Beloved Ocotillo
Many moons ago, when I was a college kid I lived in Las Cruces (go Aggies!) for about a decade so I got to know some of the Chihuahuan Desert flora. Most notably of course is ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), which … Continued
Many moons ago, when I was a college kid I lived in Las Cruces (go Aggies!) for about a decade so I got to know some of the Chihuahuan Desert flora. Most notably of course is ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), which … Continued
Limoncillo / lemon scented chinchweed (Pectis angustifolia) has become one of my favorite herbs to take as a beverage. It was introduced to me several years ago by my neighbor after she made a salve with it. It was love … Continued
ELDERberry embodies wisdom. From an Ayurvedic perspective, its role is to dry and cool.. so it also serves as a mild expectorant. But perhaps elderberry’s better known attribute is its antiviral properties. My understanding is that it disables an enzyme … Continued
This morning we did a steam distillation of coyaye harvested from our front yard. Also called snakeweed / escoba de la vibora / Gutierrezia. Surprisingly this distillation is yielding a decent amount of essential oil, so we’re thinking of using … Continued
Today we saw a plethora of dormilón / cutleaf coneflower / Rudbekia laciniata. It’s pretty common so you’re bound to come across it in the mountains. It’s traditionally used as a remedy for delayed menstruation, birthing contractions, and pelvic inflammatory … Continued