There are a few main areas that are key to using medicinal plants: identification and medicinal uses.

I will walk you through some of the key identifying markers of common plants in the videos and the What to Grow section.

Materia Medica

A Materia Medica is your reference sheet about each plant you want to know how to use. If you don’t have a list of plants you’d like to know more about yet, start a list as we go through the program. If you do have a list, please share it in the FaceBook group!

I recommend starting a file for your Materia Medica, so you can add to it and change it as needed. Some people are very artistic and like to use a notebook and draw their plants and illustrate the whole thing. my Materia Medica is a Word document and I still add to it as I learn. I hope one day I will print it off and pass it down to my children.

Your Materia Medica is for you, so you can personalize it as you’d like and use language that works for you. There are some common areas that are helpful to have in a Materia Medica.

• Name of the plant, common names and Latin names to distinguish it from similar plants

• Habitat- where it grows, it is a tree, shrub, perennial or annual

• Picture of the plant and other identifying parts of it, flowers, leaves

• Parts of the plant used

• How to prepare it- dry, water soluble, oil soluble or tincture

• Parts of the body it works on, how to use it

• Any recipes you may want to add

• Contraindications or warnings

I added a few other areas of interest to me to my pages which you can see below. For me, it is very interesting how herbalism and homeopathy overlap. I’m also interested in mythos and like to see the folklore and “magical” properties of plants and if it is related to the medicinal properties of the plants.

Methods of Preservation

There are several methods of preserving medicinal plants and we will look at some of the main ones.

Drying

Drying can be done by air drying, laid flat or hanging to dry, or with heat in the oven, or dehydrator. The length of time needed to dry each plant will vary depending on its properties. Your goal with drying plants is to preserve them as close to their natural colour and state as possible for the best results. If dried too quickly and with too high heat the plants can lose their potency. If dried too slowly they can mold or rot.

Dry plants away from direct sunlight and in a well ventilated area. If plants are laid flat, use a basket, cooling racks, screens, paper towels or twigs underneath them to allow air to circulate under and around the plants. Space them well as they are laid out. Plants can be bundled and tied with string or elastic and hung to dry. Again, makes sure they are hung away from direct sunlight and there is proper ventilation. Bundles should be small enough that the stems will not mold when tied together. I would hang my herbs from the indoor clothesline we had in the basement.

You can also dry plants by pressing them between heavy books or other heavy materials that won’t be used for an extended time. This results in some beautifully preserved plants suitable for artwork, but can also be used medicinally.

When dehydrating with heat try to use the lowest possible heat and shortest possible time to get the job done. Thin, delicate plants will take the least time, whereas woody stems and roots will take the longest. Find a good online guide and then work with that to adapt it to your personal dehydrator or oven, as heat will vary from appliance to appliance.

Tinctures

Tinctures are made by using a solvent to extract some of the healing properties of the plant into a liquid base. Liquids used are often high-proof alcohol (80 proof or higher/ 40% alcohol or higher), or water-based liquids such as witch hazel, vinegar or glycerine. These can be used for internal consumption or topical application. Alcohol tinctures will last almost indefinitely as alcohol is an excellent preservative. Water-based products will have a much shorter self life so you’ll want to make them in smaller batches or find other ways to preserve them such as freezing. (see my witch hazel calendula tincture for healing sunburns)

Oil Infusions

Oil infusions are often used for topical applications, but some like clove oil can be used for internal consumption. The oil you want to use will be determined by your planned use of the plant. If you are using it for skin care make sure it is an oil that agrees with your skin. Some oils are lighter, and readily absorbed and others are heavier and will leave a greasy feeling on your skin for a while after application. I recommend testing the oils on your skin before using them to make infusions.

Some common oils you may want to look at are:

Lighter oils:

• olive oil

• jojoba oil

• grapeseed oil

• rosehip oil

• almond oil

Heavier oils:

• coconut oil

• apricot seed oil

• castor oil

• shea butter

• cocoa butter

• hemp butter

When choosing your oil base you should also consider the scent of the oil and if it will contribute to or interfere with your finished project. I find cocoa butter has a very strong scent and I’ll either need to be ok with my project smelling a bit like chocolate or I’ll need to use some strong-smelling herbs or essential oils to try to cover it up.

Syrups, jellies and other edibles

One of the easiest ways to get kids, and adults, involved in herbal concoctions, is to make it sweet! Many herbs can be preserved in honey, sugar or other methods to make a sweet treat. Jams, jellies, syrups and fermented drinks are just a few of the ways we can work medicinal plants into our diet.

Storing Plants

You will want to store your preserved plants away from direct light, heat, and moisture to avoid spoiling them. This is when you need all the glass jars! The size of the jar should suit the amount of plant matter there is. You don’t want excessive air space in your jars. Be sure to label them with the plant name and date it was stored.

Other containers that can work for short-term storage: are plastic and paper bags, coffee tins- well washed and no longer holding any scent of coffee, and plastic containers that seal well. Ideally, we want the plants stored in glass to preserve them for the longest possible time.

Uses

The fun part is how to use the plants once we’ve identified them. How you want to use them will determine which preservation method you want to use.

Skin care

Typically salves and ointments.

Let’s look at some different options for skincare oil, to use directly on the skin or as a carrier oil for your herbal infusions

• Apricot kernel oil- for all skin types, little scent absorbs quickly into the skin

• Avocado oil- enriches protein and vitamin content to carrier oils, high in oleic acid, great for dry skin, slower to absorb

• Cocoa butter- for very dry skin, chocolate scent, very solid at room temperature. Do not use it on animals!

• Coconut oil- heavier oil to create a barrier on the skin, slow to absorb, can stain clothing

• Grapeseed oil- light quick to absorb oil, slightly astringent, high in linoleic acid, great for oily, acne-prone skin

• Hempseed butter- high in palmitic acid, great for dry skin

• Hempseed oil- high in linoleic acid, doesn’t clog pores, great for oily skin, can have a stronger scent

• Jojoba oil- light quick to absorb oil, very nourishing, high in vitamin E, reduces inflammation, breaks up plugs in clogged pores, purging impurities

• Macadamia nut oil- high in oleic acid, great for dry skin, slower to absorb, slightly nutty scent

• Mango butter- fruity scented lighter solid butter for dr skin

• Olive oil- cold pressed virgin oil in dark bottles is best for skin and internal use; high in oleic acid, great for dry skin, slower to absorb, light scent

• Rosehip seed oil- quick to absorb, high in essential fatty acids, treats dry irritated weathered skin, aging skin, scars and stretch marks. Not suitable for acne-prone skin

• Safflower oil- light and easily absorbed, light scent, high in linoleic acid, doesn’t clog pores, great for oily skin

• Sesame oil- rich in vitamins E and B, magnesium, phosphorus, nutty scent, can stain clothing

• Sweet almond oil- light softening oil, rich in proteins and vitamin D, can stain clothing

For the Comedogenic rating (how likely it is to clog skin pores) of each oil check out this post.

Topical applications

Such as wound care, washes, poultices, salves, bandages, wraps etc.

Teas

Dried or fresh herbs for ingesting

Consumption

Tinctures, syrups or other products made for food or medicine

Inhalation

Plants can be burned or smoked for inhalation, especially for respiratory ailments.

Steams

Similar to inhalations, but can also be used for wounds, yoni (vaginal) steams and more.