Witch Hazel Wonders: Cultivation and Herbal Uses Written by Mary Plantwalker Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor – The homegrown benefits of witch hazel are easy to overlook as an herbalist, as witch hazel is not traditionally something you think of planting in the garden or making medicine with for your apothecary—drugstore brands are what most people associate with witch hazel. But…
…the few products that’s both FDA-approved and endorsed by real witches.”2 Now that is a special plant! But which witch is witch hazel? I suppose once a medicinal plant has the name witch in it, it’s bound to be seen as magical in some way. Witch as we use it today, comes from the old English word wicca, or wizard….
…hazel cone gall – The witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae) contains some notable ornamentals, often planted for their winter or early spring blooms. Pictured below is the flower of witch alder (Fothergilla sp.), a small shrub native to the southeastern United States. – Fothergilla sp. – witch alder – Harvesting Witch Hazel The twigs and leaves of witch hazel can be…
…tend to be inherently rich in medicine—from groundcover plants and understory herbs to overstory canopy trees. Ginseng (Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), and elderberry (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis) are just a few of the herbs that can be cultivated within the forest and on…
…the otherworld. Hawthorn branches have been placed over the threshold as protection from malevolent energies in Europe. The Iroquois used a decoction as a protection against the personal physical manifestations of witchcraft. Hawthorn trees can often be found in young woods, hedges, and cow fields. Look for the thorns and little red fruits. The leaves are variable, but are often…
…flashcards, and you’ll be well on your way to training as an herbalist. 15. Dive Deep into Materia Medica! Explore my articles on the Chestnut School’s Blog Castanea: Calendula Dandelion Goldenrod Hibiscus Lavender Passionflower Pine Violet Witch Hazel And more! Search the blog while you’re there! Volunteering at herbal conferences is a great way to learn about herbalism without spending…
…significance, but when we switch out lettuce and kale for callaloo (Amaranthus spp.) or potatoes for cassava (Manihot esculenta), we can recognize our identity and familiarize ourselves with our cultural background. Participants harvesting honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) for a glycerite. What cultural legacies are botanically represented at the garden, and what are some of the stand-out plants? In our garden in…
…and essential oils. Topical use: A strong infusion of the flowers is made into a sitz bath to heal tears in the perineum from childbirth; combine with calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis), chickweed (Stellaria media), and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Lavender infusion is sometimes used as a douche for vaginal yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. Sage leaf (Salvia officinalis) and calendula…
…spp.) Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) and (Z. clava-herculis) Redroot, or New Jersey tea (Ceanothus spp.) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) Spruce (Picea spp.) Sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina) Willow (Salix spp.) Wild cherry (Prunus serotina) Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) *Can be invasive, so research its ability to spread in your region before…
…And then I begin a new compost pile where I have just harvested the old one, giving the previous pile an entire year to sit, decompose, and rest, and then heat up and do a myriad of other mysterious, invisible things. Next, we switch our sign so the neighbors know which pile to put their wastes in—we have several families…
