Botanical Name: Lobelia inflata is most common in Western herbalism Lobelia cardinalis is most common in the Southwest Family: Lobeliaceae, also known as the Bellflower Family Common Names: Indian tobacco, Pukeweed, Cardinal Flower Part Used for Medicine: The seeds are considered the strongest medicine. Flowers and leaves are usually collected along with the seeds Habitat… Continue >>>
Botany: Many Verbena spp. are used in the herb community. V. officinalis is common in Europe V. hastata is common in North America Verbena macdougalii is common in northern Arizona In the Verde Valley and Sedona, Glandularia spp. is in the same family and is used the same as Verbena. The family is Verbenaceae.… Continue >>>
Botany: Melissa officinalis (Laminaceae) Common Names: Lemon Balm Southwest Habitat: Commonly cultivated. I have never found it growing wild. The best place to look for it outside of cultivation is near old homesteads like those in Oak Creek Canyon. Energy & Tastes: A delightful lemon-y taste. The energetic view of sour varies by herbal tradition.… Continue >>>
Botanical Name: Hypericum spp. H. perforatum is most commonly used in herbal medicine. The species commonly found growing in northern Arizona is H. scouleri. Family: Hypericaceae Common Names: St. John’s Wort Primary Characteristics for Field ID: H. perforatum has tiny holes in the leaves that are visible when held up to the light – hence… Continue >>>
Late summer in the ponderosa forest, after the monsoons have taken effect, is my favorite time for wild greens. The two primary greens found here are goosefoot and amaranth. A nutritional profile from the USDA lists these two greens, along with dandelion leaves, as the three healthiest ‘weeds’ available to us. Besides the nutrition, another… Continue >>>
If you wish to use our Payment Plan for the “Foundations of Herbal Medicine 2019” course, then please use the following shopping cart buttons. By using the Payment Plan, the student agrees to the following: The Foundations of Herbal Medicine course is purchased in its entirety. There is no refund for missed classes or for… Continue >>>
This post specifically refers to the Foundations of Herbal Medicine program at our school. The main page is here. _____________________________________________ Regular attendance in the Foundations program is essential to gain as much benefit as possible from this program. The curriculum is cumulative – meaning that each weekend is built upon what was shared in… Continue >>>
Some essential oils contain furanocoumarins. These organic chemical compounds can cause phyto-photo-dermatitis, which is the skin’s hypersensitivity to the UV rays of sunlight. Possible skin reactions include stinging, itching, blisters and burning. When using essential oils on the skin, it is important to either avoid using furanocoumarin oils or avoid exposure to the sun for… Continue >>>
I recently completed guiding a week-long trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for our local university. As we happened to be hiking during the wettest and stormiest weather of the past several months, Water quickly became the theme of our trip. It got me thinking about how this all relates to the Element… Continue >>>
Botanical Name: Achillea millefolium, A. lanulosa There is an ongoing discussion whether these species are the same. A. millefolium is more commonly used. Named after Achilles the warrior, the plant has a long tradition of stopping external bleeding. Millefolium refer to the alternate leafed ‘thousand leaves’ of the foliage. Blooms from May through September in… Continue >>>
Latest Courses
This is the itinerary for the optional field study trip offered to students enrolled in the Foundations of Herbal Medicine program for 2019. More details will be shared at the first class meeting in February. Students are responsible for food, lodging (camping or hotel) and transportation. The dates for the 2019 program are July 22-25.… Continue >>>
Many people begin using herbs in small steps – something for sleep, a cold or maybe a headache. As one continues on the herbal path of independent study, information is pulled from many sources. After a few years, this person begins to identify as an herbalist and continues to increase both the learning and use… Continue >>>
Educational Resources
There are many mushrooms used therapeutically in the herb community with Reishi (Ganoderma spp.) being the the best known. One of the challenges to effectively using these gifts from the fungal world is knowing how to process them. While plants have cellulose, mushrooms have chitin. This substance is extremely hard and makes extraction difficult. The… Continue >>>
Included below are the notes used during the Diet, Nutrition and Inflammation portions of our curriculum. It is a succinct look at how the foods we eat affect our internal inflammatory state. While the actual classes go into more detail, the foods listed here are good places to begin improving one’s health in this area.… Continue >>>
Botany: Usnea spp. (Parmeliaceae) Usnea is a lichen, not a plant. Looking closely at its structure, one sees the internal core to be a white thread which is a fungus while the bluish-green outer surface is algae. The algae of its outer skin enables it to utilize sunlight and carbon dioxide for food production. The… Continue >>>
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