Pedicularis, also called Betony, is considered a pretty top notch plant medicine. New Mexico has at least 7 Pedicularis species.
Pictured is Pedicularis racemosa. After identifying a few Pedicularis species several years ago, I started digging in to the medicinal properties of this beauty. According to Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West (Michael Moore) it’s “an effective sedative for children and it’s a tranquilizer for adults, particularly from hyperactive states.” Pedicularis is a very soothing remedy for those stressed out, frazzled days. Also it “acts as a mild relaxant for skeletal muscles and the cerebrum, quieting anxieties and tension.”
I feel called to work with this plant medicine. I’ve seen various Pedicularis species many times, but when I do I’m never quite in the position to harvest any. And special care must be taken as it can contain alkaloids from host plants. So you can’t harvest just any Pedicularis you see. You must also identify what’s growing near and around it and be sure it’s benign.
You can prepare it as a tea or tincture. For tincture, it’s best to prepare a fresh field tincture upon harvesting if possible.