Herb Profiles
While the basic details for making teas, infusions, creams, and other preparations is included throughout this part of the book, it’s a good idea to read the full details in Part 2. Likewise, some information for harvesting and preparing herbs for use is included here where specific details pertain to certain herbs. Complete instructions on harvesting and preparing herbs are also in Part 2.
The recipes included here indicate either dried or fresh ingredients, however, unless otherwise noted, these are interchangeable and depend on what you have available. Check Part 2 for standard amounts of herbs to use while preparing remedies. Where combinations of herbs are suggested, review the precaution information for each herb.
Plant descriptions are included in the gardening section of each herb profile. Without going into a great deal of botany, a few terms are helpful to know. Starting with leaves, some may have “lobes” and others may be “toothed.” A lobed leaf has deeply indented edges, such as oak or maple tree leaves. A toothed leaf has jagged edges. Many of the leaves described here are “simple,” meaning that a leaf stem has one leaf. Others are called “pinnate” leaves, which means that a leaf stem has three or more leaflets.
Where flowers are concerned, a common flower cluster structure is called an “umbel”—think umbrella. In fact both words are derived from the Latin umbella, “sunshade,” which is a diminutive of umbra, meaning “shade.” 8 An umbel has a number of flower stems, nearly equal in length, that spread from a common center stalk. The cluster can be flat-topped or spherical. Queen Anne’s lace is an example of an umbel structure. Finally, the crown of a plant is the upper part of the root system that extends above ground.
Figure 3.1: Leaves can be lobed, toothed, or pinnate. Umbel flower structures can be spherical or flat-topped.
8. Ian Brookes, Chambers Concise Dictionary (Edinburgh, Scotland: Chambers Harrap, 2004), 1321.