extract the compounds

Dried plant requires 50% ethanol to prepare them as tinctures, 1:4 or 1:5.

Uses: Cold and flu cures could contain boneset, not useful for chronic viruses. Take boneset tincture at first signs of viral infection, it compliments other herbs such as:

-echinacea(purple coneflower)* immune support

-meadowsweet* grows in wet sunny spots, anti-inflammatory.

-licorice* and malva* demulscents,

-boneset and gentian* stimulate metabolism

-yarrow and boneset are a great combination

The diaphuretic settings of your body can be adjusted w/ boneset it makes perspiration increase, this is how boneset can cure flu and cold. Acute fevers should be allowed to run their course, intermittent fevers shouldn't be raised.

A nice cup of boneset is restorative and warming, so is a warm bath in boneset infused water, and sleep, of course!

Yarrow

Latin name: Achillea millefolium

Common name: soldier's woundwort, milfoil, nosebleed plant

Family: Asteracea

Description: Perennial, plant grows to 0.2- 1 meter in height. Astringent (staunches bleeding),

mildly antiinflammatory herb can be used for healing a twisted ankle, swelling, etc.

slightly anhelemanthic: rids system of pinworms

slightly hemostatic

everything that boneset cures and works well with chamomile*

anti-bacterial/ anti-sceptic

talismanic and grounding

burnwash and astringent, tightens the epithelial cells, brings the proteins of the cells together. Also highly miscable, this herb readily dissolves many of its constituents.

Where to find: Grows circumboreal, North Hemisphere. Most of the plant grows underground as rhizomes. Likes the toughest soil. Pungent odor is a good signifier of its health. Not endangered or invasive.

Parts used: leaves, basal leaves, and young flowers

Preparation: Has small, delicate leaves and flowers, therefore has to be dried carefully, fast at low heat. Proper storage (away from high levels of light and moisture) will keep this herb useful for 1-2 years.

Uses: used in myriad fluids...

-linament (isopropyl alcohol base)

-honey

infusion or vinegar

-as a tea (very bitter)

-as a salve or balm (beeswax)

-as a smudge or raw

-very good to use after burns

-makes a pretty good spit poultice to prevent infection

-soak in yarrow is bitten by animal or human or hymnoptera bites, use tobacco spit poultice, the nicotine effects the pain receptors and neutralizes the venom.

-used sometimes as a strew
-cures roadrash
-warm bitter drying dispersing vata aggravating kapha toning

*also local medicinal plants

Reading and Wildcrafting Tools Suggested by 7Song:

How To Identify Plants, H.D. Harrington, 1957, Swallow Press. ISBN-10: 0804001499

The American Eclectic Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Lorenzo E. Jones, 2010, Nabu Press. ISBN-10: 1142202941

The principles and Practices of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine, Simon Mills and Kerry Bone, 1999, Churchill Livingstone. ISBN-10: 0443060169

-Film canisters

-Razor blade

-Scissors (mustache)

-Ruler

-Beading tweezers

-Loupes (2) 10x and 16x