What Herbs Do You Use?

Of the Winter I'm going to be working on improving and upgrading both the website here. I'm also going to begin adding information and tutorials to the various forums. One of them will be this one.

Since the cornucopia of herbs is vast, I'd like to begin with the plants that people here use on a regular basis and have familiarity with. What herbs do you use?

Justin Patrick Moore's picture

Here are some of the herbs I use with regularity, or at least have recourse to in a year, as some, like St. John's Wort, I only use seasonally when I'm feeling the full onslaught of SAD. However, my job took me to a new location and I now work above ground, so I'm hoping melancholic symptoms won't be as bad this winter, now that I'm getting more regular sunlight from being in a place that has windows. (That time of year when I went to work in the dark and came home at dark was always the hardest part.)

Herbs I use with some regularity:

Hawthorn
Nettle
Lemon Balm
Skullcap
Passionflower
Chammomile
Ashwagandah
Rose hips
Oatstraw
St. Johns Wort
...to name a few I've probably used the most.

mountainmoma's picture

japanese knotweed ( polygonum) powdered; 2 kinds of cat's claw ( U. tomentosa and U. Rhynchophylla) powdered; Andographis, encapsolated powder; Siberian Ginsing ( Eleuthero) powdered; Withania ( ashwaganda) powdered; Ginko tincture; licorice (glycyrrhiza) tincture; Home tinctured Salvia miltiorrhiza and Scutellaria Baicalensis; Mushroom powders, Cordyceps and Lions mane;

It is very hard to choke down the powders mixed with water 3 times a day, hints that dont involve fruit juice ( I am hypoglycemic) or alot of time and/or money to help are appreciated

Then also, when needed, homemade Calendula tincture mostly for wound care, home made tinctures of violets, rosemary, black walnut, vinca major, saint johns wort, etc... Teas that use lemon balm, mints, camomile ( I have to buy the camomile)

I just made elderberry syrup, and canned it, but I made this with bought dried elderberries, I do not have any fresh I have found, and I am making a few salves right now, a wound care one that is half and half calendula petals and comfrey leaves, this is still on the counter cold infusing. The other Salve I am warm infusing on the stove as I type, it is in a double boiler arrangement and is industrial hemp, a commercial high CBD strain, infusing into safflower oil, 1:2. this will be made into a green dragon salve ( CBDa and essential oils of camphor, eucalyptus, menthol, etc...) for muscle inflamation, soreness and I am hoping it will help with my arthritis and extremities that go numb. I am also tincturing in alcohol some sativa cannabis, but not heated, so I am going for the THCa, non-psychoactive. This is supposed to work rather like the CBD tinctures, so should be able to take this tincture and help with my joint and muscles issues, we will see if it helps, and around here it is free to get the material while I had to buy the industrial hemp ( under last years farm bill it is legal in all 50 states to grow or buy industrial ( non-THC) hemp, so I was able to relatively inexpensively buy this thru my food co-op ! The other for getting the THCa is legal in my state, but may not be everywhere)