By Kathy Absascal The elders have just started blooming on the Island. Each spring, I am a bit surprised by how many elders grow here, as they only become noticeable when their flowers appear. In the Northwest, we mostly have red-berried elders (Sambucus racemosa). The red berries are not toxic in small amounts, but are…
The nettles are up! All over the island, young nettles a few leaves high are there for the taking. Very soon, they will be tall and gnarly. So, if you live on or near land that has not been cleared and manicured to death, you should go gather nettles soon. Nettles and man have evolved…
By Kathy Abascal The holidays are definitely over, and most of us are now working on trying to recover from our excesses. These excesses usually involve too much sugar, too much of the wrong fats, too much alcohol, and too many late-night meals. The ultimate effects of these excesses vary, but all involve an overwhelmed…
By Kathy Abascal As winter weather settles in, more and more people are complaining of being tired and having sore throats. This could be COVID, of course, but in many cases, it is simply the start of a winter cold. Many respiratory infections begin with symptoms of fatigue and a slight scratchy dryness in the…
By Kathy Abascal I often mention the Eclectic physicians in my articles because of their deep knowledge about medicinal plants. The Eclectics were licensed medical doctors who primarily used herbs and natural principles of healing to treat their patients. They were a strong force in American medicine from the 1830s to the early 1900s, but…
By Kathy Abascal Lobelia is a lovely plant with a gorgeous flower. There are many lobelia species, ranging from the blue L. sylphatica, to the widely used, white-flowered L. inflata, to my favorite L. cardinalis with its dark red flowers. All lobelias (except nursery hybrids) are medicinal. Although it took me quite some time to get over my fear of using…
By Kathy Abascal As I write, goldenrod is blooming in various spots along Vashon roads. There are hundreds of goldenrod species across the world; the one most frequently found in the northwest is Solidago canadensis, but there are a few other varieties. John Trelawny, author of “Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest,” notes that it is…
By Kathy Abascal I am told that you can measure when summer will end by watching fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) bloom. Here on Vashon, its purple flowers began to open at the base of its stem in early July. They then work their way up until finally the tips of the plant are in bloom. When…
By Kathy Abascal Many of us love real licorice candy and enjoy licorice’s sweet flavor in various herbal teas. But few appreciate what an amazing and useful plant licorice is. Licorice has been used medicinally for thousands of years in both European and Asian traditions. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), licorice is considered harmonizing because…
Lectin-free diets seem to come and go with some regularity. At present, Dr. Steven Gundry’s “Plant Paradox” is the most popular version. Anti-lectin diets urge people to stop eating all grains, legumes, and nightshades. They claim that these specific foods contain lectins, a type of protein that binds sugars and can cause cells to stick…