Herbology

Video: Harvesting Arnica Cordifolia in Washington's North Cascades

I am an avid wildcrafter. In this new video, filmed May 23rd, 2017, I share how and when to harvest Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia) and then I sing an ode to the Arnica.  There are several hundred thousand acreas of Arnica blooming in North Central Washington this year because of all the forest fires in 2015 and 2016. Arnica oils, creams and salves are used topically to treat sprains, bruises, and muscle pain.

A Visit to Two Medicinal Herb Gardens

By Michael Pilarski, April 21 and 22. 2017

University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden
& Bastyr University Medicinal Herb Garden

On Friday, April 21, I had the pleasure to visit the University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden. It was the warmest day of the year so far for the Puget Sound/Salish Sea. Thousands of people were out enjoying the day, but I only saw one other person looking at the medicinal plants.

Books on Herb Growing (and more)

Book reviews by Michael Pilarski, Friends of the Trees Society.
Prepared for the Vashon Island workshops on Growing Medicinal Plants.
April 1, 2017  version

There are a lot of resources on herb growing on the internet but less so in print.  Here are the best books I have found on the topic. They are all in my library and I consult all of them.

The Mother Lode of Black Cohosh

Michael Pilarski, Friends of the Trees Botanicals, 3/3/2017

Anyone want some black cohosh root? Fresh, dry, or propagation material?

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is one of the most well-known and commonly-used medicinal plants native to the US East Coast. If you don’t know about its medicinal uses, there is lots of information on the internet and in herb books.

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