Herbs with Rosalee

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is one of my favorite plants. I love hawthorn so much that I turn to it  almost every single day of my life. So I was very excited when today’s guest, Tatiana Eaves, chose hawthorn as a topic for our conversation.There are so many gifts of hawthorn!Hawthorn is often revered for how it strengthens the physical heart… but this is just one of the medicinal gifts Tatiana mentions.Hawthorn has so many benefits beyond your physical heart. Herbalists often turn to hawthorn for the energetic heart, too. For example, hawthorn medicine is for when you’re feeling broken hearted, experiencing a loss of heart or when you find yourself in a self-protective and walled-off survival mode during a stressful season. What if there was an herbal friend that could help you keep your heart open through a tough time? How would that change your experience? How would that change the experience of your loved ones?To quote Tatiana, what if you could  “remain receptive to receiving love, to be loving, to be delicate but not fragile, to be strong and soft”... no matter what’s going on around you?I invite you to listen in and explore whether hawthorn could be that protective and supportive herbal ally for you.By the end of this episode, you’ll know:► How hawthorn can be a model for being loving while expecting respect► What flower essences are and how to work with them► How to connect with a plant – and why you’d want to► How to show respect when you’re harvesting plants – and why that’s importantHere is one of my favorite takeaways: A scientist by training, “I love the Western point of view and I thought it was really useful, but in some aspects it felt really limiting not to be able to discuss the beauty and the feelings evoked in me by Nature, like our inherent heart connection with all of life.” Tatiana Eaves is a Medicine Woman – an ecologist, herbalist, wildcrafter, and spiritual guide, among many other things. She has spent her life seeking to deepen her understanding of the interconnected nature of life; learning and finding the threads of connection between various ways of knowing. She believes in sharing her knowledge and the wisdom of the forest to bring us all back into the remembrance of our personal power to enact change in our lives, our communities, and beyond. Her goals are in bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet by working collaboratively with others to strengthen our connection with ourselves, Mother Earth, and each other. While I was interviewing her, I had to suppress the urge to stand up and clap many times throughout our conversation. I so loved all that Tatiana had to share, not just about hawthorn, but also about reciprocity, relationship and connections to the plants.If you’d like to hear more from Tatiana, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m beyond delighted to share our conversation with you today.----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

It’s not every day that you’ll hear someone express love for a “pernicious” weed. But by the end of this episode, I think you’ll understand exactly why Sunny Savage loves spiny amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus) and why I seriously can’t wait for amaranth to start popping up in my own garden this spring.Really, what’s not to love about a plant that:► Takes care of itself (your only work is to harvest and cook)► Is deeply nutritious…to quote Sunny, “ticking lots of boxes on my nutritional needs”► and tastes good, to bootAs Sunny shared, “If they only knew: Spiny amaranth, in particular, can be up to 87% of the human nutritional needs from one plant. That’s eating the seeds, the leaves.” Wow!  By the end of this episode, you’ll:► Have a new perspective to consider about working with the edible invasive plants of your ecoregion► Have some basic ID tips for amaranth species ► Know how to avoid the herbal mistake that left Sunny with a pit in the bottom of her stomach when she realized what she’d doneFor those of you who don’t already know Sunny, she is a mother and wild food forager, whose life is dedicated to helping people identify, harvest, and prepare invasive plant species through her mobile app the Savage Kitchen. She is the author of the book Wild Food Plants of Hawai'i and hosted the internationally-airing wild food cooking television series Hot on the Trail. In addition, she has been a headlining chef at the “Taste of Chicago”, a TedxMaui presenter, and served as faculty at the White Earth Tribal & Community College. Sunny earned a Master’s Degree in Nutrition, focusing on the antioxidants in wild greens.An avid adventurer, Sunny traveled to every continent before her 30th birthday and has learned from plants and people along the way. She has called the island of Maui, Hawai'i home for the last 14 years, but previously adapted to life aboard a sailboat for over 3 years, in an RV for a year, at a research station in Antarctica for a year, and grew up without electricity or running water in the wilds of Northern Minnesota. She enjoys distilling her observations of the natural world into storied solutions.If you’d like to hear more from Sunny, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so happy to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

As you’ll see in this episode with astrologer and herbalist Maeg Keane, there’s much more to blackberry than an astringent herb to help bind up loose stools or diarrhea! For instance… What if blackberry could teach you about setting boundaries and letting go of what’s not serving you? These are just two of the astrology-inspired perspectives that Maeg explores in our conversation.But even on a more physical plane, what’s not to love about a plant that:► Gives you a delicious dose of antioxidants and a blood tonic all in one► Can bring some relief from leaky, boggy allergy symptoms► Tightens up mouth ulcers or spongy gums► and more…By the end of this episode, you’ll know:► How astrology and herbalism complement each other► When a very simple herbal recipe is best► A possible remedy to call upon for relief from acute or traveler’s diarrheaHere is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: There’s “a belief that there’s only one way to know the truth, that it has to look like lab coats for it to be true. I think that is one way that we find out what the truth is… and I don’t think we should walk away from it. And there are many others that predate it and live alongside it.” For those of you who don’t already know Maeg, they are a consulting astrologer, herbalist, and writer. Their work is rooted in an animist, devotional approach that tends to the ties that bind us to each other and to the more-than-human world. Whether relating to the stars from which we come or to the alive and wise planet we call home, Maeg hopes to bring people into nourishing companionship with the teeming, enchanted world around them. They run Third Sister, an online client practice through which they offer one-on-one astrology readings and herbal care.Meag weaves perspectives and disciplines together in such a kind, gentle, grounded, and thought-provoking way. If you’d like to hear more from Maeg, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for their website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so excited to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

You have a double treat in store with this episode.First, have you ever wondered what it takes to grow herbs commercially on a large scale? I kept hearing about Oshala Farm from my students, so last year, I placed an order to check them out. I was so impressed with the herbs I received and knew immediately that I wanted to interview Elise Higley, the farm’s cofounder! From finding the right location to the hard work of growing, harvesting, processing the harvest, fulfilling orders, stewarding the land… there are so many details to juggle! I came away from this episode with even more respect for herb farmers than I already had. I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into running a successful herb farm, too!Second, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of those herbs that people grow to love and crave, even if they’re not initially drawn to the taste. I loved discussing the gifts of this nutrient-dense herb with Elise! Who couldn’t benefit from an herbal ally that:► Is deeply nourishing, strengthening, and energizing – an herbal tonic you can enjoy every day (and that your body will thank you for)► Can provide support to folks who suffer from seasonal allergies► Supports kidney health► and more…To quote Elise, “Nettle is nutritive, high in iron, high in minerals… I feel like it’s a staple as far as nourishing and fortifying the body.” I completely agree.This episode is full of tips and ideas you can borrow like:► Best practices for growing medicinal herbs (whether you use this to inspire your own garden or as a springboard for asking questions when you’re sourcing herbs to purchase)► Possible herbs to blend with nettle when making infusions (and how they complement nettle)► Various ways to work with both fresh and dried nettle leaf► How to grow stinging nettle in your own gardenFor those of you who don’t already know her, Elise Higley is a folk herbalist, wife, mother, grandmother and farmer.With her background in Western Herbalism at California School of Herbal Studies and her husband Jeff’s background in organic farming, they blended their dreams and created a full-fledged herb farm in 2013. Together they own and operate Oshala Farm. Located in Applegate Valley, Oregon, Oshala Farm has over 80 medicinal herbs in cultivation.Elise’s teachers and mentors include Cascade Anderson Geller, Rosemary Gladstar, Karen Aguiar, Teri Jensen, Lily Mazzarella, Autumn Summers, David Hoffman, Shana Lipner-Grover, Jon Carlson and, of course, the plants themselves! In her downtime, (9pm-5am) she helps with the Breitenbush Herbal Conference and TerraVita Herbal Symposium and works on agricultural advocacy with Our Family Farms.If you’d like to hear more from Elise, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so delighted to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is one of my most-adored herbs! So I was thrilled when today’s guest, Alex Crofoot, chose calendula as a focus for this interview. And I loved hearing both new and familiar ways of working with this favorite (and very versatile!) plant. Calendula is an herbal friend that:► Is powerfully healing to the skin, yet is gentle enough to soothe a baby’s diaper rash or to bring some relief to red and irritated eyes. Calendula belongs in every herbal first aid kit!► Has a range of applications for women’s health, from postpartum healing to helping relieve symptoms of vaginal atrophy► Supports the lymphatic system and is healing to the gut, both of which can benefit folks who suffer from chronic allergies or frequent illness (or just about anyone, really!)► and that’s naming just a few of calendula’s gifts…To quote Alex, “Calendula is such a great introductory plant that also builds upon itself.” I couldn’t agree more.This episode is full of tips to help you:► Make infused oil with fresh calendula flowers (without spoilage due to  moisture content)► Make a full-spectrum calendula tincture (and why you might want to take the extra steps)► Avoid problems with mold on your harvested calendulaFor those of you who don’t already know Alex, she was born in the southern tier of NY, among rich farmlands and birch forests. She is a trained community/clinical herbalist and full spectrum doula who is passionate about accessible herbal care and supporting all pregnancy outcomes. Alex was raised around her Southern great grandmother who was a birthing assistant for her mother who worked as a midwife and herbalist with the Chestnut Ridge People. This may explain her admiration for the plant and reproductive world since childhood.Alex is a queer cis woman. She is the founder of the Community Care Camper, a free mobile herb clinic serving underserved populations in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is the co-owner of Black Locust Gardens herb farm and plant nursery, a coordinator for the Great Lakes Herb Faire, an herbal educator, mom, animist, pagan, writer and is currently working on opening up a mutual aid herb shop. She works on a sliding fee scale, weaving together a harm reduction and client centered lens. She works mostly with AFAB people's health around postpartum, pregnancy loss, gut and hormonal health.If you’d like to hear more from Alex, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

We often grow in important ways because of mistakes. But while experience can be a powerful teacher, it can also be a painful one. The cool thing is that hearing other people’s mistakes can help our own growth and learning…minus the regrets. With that in mind, a theme for Season 8 of the podcast is looking back at herbal mistakes, a bit like alerting other drivers to a hazard on the road ahead. I’m getting the ball rolling by sharing my three most important mistakes with herbs. I’m also sharing tips and resources to help you avoid those same potholes. After listening in, you’ll know:► How to minimize waste in your home apothecary (and why that’s important)► One big reason why herbs sometimes help and sometimes don’t…and a more nuanced approach to herbalism that’s far likelier to be successful► How I learned that at its heart, herbalism is about so much more than swapping out herbs for drugsShow Snippet: “The beauty and joy and even the biggest impact of herbalism… is finding our way back to tending this beautiful earth.”----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

What to treat to sit down with herbalist and author, Nancy Phillips, to discuss dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)! Who couldn’t use an herbal friend that:► Supports our hardworking livers (which may beautify our complexions, too!)► Is rich in inulin to feed the beneficial bacteria in our guts► Is bursting with nutrients AND enhances digestion► Benefits pollinatorsBut, as if all that wasn’t enough, dandelions usher in joy with their sunny blossoms and whimsical seedheads. These unique plants serve as models of resilience and tenacity while simultaneously inviting the child in all of us to play.There’s a lot to love about dandelions! Nancy shares two delicious recipes for dandelion greens, too. (Now I have even more reasons to await Spring with happy anticipation!)By the end of this episode, you’ll know:► Why growing a plant yourself is such a special way to get to know it► Why to pay attention to your intuitive nudges when choosing which herb to work with► The easiest way to make dandelion wine (this could become a fun seasonal celebration!)► The benefits of focusing on getting to know just a few herbs really deeplyHere is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: “If there’s a possibility of growing a plant and seeing it move from seed to seedling and to see it through the seasons, that’s really my favorite way to get to know plants.”For those who don’t already know Nancy, she is an herbalist, yoga/Ayurveda instructor, and small-scale farmer. She delights in supporting people on their path to finding more peace, joy, and vitality through healing herbs, healthy food and strengthening their connection to Earth and Spirit. She and her daughter, Gracie, lovingly tend Heartsong Farm, an herb farm, organic apple orchard, and holistic educational center. They offer consultations, workshops, grower’s intensives, and healing retreats at their farm in Northern NH. Nancy and her husband, Michael, co-authored The Herbalist’s Way: The Art and Practice of Healing with Plant Medicines.If you’d like to hear more from Nancy, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so glad to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

It was an honor and a deep pleasure to have this informative conversation about the medicine of calamus root (rhizome) and leaves with Karyn Sanders. Herbalism is about so much more than “this herb for that condition” and Karyn personifies that truth. Her deep connection with this lovely and versatile plant shines throughout as she shares the many ways of working with calamus medicinally, such as:► Lending its grounding qualities to facilitate trauma work, soothe nervous energy, smooth the edges around times of rapid change like puberty or menopause, and more► Calming the gut when there’s heartburn, ulcers, cramping, or chronic gassiness► Soothing toothaches and teething pain, relaxing the throat (Karyn even included it in a throat spray for professional singers!), and strengthening and supporting the healing process from hiatal hernia► and so many more…By the end of this episode, you’ll know:► What makes calamus “deep medicine” – and what can it help with?► Who should avoid calamus – and when?► How one city worked with calamus for water purification► What is the dosage for calamus?► How you can make a yummy summer tea with calamus leafHere is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: “Be humble, humble, humble. These [plants] are gifts and they’re beings and they’re sharing those gifts… If you took the herbs away from herbalism, you wouldn’t be doing a whole lot.” Karyn has been working with plants for most of her life. She was first trained in Native American traditional plant medicine by her grandmother. In her mid-teens she apprenticed with a Mexican curandera and has subsequently studied with various traditional teachers as well as Western herbalists. Karyn has been teaching and practicing herbal medicine from an energetic perspective for over 47 years. Karyn has been a teacher at the Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine for over 20 years. She also has had a live radio show, The Herbal Highway, that has aired weekly since 1997 on KPFA, 94.1FM out of Berkeley, California.If you’d like to hear more from Karyn, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!****Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

While many swoon over its amber balsamic scent, the cottonwood tree (Populus spp.) is more than just a pretty smell. For thousands of years, cottonwood has been used as medicine and to make a variety of tools. I honestly can’t imagine my life without this powerful tree and cottonwood bud oil (also called Balm of Gilead oil), which I use in practically all of my herbal salves, creams, and body butters. With this episode you’ll also receive FREE access to a downloadable recipe card you can refer to again and again for how to make cottonwood bud oil of your own. After listening in, you’ll know:► How to work with cottonwood bud oil medicinally► How I discovered that cottonwood is an amazing preservative► The super-cool way researchers studied Poplar trees as a potential treatment for warts… and the intriguing results► What you need to know to ethically harvest cottonwood Show snippet: “Cottonwood trees are water sentinels that offer healing gifts to all those around them including bees, mammals, fish, birds, and even the soils and waters they grow in.”----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. 

My dear friend, herbalist jim mcdonald, returns to the show to share all about calamus root benefits. Among its other gifts, calamus root is known as an herb that can help you clear away mental cobwebs and enhance your focus. jim is a gifted storyteller and I know you’ll enjoy hearing how an early experience with calamus root set the stage for how he approaches learning about herbs to this day.By the end of this episode, you’ll know:► The many gifts and medicinal benefits of calamus root. ► Does it matter what species of calamus you work with?► Is calamus root safe?► How you can grow calamus at home.Here is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: “I didn’t just learn about calamus from chewing on it and feeling how did I feel before and how did I feel after, I learned a way of learning about plants.”For those of you who haven’t already met him, in 1994, jim mcdonald's life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon.  Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of southeast michigan has been centered on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him.  jim's approach to herbcraft is deeply rooted in the land he lives upon, and blends traditional european folk influences with 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he conveys with story, experience, humour, common sense and lore to students, clients, random passersby and readers of his websites www.herbcraft.org & herbcraft.podia.com.  He's taught classes throughout north america, is one of the organizers of the Great Lakes Herb Faire and is currently alternately writing Foundational Herbcraft and the A Great Lakes Herbal, in addition to articles for journals and other publications.  jim is a community herbalist, a manic wildcrafter and medicine maker, and has been an ardent student of the most learned teachers of herbcraft… the plants themselves.I’m so happy to share our conversation with you today!****Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.