Bee Balm (Monarda Didyma)

Before someone says it, yes I know that actual Monarda Didyma has bright RED flowers and the picture here is a different kind. I admit

1) I am too lazy on a 90+ degree day to go to the garden to get the specific name of the one I am growing

2) the info I am giving is

Alehoof (Nepeta Glechoma)

It’s the beginning of April in New England. As of last month, I began my meanderings outdoors once again, exploring a few new places. I had seen some little lovely scalloped edged plants that smelled like corn husks after a summer cleaning. Last week, I noticed blueish purple flowers in on small batch. AH HA! I said. I was examining them when my friend reminded me to take a picture. I was so enthralled

Chimaphila Maculata & Umbellata

Striped Wintergreen is also known as Striped Prince’s Pine, Spotted Wintergreen and Spotted Pipissewa or just Pipissewa.

Plant Type: This is a woody herb, it is a perennial and is a evergreen which can reach 25cm in height (10inches). (It may be considered a shrub.)
Leaves: The leaves are whorled. Leaves can reach 7cm in length (2.75inches). Each leaf is toothed and striped white down the middle.
Flowers: The flowers have

International Report on Herbs and Swine Flu

More than 300,000 people around the world are estimated to have contracted Influenza A(H1N1) virus, and at least 3,917 people have died from it, according to the latest available data from World Health Organization (WHO) released on September 25, 2009.¹ While no H1N1 vaccination shortage is expected in the United States, many developing and heavily-populated countries around the world will not be able to vaccinate the majority of their citizens. Some in these nations are turning to medicinal herbs with immune-boosting properties in attempts to help protect against the virus commonly known as swine flu.

~HerbalEGram: Volume 6, Number 10, October 2009

To read the complete article (and I encourage you to do so) follow this link : International Report on Herbs and Swine Flu

The Herb Book

Yeah! I just purchased my first real herb book called “The Herb Book” by John Lust. I knew it was a decent book because not only was it mentioned on herbalist Susun Weed’s site as part of her course materials, I found it mentioned by one of the magick author’s works that I am studying right now.

It has a ton of information. I have more info from other sources on some plants but this is a really good beginning and covers health, some beauty, also what is poisonous, etc. I have been looking through it and finding

Chelidonium majus

A great moment arrived this fine Autumn morning. While walking in the woods in the back, I found this sweet little bit of green growing from under a Rhododendron. Determined to ID the little thing, I plucked a small leaf. Right away I noticed the bright yellow/orange juice

Hello world!

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been out and about collecting and trying to identify the plants and herbs around me. As I walk through my favorite forest, I see trees with these yellow flowers. It was not until later I realized just how many WITCH HAZEL trees are there. (Hope I can remember which ones they are next time I go back!)

Anyway, along the pond there are Cat tails and also this odd plant which