Plant problems.

Plant Problems.

I need the plant material I work with to be the highest quality possible. To that end I need to know what a plant is meant to look like. I also need to know when something is off. Are there plant problems? There are herbalists who do not make their own medicine. They rely on other practitioners or businesses to do this for them. I am not one of them. I harvest the majority of the plants I use to make medicine. For those plants that do not grow in abundance in my area I buy plant material from reputable suppliers and then I make medicine.

Wild bergamot leaf.

This is the leaf of one of my favourite plants. The gal who planted the garden bed at the front of our house left me a large colony of wild bergamot. Unfortunately this leaf is covered in powdery mildew. This is a known plant problem with wild bergamot. This particular stand is mostly in shade – making them even more susceptible. I weed but not enough. The real solution to this plant problem would be to divide the colony and move half of the plants to another location. On the to do list but…

Leaf with leaf miner tunnels. Plant problems.

Leaf miners

This is another plant on our property. I snapped this photo as an example of leaf miners. Attack by leaf miners is another common plant problem. Leaf miners are any of a variety of insects whose larvae feed on plant tissue. They basically munch their way through soft plant tissue – leaving the characteristic discolouration on the leaf. Within the tunnels can be frass (insect droppings). Leaf miners are a plant problem that is very hard to control because the insects themselves are inside the plant tissue.

Blue cohosh

This a blue cohosh plant with yellowing leaves. A plant problem with any number of causes. Too much water, not enough water, compaction of the soil, poor nutrients are just a few of the reasons this could be happening. What I like about this example is that it does not mater. This is in a woodland area near my home. If I needed blue cohosh I would wildcraft. There’s no need to know why this is happening. I only need to see and realize that the plant is not healthy.

Fortunately I have another wild bergamot location to harvest from. If I didn’t I would have to forego the wild bergamot for this year. I have committed myself to making the most potent medicine possible. This means no cutting corners.

When we harvest we want the best and the brightest. Some years we miss out.

Climate Change.

Goldenrod – Solidago canadensis

I had to count back in my head to know what day I took this photo. It was July 2 this year. That’s goldenrod. A plant that usually flowers in mid to late August. Today is the 11th and I feel certain that this goldenrod is in full bloom. Not normal. This is climate change. Maybe this particular specimen is an outlier. What if it isn’t?

I know how overwhelming it is to contemplate the numerous challenges the world faces. It has never been more urgent that we commit to acting with hope and with compassion. Be kind.

The chatter is that we (here in Canada) will soon be heading into a federal election. Climate change is an existential crisis. Life or death. Write to your representatives and tell them that this issue has to be our number one priority. Write to every level. Start local and move up the ladder until you’ve written the Prime Minister.

The cure for despair is action. I don’t know what the future holds for us. I do know that 13 years ago I saw a performance by a female fiddler. This girl was on fire. Talking to her afterwards I asked her how long it would take for me to learn to play like her. We’ll never know because I never took action.

Tonight England lost the soccer game. When England loses domestic violence goes up. I know – you’re wondering where she’s going with this. I watched a Twitter thread as person after person offered up space in their home to anyone who might need safe harbour for the night. Light against the darkness. This is community care.

There is space for everyone. What can you do? 10 calls to action from the David Suzuki Foundation. Info on goldenrod.

Unsung heroes.

Today I was fortunate enough to tune into conversation on Tapestry with Robin Wall Kimmerer. I read her book Braiding Sweetgrass back in January of 2020 – just before the pandemic. Part of today’s conversation concerned the fact that apparently your average person can only recognize 10 different plants. One of them being the Christmas Tree. Now I recognize significantly more than 10 plants, however, I also know many plants aren’t appreciated. I want to talk about one of our unsung heroes of herbalism.

If we can expand our understanding and use of plants beyond popular herbs we can reduce population pressure on the cool kids. Above all, our medicine will be stronger as a result of greater diversity in our dispensaries.

Yellow Sweet Clover/White Sweet Clover.

While they are in the Fabaceae they are not true clovers. Botanically they are closer to a plant like alfalfa. Leaflets consist of 3 finely toothed individual leaves. The leaflets are alternate. The plant came to North America from Europe and Asia. They are well established in North America. Some jurisdictions consider them weeds to be gotten rid of. The plants are distinctive. Yellow sweet clover grows 4-5 feet high. White sweet clover grows 4-6 feet high. In term of identification the main visual difference is that one plant has white flowers (Melilotus alba) and the other yellow (Melilotus officinalis).

The medicinal properties in the yellow sweet clover are stronger but it is more difficult to find large quantities of it. White sweet clover is much more abundant. To counter this I make tincture of both and mix them together 50/50. Yellow sweet clover flowers middle to end of June, while white sweet clover flowers a week or two later. Harvest the top 25% of the plant as it begins to flower. Discard the bottom 3-4 inches of the stalk.

Yellow Sweet Clover – Melilotus officinalis.

Vascular Tonic.

Both sweet clovers are superior vascular tonics. In a society where almost half the population suffers from cardiovascular disease this property is critical. A vascular tonic is an herb that tones and strengthens the blood vessels. Vascular tonics also reduce inflammation. Ordinarily the bioflavonoid content of an herb is responsible for this action. Quercetin and kaempferol are 2 bioflavonoids present in yellow and white sweet clover. Sweet clover is excellent for conditions such as atherosclerosis, bruises, varicose veins, hemorrhoids and other conditions of the cardiovascular system. Sweet clover is used both internally and topically.

Both plants contain coumarins. The coumarin makes the herb smell “sweet”. When you inhale the aroma of newly mown hay it is a result of the coumarins. Coumarin is anti-thrombotic. Vitamin K plays a role in how our blood clots. Coumarin inhibits the production of Vitamin K. Fermentation turns coumarin into dicoumarol – a stronger anti-coagulant. Cattle feed sweet clover silage (by definition fermented) used to bleed to death.

Do not use sweet clover for anyone taking blood thinners. Sweet clover is contraindicated in pregnancy. Sweet clover outcompetes many other plants. They prevent them from thriving. If we can develop our expertise in working with these unsung heroes we can act as an ally to these plants. A win win.

What Part to Harvest and When.

I know we sometimes get a bee in our bonnet about a new herb. We hear how great herb XYZ is and we are eager to experiment. We want to harvest now – right now! But we need to know what part to harvest and when.

Imagine I invite you over for strawberry shortcake.

Unripe green strawberries

These are the strawberries I use. Will you have an accurate and delicious experience of strawberry shortcake? No. You will tell everyone that strawberry shortcake is awful. If I harvest oat seeds before they are at the milky oat stage – the tincture will have little value. Those plants will have been wasted, as well as all the time and energy spent to make the tincture. When I tell everyone that milky oat seed tincture “doesn’t work” I will be telling the truth but the why is obscured.

If we want herbs to work medicinally, we need to commit ourselves to using them correctly. We can divide herbs into three main categories when it comes to which part of the plant we use medicinally. Barks, roots, and aerial parts. Each part has a specific time of the season it is ideal to harvest. Knowing what part to harvest and when is foundational to herbalism. Ethical and sustainable harvest requires a commitment to harvesting the correct part at the correct moment.

Barks.

Cramp Bark – Viburnum opulus

Barks are best harvested early spring or late fall. I prefer autumn personally because I find it easier to access trees in the fall. Spring here often finds the ground still covered in snow and slush. My tree identification skills are the weakest of my plant identification skills so harvesting bark in the fall gives me the whole summer to observe a tree and ensure I have properly identified it. Do not harvest bark from the trunk of the tree. This opens the tree up to pests and disease. At campsites I will find trees, and someone has removed the bark from all the way around the trunk. This is girdling and kills the tree. The best way of harvesting bark is to step back and look at the tree. Are there branches crowding together? Damaged branches? Prune the tree to help it prosper. Ensure your tools are clean and sharp. A ragged cut makes it harder for the tree to heal and encourages disease. The collar of a tree is the junction between the trunk and the branch. Cut perpendicular to the collar.

Roots.

Lush growing burdock leaves of a plant partway through its second year.

Burdock – Arctium lappa

Roots are best harvested either early spring or late fall. It is worth doing research on the plant you want to harvest to know what part and when. If you harvest dandelion root in the fall the amounts of inulin are higher. In the spring the roots are higher in taraxacin, a constituent in the roots that make them a cholagogue. What action are you looking for? Biennial and perennial plants respond in the fall to changes in temperature and changing light levels. Nutrients are no longer readily delivered to the aerial parts but are instead put into the root.

For roots I wait in the fall until the last possible moment before digging. This last moment varies with the species I am harvesting. Burdock is recognizable long into the fall. We also benefit from the fact that burdock plants like to hang out together. You will frequently see 2^nd year plants with burrs nearby 1^st year plants that are suitable for harvesting. An herb like gold thread, on the other hand, once the autumn leaves fall it will be difficult to find a colony unless you already know where it is.

Aerial Parts.

Ox-Eye Daisy – Leucanthemum vulgare

These are the parts of the plant that grow above ground. As we are heading into the heart of summer, we are entering the peak of harvesting season for aerial parts. Harvest the top quarter to a third of the plant. Harvest the plants early in the flowering period to allow the plant to recover and have a chance to reproduce. Some of the flowers should be open but not all of them. Pick aerial parts on a sunny day. Pick early in the day between when the dew has dried and before the heat of the day affects any aromatic compounds.

A paper bag allows your harvest to breathe. Just as with barks and roots, knowing what part to harvest and when is critical. Red clover, for example, is prone to rust. Harvesting late in the season means that those plants most likely have rust. Not something we want in our medicine.

I know how easy it is to be overtaken by enthusiasm. Particularly if it’s a plant known for assisting people with a condition that we struggle with. If we want to truly learn about a plant and the actions it has, it is worth it to take the time to learn what part to harvest and when. None of us are doing too well on the marshmallow test but we can try. Buy a product already made and start there with your experimentation. You and the plants will be the better for it.

Midsummer.

Midsummer to me means the sun’s warmth and blessings of the land. I was harvesting red clover and I found a patch of wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca). They were on a south facing stretch and I decided I deserved a break. These small jewels are perfect bursts of flavour. Warmed by the sun you feel you are eating like a queen. Wild strawberries make me think of Stuart Little. Perfectly mouse sized.

Wild strawberry goodness.

Midsummer marks the start of busy season for herbalists. At least for those of us who harvest our own plants. Walking today and I could see the to do list getting longer and longer with each step. Elderflower almost but not quite, heal-all almost but not quite, St. John’s wort almost but not quite, yarrow almost but not quite, and etc. I am one person. The needs of my practice, my clients, the weather, my personal life, and etc all have to be balanced. Red clover harvest today, but it is going to rain tomorrow. Can’t harvest in the rain.

Wild strawberry leaves.

Aside from being limited by harvesting abilities you have to know how much you can process. I make most of my tinctures from fresh plant material. This takes time, and the clock starts the minute you cut the plant in the field. I can and do dry plants for later use. That choice needs to be made immediately. I can’t harvest a grocery bag of elder flowers, leave them til 3 days later, and then decide to dry them. No. I must make tincture immediately or put them to dry immediately. Midsummer and the longest day of the year sees the list of chores lengthening and the day in which to accomplish them shortening.

Happy Father’s Day.

My father treats me as capable and competent. Always has. Always will. I’ve roofed houses with my Dad. I fish with my Dad. I pick strawberries with my Dad. In our house he is the jam maker. As a woman the truth is that hardware stores sometimes ask me what I want a tool for. The answer to the question do you have a 10-inch crescent wrench is either yes or no. Today’s other chore is replacing the drive belt on our riding mower. Not something I’ve done before. I have the manual and I have the confidence my Dad has gifted to me.

Halfway to nowhere.

This chore was not a rousing success. I do not lie on the internet. The facts are – after a few hours of lying on the garage floor (hot and sweaty) I did remove the mower, replace the belt, and reinstalled the mower. Now the blades won’t turn. No blades turning – no cutting of the grass. The success here is I never felt I couldn’t do it. My Dad always believes in me. Even when I don’t believe in myself. Tomorrow it will rain and that will be the perfect day to tinker and figure it out.

Midsummer blessings to all.

Yes I was using a butter knife.