Dormilón*, or Blue Vervain (Verbena spp), is tall and graceful with spikes of violet-blue flowers. It’s been used for centuries as both medicine and magic. It was considered sacred by the Druids and widely used in European folk traditions. In New Mexico, it’s traditionally been used to treat insomnia and cold/flu symptoms. Blue Vervain is…
In northern New Mexico, you know spring has really sprung when chimajá emerges from the ground – it’s one of the first plants to make an appearance. It’s not considered medicinal, but it’s highly favored as a seasoning for beans, stews, and just about anything you want to sprinkle it onto. In English they call…
We were invited once again by Española Humane to participate in their annual Puppy Love Virtual Auction. And of course we said yes! The “little shelter that could” holds a virtual auction every February leading up to and through Valentine’s Day. It features donated items/services from local businesses in various categories like arts, crafts, healing…
Cannabis has over 100 cannabinoids and over 150 terpenes (volatiles). It’s packed with lots of medicinal properties. You can do a regular cold extraction, which is my personal preference, to gain the benefits of these constituents. But if you want your extraction to have THC, which is the primary psychoactive constituent, then the process is…
Some herbalists choose to use glycerine as an alternative to alcohol to create their herbal extracts (glyercites). This modern approach can be a good alternative to alcohol extracts (tinctures) for: People who avoid alcohol for health or personal reasons. Children, elderly people, pregnant people, etc. Herbalists/people seeking a more palatable option that still offers some…
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 I think is one of New Mexico’s most amazing low desert plants. The flowers, which…
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 at first whiff!! Its scent is just really quite pleasant. And it has a pleasant…
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 in the flu virus, so basically it stops viral replication. It’s contains certain compounds that…
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 it to create an arthritis relief salve. This special and abundant plant has a wide…