COMMON NAME: Usnea
Other Names: usnea lichen, old man's beard

BOTANICAL NAME: Usnea barbata, Usnea longissima, Usnea hirta. Usnea plicata, Usnea fillipendula, (there are 600 known species but these are the most commonly studied and utilized species for medicine).
Plant Family: Usneaceae

CONSTITUENTS: Usnic acid, essential fatty acids, mucilage, sterols, and many more not being listed here at this time.

PARTS USED: dried thallus, also called lichen strands.

PREPARATIONS: Tincture, liniment, compress/fomentation, poultice, cough syrups, cold lozenges, decoctions, wound washes, wound packing & powder, douches, sitz baths. Taken internally and applied externally. Tincture can be applied as liniment to skin full strength or added to mister bottles with water and essential oils for skin fungus and infections. To bathe sinuses add 2-3 drops of tincture to netty pot washes.
 
MEDICINAL ACTIONS: Analgesic, Antimicrobial, (Antifungal, Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antiparasitic, Antiprotozoan), Antiseptic, Antiproliferative (cancer), Immunostimmulant, Anti-inflammatory, Antineoplastic (cancer), Antioxidant

PRECAUTIONS: Not for use during pregnancy is often reported by many. No other known precautions exist. I will share that with flu and pregnant, I did enlist the support of Usnea with great results. My rule with plants where we just don't know the effects during pregnancy and yet there seems to be good reason for it to be fine is to take 1/4 the dose to start. The pregnant body is very sensitive and requires very small doses and can work with this well because of the heightened state we are in when pregnant. You get to decide for you and your baby. This is not based in any research nor is it a suggestion. I only share what I've experienced. 

Walking through the forest is where one will encounter Usnea. Did you know know that the inconspicuous gray-green fuzzy plant covering many of the trees is one of the gentlest yet strongest immune tonics and antimicrobials in the herb world?

Usnea is a lichen; a combination of an algae and a fungi growing together symbiotically on the surface of the tree. Also known as Old Man's beard, it grows in little hair-like tufts, with the green algae covering the white string like fungi. The best way to identify Usnea is to pull a string apart and look for this white thread. No white thread means it's not Usnea. I do recommend showing a sample to a knowledgeable person to confirm you've got the right plant. Some people say that the Usnea lichen likes to grow in old growth forests. It must be true but I've seen it on younger trees too. Stephen Buhner has suggested that Usnea serves as the lungs of the forests they grow within, and in some way supports the overall health of the ecosystem. I believe this to be true. It carries the energy of a wise elder, maybe a grandfather for me. 

This plant grows profusely in wet climates, like the Pacific Northwest, where tufts can be up to a foot long. The species that grow here in the northeast tend to be smaller, which can make gathering it a tedious task. I find gathering after a big wind storm good because the wind will blow down the Usnea from the higher branches. I grew up in orchards and the old abandoned apple trees had lots of Usnea growing on them.

Usnea is an immune system tonic that can be used in acute situations as well as for long term immune enhancement and general prevention. It has no side effects or contraindications, and is safe for children and animals. It can be taken along with or instead of Echinacea. Usnea is more specific for strep and staph infections than Echinacea, and the antibiotic properties are most specific to the respiratory and urinary systems. We take to help heal respiratory and sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, colds, flus, as well as urinary tract, kidney, and bladder infections. Usnea is also beneficial for women with yeast infections, trichonomosas, bacterial vaginosis, and chlamydia. It can be helpful as part of the plant-based remedies taken for people with chronic fatigue, HIV, herpes, and other chronic conditions related to depressed immunity, especially when taken in a pulsed fashion for acute flare-ups within the chronic condition expression.

Usnea can also be used externally for outbreaks of staph, cellulitis, or infected wounds. I generally use the powdered herb, strong decoctions applied with a cloth, or the diluted tincture for open skin and straight tincture for closed skin. The moistened herb also makes an excellent bandage to be used directly on the wound or affected area. Should you have the great fortune of being near this one fresh when an injury happens, packing the wound with fresh plants after bleeding has been addressed is perfect for keeping the wound tended until you can get to a better situation for cleaning the wound.

This tough yet delicate looking little plant (not plant, lichen) doesn't make much of a tea due to having so little water soluble properties, so I recommend using it as a tincture. The heat required to make many medicines will however take the place of the alcohol so you may stay water-based in your preparation if alcohol is a concern. Increase your dose by 1/4-1/2. I've made a throat spray by diluting the tincture with water, Essential Oil of Eucalyptus, and Honey. It was a spontaneous creation that works great and seems to have the ability to kill microbes on contact. I also, as stated above, place 2 drops of tincture into a full netty pot for sinus irrigation. I do this when I know I've been around the flu or have started active symptoms. I also take it internally 30 drops 3-5x/day and add to cough syrups too.

I've found it to be quite effective with serious cases of bronchitis and pneumonia. Dosing will be increases from 2-3x/day to every 4 hours 30-60 drops to 1/2 teaspoon of tincture with convalescence and bone or medicinal mushroom broth based soups for a few days. Let’s be wise my friends. If someone can no longer walk well or maintain their oxygen levels so they look pale and grey (awful), seek medical attention. These are advanced distress signs of a very weak system so unless you are comfortable with what this looks like and what to do, seek help and learn. Watch closely so you can learn well from the experience. And yes, one can treat with plant medicines and modern medicines together. Seek guidance on how if you are inexperienced. 

Herbalists were ordered with threats to be silent by the FDA during the Anthrax scare. This was the first plant turned to for protection from inhaled life threatening situations; second to quarantine. Hypothetically speaking, dilute the tincture in a spray bottle with Eucalyptus essential oil and mist in front of the face for inhaling. I add 60 drops of Usnea tincture to 2oz. of water with 20 drops of the Eucalyptus essential oil. It could be called, hypothetically speaking, an "air purifying spray". Also use the netty pot with 2-3 drops of tincture only (more than this burns the sinuses).

For Weight Loss? NO.
It was reported to help with this by isolating Usnic acid and concentrating it and people were hurt most likely due to toxicity from receiving the plant in compound isolated form. Work with the full spectrum of whole plant preparations for safety reasons. The FDA was considering banning the plant due to this but it has fallen away a bit thankfully. Do educate that this is not a way to work with Usnea. 

Usnea has water soluble and non-water soluble compounds and so there are suggestions by herbalists to provide a two part preparation for making the tincture in order to extract the full spectrum of the medicine offered. For alcohol sensitive people, a syrup or glycerite made with heat will provide a good option but I would suggest larger dosing (double the dose).
The polysaccharides are found in the fungi portion of Usnea (white inner core) and are part of the water soluble medicine. The alkaloids and acids found in the outer green algae part of Usnea are extractable in 90-95% alcohol, this being the non-water soluble parts. There are other compounds identified and unidentified but by making your tincture in this two part process you will be getting the full spectrum of what Usnea has to offer for healing.  
 
Making Usnea barbata Tincture – A Two Part Extraction Process
Usnea Tincture at 1:5 dried 45% alcohol – Adult Suggested Dose: 1-2 dropperfuls 1-4x/day depending on the health condition and presenting symptoms.

PART 1: You’ll need 3-4 oz dried usnea, Everclear 90-95% Alcohol + 1 quart jar

1. Chop up your ½ of the Usnea you have into smaller pieces with a good knife or clippers. Loosely fill a clean quart jar with the Usnea.
2. Pour organic 90% alcohol over the Usnea until it’s completely covered. Seal jar, label and date, and store in cool dark place.  Shake twice a day for at least 3-4 weeks.

PART 2: You’ll need a strainer, cheese cloth, filtered water, + crock pot on lowest setting.

1. Strain the Usnea from the tincture using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.  Make sure you give it a good squeeze to get out all the tincture. I compost this and use the other ½ of fresh dried Usnea.
2. Measure the volume of tincture that you just strained, then set it aside in a sealed jar (you’ll be using it in a couple of days).
3. Measure out filtered water that is double in volume to the amount of tincture you just measured. Place the fresh dried 2nd portion of Usnea into a crockpot and cover it with the filtered water.
4. Turn crock pot to its lowest setting and let the Usnea and water cook for 48 hours. Keep an eye on it and add a little water if it gets too low. Keep cooking as we need this long slow cook to get all the medicine. We’ll measure again later once strained.  
5. After 48 hours, allow to cool to room temperature, strain the Usnea from the water. At this point the water should have cooked down to half the amount, so it should be equal in volume to the alcohol tincture you have saved. If less that’s ok, but if more you can simmer to reduce it more.
6. Combine the alcohol extract (tincture) with the cooled water extract (decoction). Bottle in brown glass, label and date, and add to your apothecary. 

CONGRATS! You now have a dual-extracted, highest potency Usnea tincture made by you!  ​

I also do this cook process for other healing herbs such as Astragalus root, all medicinal mushrooms, Ginger root, and a few other tinctures to honor their water soluble compounds as well as their converted-by-heat compounds they have. Cannabis is proving to fit into this category of healing plants/lichens/fungi as well with it's need for decarboxylation to potentize certain compounds. Some herbalists now do this two-part extraction with all dried roots and barks to be tinctured. I’m grateful to Stephen Buhner, Ryan Drum, and Christopher Hobbs for pioneering the simple techniques of a two part process to make a more potent tincture. 

Usnea is also an indicator plant to the health of an area as far as pollutants are concerned. Christopher Hobbs has shared many a time on how Usnea will recede from highly contaminated places because it absorbs such toxins easily due to the nature of it's growth pattern. We would not want to make medicine from this and this wise medicine lichen will not allow it either. This is surely another way the wise protection held in the medicine reaches through. And so to find it is a great reason for ceremony and rejoicing for me. 

Processing Usnea for External Use
Usnea has very tough cell walls!  Therefore, you need to break up its surface area— by grinding, mashing, or chopping to make its medicine more bioavailable. For an herbal powder which can be used to clean and treat wounds, simply air dry the Usnea (it dried so fast and often in a few days just sitting around in basket), and then grind it into a fine consistency using a mortar and pestle or an electric grinder. This powder can be sprinkled directly into wounds, or you can simmer for 30 minutes, and add other antimicrobial plants (love rosemary, plantain, yarrow, calendula to name a few), steep, strain, and wash wounds or apply compresses with the warm to cool tea.

​Harvesting Usnea
Usnea takes a long time to grow. Therefore, I only harvest it from dead fallen branches rather than from living trees.  Make sure you’re harvesting the right lichen!  One distinguishing feature of Usnea is the presence of a thin, thread-like, white central “cord” that is revealed when you pull apart the outer sheath of the thicker main strands of the lichen.  These cords have an elastic consistency to them, so when you pull them apart, they should be rather springy/snappy.
When harvesting Usnea, look for the vibrant, brighter colored specimens as opposed to those that have been hanging out on the ground for a long time and look semi-decayed and brownish.  I like to harvest Usnea using a knife or clippers, that way I can easily separate the lichen from the branches that they’re growing on and leave any bark or other debris behind. This also leaves the “roots” of usnea embedded in the tree where it can continue with its own life process. Make sure you harvest away from roadsides or developed areas as Usnea can absorb toxins and heavy metals from the environment.

​
When in Ecuador high in the Andes Mountains hiking in the forest, tufts of Usnea floated down into my hands one morning. It was one of those moments that stops you for it's undeniable how plants can come to us in seen and unseen ways, calling our attention deep in our heart and soul to connect. To make and honor that bond deeper than before. Thank you so much for wandering through here with me. Much Love, Jen

Making good food as our medicine is often a big hit when it comes out of our kitchen.  Years of playing and experimenting in the kitchen make it all happen. We took up our best knives and chopped, stirred, consulted knowledge, experience, and the intuitive forces present and came up with this simple yet potent, satisfying soup for deep winter support. after many requests, we thought we'd give it a proper write-up. Enjoy from our kitchen to yours. 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb - 3/4 lb chopped fresh shiitakes - or reconstitute 1/4 lb dried
1 large chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
2-3 garlic cloves chopped
3-4 yellow potatoes chopped
3-4 garlic scapes (we had frozen garlic scapes - optional when ya have)
1 TB fresh thyme leaf or more if you like - plus extra for serving
1/8 -1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper or to your liking
2 TB dried nettles
3 TB of oil or butter to your liking
2 TB arrowroot or tapioca powder (for your rouge)
8 cups bone or veg broth 
6-8oz. 1/2 & 1/2 cream or coconut milk if dairy free needed
 
A handful of chopped scallions, squeezes of fresh lime juice, sprinkles of fresh cracked pepper and thyme leaves for serving

DIRECTIONS:
- sauté the shiitakes for 5 minutes in oil or butter until a bit of browning happens
- add onion, ginger, garlic, thyme, nettles, and pepper; saute a few more minutes
- add potatoes and continue to stir adding more oil or butter if needed
- add arrowroot or tapioca powder and cook a few more minutes stirring constantly to make a light brown rouge
- add  bone or veggie stock you love, bring to simmer for 10 or so minutes just until the potatoes are done, turn off the heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes for flavors to infuse
- stir in 8oz of 1/2 n 1/2 cream (or heavy cream), or coconut milk for non-dairy options; adjust salt and pepper to your taste. 

​Serve with more fresh thyme, fresh squeezed lime, and sliced green onion. A good load of bread or cornbread goes great with this. Enjoy!

​In our home 1 bowl equals a 'therapeutic dose' of medicine.
Have 2-3 bowls per day for active cold & flu symptoms! Perfectly fine for daily health care intermittent use by having random bowls throughout your life (giggling with toes wiggling because it's that delicious to me). Enjoy and may you stay strong through these darker months where all is brought to the table for review. Keep shittakes around always. Have soup ready. Thank you shittakes and all for your deep care of us here. xo-Jen 

Making your home apothecary your primary health care is not that hard. Consulting the plants first is a safe, effective, and potent part of healing that requires a little bit of learning since our near relatives may not have been given these skills to pass along to us. We do it anyway under these circumstances. May we meet in class one day... Blessings Always, Jen

I said yes again to it all. It takes time to cultivate a community apothecary but it's happening. There's around 70 medicine plants in house now handcrafted as tinctures and a few more to come (plus much more to come) that I just know demand space on the shelves here. Seedling leaves unfurling... Thank you for your support. -Jen

Coltsfoot has a bit of a different rhythm than most spring beauties around here and gives us some visual depth and relief from the varying shades of winter's predominant shades of grey. Love grey but so welcome other colors! It's a low-growing perennial with fleshy, woolly leaves and is a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family, Coltsfoot produces a single golden-yellow flower head with no surrounding leaves. It's among some of first blooms in spring, before much greenery has jumped up. You'll find it among rocky moist places and rises only about 6-8 inches in height, though once the leaves emerge, it can get a bit taller. As the flowering stem dies, the hoof-shaped green leaves begin to appear. Yes, a different way than most plants.
​
Yes, there's some good strong medicine here but did you know there's edible parts? Coltsfoot flowers can be eaten and tossed into salads to add a wonderful aromatic flavor and color. These nibbles help us get in rhythm with the season as we march forth to our busier time of year. Shy away from road side harvesting for all the obvious reasons of nasty runoff. While it grows roadside frequently, the best way to seek it is to consider rocky stream bed edges. When I lived in Phoenica, NY we had none on our side of the Esopus creek but you would find me wading across the stream, always cold and sometimes waist deep, with a basket held on top of my head to gather from a massive patch directly across the water. I couldn't resist their waving little faces in the sun, even with painful water temperatures! Definitely makes one hardy. 

• Make an Infused Honey: fill a jar with the flowers and add honey to make a remedy to help calm a cough and ease a fiery throat. Steep for 4 weeks, stirring occasionally, strain and take by the spoonful. (*psst... make now for the fall as this is the only time to get flowers)
• Make a Fresh Coltsfoot Flower Tincture: fill a jar with slightly backed flowers. You can chop them if you want, to increase surface area to the alcohol, but its not necessary. Add 100 proof Vodka or alcohol you like to tincture with. Cover the flowers completely, cap and date/label. Shake from time to time and strain squeezing well through muslin cloth. Re-bottle and label you "Homemade Coltsfoot Tincture' (*)
• Make a Simple Coltsfoot Elixir: there are many ways to make elixirs but my favorite is 2/3 finished tincture and 1/3 honey. Some love maple syrup and others love a 1:1 ratio. You get to decide. 
• Eat the Flowers: yes they are edible for salads, garnishes, and such. Enjoy!
• Harvest Fresh Leaves: return to your harvest spot for leaf harvest a few weeks after the flowers have gone to seed, then add to your fresh flower tincture to boost it even more with leaf too. 
• Harvest and Dry Leaves: Harvest more leaf for drying and store well in glass in a cool, dark place labeled with the date. These can be brewed for infusions or turned into a homemade cough syrups (see recipe below).
• Make an Herbal Vinegar: made must like an alcohol tincture, fill a jar with the flowers, chopped or not, and then fill with apple cider vinegar. Cover with parchment paper if you have a metal lid due to vinegar's reactions with metal that will spoil it all. Shake occasionally and strain in 4 weeks, label and date and keep in a cool dark place. This keeps for a year to take by the tablespoonful in warm or cool water or tea for dosing.
• Make a Coltsfoot Oxymel: Simply add 2/3 of your Coltsfoot vinegar to 1/3 honey into a bottle for dosing, shake and label with the date, and take by the tablespoonful for dosing.
• Make some kick-ass Coltsfoot & Thyme Cough Syrup: (recipe below)
• Make a Coltsfoot Flower Essence: if you've learn this easy skill then you know just what to do and now's the time to do it. Green Hope Farm offers the essence made already for us if you wish to purchase it with this to guide us: 

"Recovery from orthopedic injury, and to increase flexibility.
Coltsfoot offers a road map for repair and recovery from any orthopedic injury or challenge as it holds much helpful information about our bones, muscles and the realm of movement in our physical bodies. It also helps us with flexibility in the physical body as well as in our attitude towards all change. Coltsfoot also helps us more easily revise and expand our definition of reality as new truths come to us." - Green Hope Farm

Watch for 'Common Name' Confusion: The common name is Coltsfoot, latin name Tussilago farfara, and these pics will help you seek the right plant. There is also a 'Coltsfoot' known as Western Coltsfoot or Butterbur, latin name Petasites palmatus which looks very different and is a completely different plant. Just a heads up to clear any confusion if you're searching the web for information and live where both grow. 

 When researching Coltsfoot you will see many warnings due to the (pyrrolizidine alkaloid) compounds that give this plant its healing edge when things are serious in the respiratory system. It's usually worded something like this,  "Despite serious safety concerns, people take Coltsfoot for lung problems such as bronchitis, asthma, and whooping cough (pertussis). They also take it for upper respiratory tract complaints including sore mouth and throat, cough, and hoarseness." This compound is found in Comfrey leaf as well and you may be aware of all the concerns surrounding Comfrey? Ease your concerns and avoidance tactics with the stronger medicine plants and come learn the wise medicine ways. We need the stronger plants but we also need to know how to dose safely. Most of the bad media is from improper dosing. The same is true for improper dosing of acetaminophen, as you will go into an unstoppable liver failure with what many see as a safe medication when taken incorrectly. Here at ElderMoon School we covered Comfrey in depth to eliminate confusion and walk strong with our stronger medicines in our Monthly Herbalists Councils, open to all so do check them out, For now let's speak of wise ways with Coltsfoot.

First thing to remember, Coltsfoot is not a tonic designed for long term dosing. We take this plant for acute health situation of the lungs, as mentioned and quoted correctly above. This means we take an infusion, tincture, or syrup/elixir for a couple of weeks to get through an acute situation with the respiratory system. You would not take this regularly for chronic lungs issues, such as COPD, asthma, sarcoidosis of the lungs, lung cancer, and emphysema, to name a few. So let's choose one to break this down a bit. Let's look at the epidemic we have around asthma. Listed above as a condition to take Coltsfoot, it would be wise to take for a few weeks for an acute flareup of the chronic condition. So think of it this way, such as with hyper-reactivity of the lungs (which looks like increased asthmatic episodes) in response to a flu. This happens for my son. I know when a virus has landed in his body because the asthma symptoms flare sometimes two days prior to any other symptoms and I start to treat for the flu preemptively. Should it come and settle deeper into his lungs then I treat directly with Coltsfoot a week or two. Make sense?

Here's another example: If someone has sarcoidosis of the lungs (an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands), then they would take Coltsfoot for a few weeks for an acute flareup or complication that started because they have an underlying chronic condition. Let's say they got pneumonia. The Coltsfoots is meant to address the acute situation of pneumonia with strong medicine for short term dosing. The person with the chronic lung condition can take other tonifying respiratory plants on a long term basis to address the underlying chronic condition and this tactic strengthens their resistance over all. 

Much of the lousy media around certain plants happens when people are desperate for a cure of a chronic condition, think "Hey, it's a plant so it has to be safe no matter what.", and then diagnose, dose and treat themselves incorrectly with a medicine plant that traditionally treats acute conditions. 

Does this makes sense? Do send questions so we can dispel the lousy media and walk with solid wise choices for when we are sick by knowing the strong medicine plants well, along with safe dosing. 

Dosing with Coltsfoot is Simple:
For Adults take the Infusion 1 cup 3-4x/day; Tincture 1/4-1/2 teaspoon 3-4x/day; Honeys, Syrups, Elixirs, Vinegars, and Oxymels are taken by the tablespoonful every 2-4 hours or as needed. These doses can be taken for up to 2-3 weeks but most will many will barely need two weeks of treatment for lung ailments of the acute type like respiratory flu or cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, and chelation of something inhaled that is noxious leaving congestion and coughing. Whooping cough (pertussis) will need a full three weeks as it tends to be quite persistent. Then switch to others such as Mulein leaf and Elecampane root for longer treatment.  Do not exceed three weeks with Coltsfoot on these doses. Always consider other therapies, lifestyle changes, and diet to support respiratory health.

I have given Coltsfoot to all three of my children, as well as guided mothers and fathers in my community for decades now on when and how to take this plant so please ignore the exaggerated warnings - 'never give to children' that are made by people who do not know this plant well. Consider the child's weight and reduce the dose accordingly and give to children older than one that need respiratory help. It is safe for short term dosing as described. Children under one, I love to treat with Chamomile always. Bathe them in it and watch miracles happen!

Coltsfoot is also found in many well made herbal cough drops so once a child is able to manage a cough drop they can have these too. 

Inhaling burning plants is nothing new to humans, You will find some people who enjoy blends that have Coltsfoot added, and some people waft the smoke in a home where there are colds and flus to help settle the lungs much the way White Sage and Mullein leaf are burned. A small amount of gently wafted smoke near someone who is sick provides antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties quickly and efficiently to the lungs. Seems counter-intuitive, yes, if your thinking of it like a cigarette. Rolling and smoking when sick is not the best or intended way. Think gentle wafting of the smudge-like burned smoke for quick assistance. While this is not my favorite way to work with Coltsfoot, I do have the leaf in smudging blends for clearing the air, particularly when airborne microbes are attempting to survive in my home. 

INGREDIENTS:

• a handful of fresh thyme sprigs (or buy organic, dry leaves here 1 tablespoon)
• 3 tablespoons dried coltsfoot leaf (or 2 tablespoons of this with 1 tablespoon of elderberries if you have) 
• 2-3 thin slices of ginger root - organic
• 1 pint of water (2 cups)
• ½ cup honey - raw local unpasteurized 
• ½ lemon/organic chopped into wedges and squeezed to release juices a bit - I like to muddle them with the top end of big wooden spoon in the jar that will house the final syrup.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the chopped lemon in the pint jar and cover with the honey. The honey will macerate the lemons and draw out liquids which taste so delicious!
2. Meanwhile, toss the thyme, coltsfoot and ginger into a saucepan and cover them with the water.
3. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and reduce it to half, about a cup of strong tea.
4. When the tea is reduced and cooled to a touchable warmth, strain the sprigs and leaves out, add it into the pint jar, cap and shake well to mix, label and date it.
5. Spoon around the lemons and take by the tablespoonful of syrup as needed or every 2-4 hours until the lungs show signs of relief, then every 4-6 hours
6. Store your homemade cough syrup in the refrigerator for about a month. It will get a little bitter over time from the lemon pith. Good! This supports the liver for better digestion during illness downtime. 

May your explorations of Coltsfoot be rich and beautiful as we lean into our wild plants for walking strong these days. xo- Jen

All salvias have medicinal qualities. Culinary Sage, Salvia officinalis, makes fantastic medicine and is easy to walk with, especially if you’re just starting out with herbs. If you have access to White Sage, I’d encourage you to try the White Sage leaf in your water bottle, just to experience where that sort of relationship with a plant might lead you. 
 
Here’s a quick overview of the medicinal properties of White Sage, Salvia apiana: 

• Prevent and eliminate head colds taken internally or added to your netty pot as fresh tincture 3 drops.
• Soothe and heal sore throats as a gargle 
• Thins secretions and clears the sinuses with internal doses and in netty pot
• Speeds up our immune response to the flu with internal doses and whole body bathing by adding tea to the bath. Supports fever management. 
• Eases asthma (my son is sensitive to smoke, but not from White Sage) with internal low dosing as a tea or tincture and gentle smudge inhalation.
• Thins and reduces secretions while it aids healing the lungs with internal doses, bathing, and gentle smudge inhalation
• Aids digestion, eases runny bowels and has bitter actions to break down fats and support the liver when taken as internally doses
• Improves sleep, eases anxiety within the body, heart and mind, calms the soul - taken in all medicinal delivery routes
• Invigorates the blood and regulates cycles within the body with internal dosing
• Eases menstrual pain and heavy flow plus hot flashes and heart palpitations; supports necessary and wise hormonal transitions women with internal low doses
• Dries things up, such as excessive bleeding, or breast milk during weaning with internal dosing
• The seeds were ground into flour for food; also steeped as tea for disinfecting eye washes
• Tightens and tones tissues; such as gums or open wounds, or irritated intestines taken with gargles, wound washes and internal dosing respectively
• Supports spiritual practices: such as meditation, journey, writing, creative outlets, retreats and pilgrimages, creating altars, healing work, space clearing and tending, blessings, ceremony and ritual work when utilized in all medicinal route forms appropriate for the situation.  

 
Yes, Now The Warnings:
​
When OVERUSED, meaning too frequent or in too high of a dose, there is a strong alkaloid compound known as thujone that could irritate the body. Strong medicine must have strong compounds in order to be considered strong. So there should be no surprises when the scientists find such compounds in a plant. In fact let's welcome this. So, too much of this compound will increase heart rate, cause mental confusion, lead to vomiting, restlessness, and kidney complaints.

Instead of feeding fear here, I am asking us to see the wisdom in knowing strong medicine so we can call on it when needed. Be wise. Keep your medicine close. Take it in and take it safely. Know it well in your mind AND your body and walk strong with it. Honoring White Sage....

 xo-Jen

ElderMoon School of Herbs
EMS has on-going Herbal Classes, on-line and in-person, to support the expanding desire among us to know the plants intimately as part of one's healthcare system for ourselves and loved ones. Deepening our relationship with the plants is where it all starts. 'Begin anyway' is our mantra. Have a look around and email if you feel called or have questions.

Tree Donations and Prayer Bundles for Ecuador? Email me directly for my address and details at: [email protected]  

Thank you for supporting small businesses and grassroot projects world wide. Change does happen from our seemingly small efforts. It just may be the only way. xo-Jen

Spirit Plant, Ghost Plant, Corpse Plant (Monotropa uniflora)
 
Maybe you've seen this unique, chlorophyll-devoid plant in your wanderings as it pokes up through the brown leaf litter in the forest and along its edges? Have you wondered about it and been fascinated by it like I have? This is Indian Pipe, also called Ghost Plant or Spirit Plant, (Monotropa uniflora) and it’s a traditional shamanic plant that offers many spiritual and medicinal properties.

Indian Pipe, by lacking chlorophyll, cannot make its own food and so must make agreements with others in order to survive. It absorbs its nutrients from a mycorrhizal fungi group living in the root zone of the forest. Mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial (symbiotic) organisms that vastly expand the absorptive surface area of a tree’s root system and aid in the uptake of specific nutrients. In exchange for scavenging for nutrients the tree reciprocates by providing carbohydrates for the fungus, in the form of fallen leaves. 

Germinating seedlings of Indian Pipe chemically mimic the tree’s root system causing the mycorrhizal fungi to attach to the roots of the newly forming Indian Pipe plant. Some call it a kind of ‘biological identity theft’. This doesn't resonate for me and I think more understanding will unfold as one spends time with Indian Pipe who is connected to the complex network of trees. The tree sends its sugars produced in photosynthesis to the fungus mycelium which in turn passes some along to the Indian pipe. This arrangement is technically called epiparasitism, a ‘parasite feeding on a parasite’. This word parasite conjures some negative thinking but it belongs within the realm of symbiotic relationships and I believe our scientists have not yet uncovered how Indian Pipe actually gives back within the cycle of things within the forest. 

Indian pipe is only able to feed on one group of mycorrhizal fungi, the often colorfully-capped ones known as Russula. These beneficial fungi are able to attach to a wide variety of tree species including Oaks and Beech. Cool, moist and shaded conditions favoring the accumulation of thick deposits of leaf litter favor the development of the mycorrhizal fungus and mark the kind of location where Indian Pipe is likely to grow. Indian Pipe is often a quietly unassuming part of the workings of the complex forest ecosystem.

Since it can only feed on Russula fungi, Indian Pipe is an extremely rare plant and is never intolerant of cultivation or being transplanted. There are many lessons to learn from plants that require impeccable timing, a trust beyond the logic of a scientist, and bringing us to them while they move about mysteriously with growing requirements so detailed that we can understand them but cannot manipulate their existence. This plant should only be harvested sparingly, only when large colonies are found, and with profound respect for the spirit of the plant.

It would be auspicious and appropriate to know why we want some and to state it loudly. It is heard and the truth is known too. Then we can follow the response of Indian Pipe that  is we intuit versus assuming what you want to hear or think we need or are entitled to. 

Medicinal Parts: flowering tops, flowers
Best Preparations: Fresh Infusion, Fresh Tincture 50%, Flower Essence.
Important Note: dried is only useful for the compost pile so please do not bother with this. 

Our First Nations People honored this plant for its medicine and mystery, physically and spiritually. This is an ally of medicine carrier healers who work deeply for their people by walking the healing road themselves. The appearance of white plants, as well as animals, is truly unusual and draws a deep reverence from all original people. Since we all carry the blood of our ancestors, and so we are undeniably connected to them, you may find yourself kneeling down in front of this one should your paths cross. Do this. Take this moment of reverence for Indian Pipe. I hold such a deep reverence for this beauty, and because of this, only make a flower essence when called to honor Indian Pipe’s mystical, magical way.  

On the more physical level, Indian Pipe was employed instead of quinine to treat West Nile Virus and Malaria for some time. It’s an extremely potent nervine often used to treat seizure disorders, convulsions, insomnia, mental health disorders, PTSD, and chronic muscle spasms.  It was also combined with other plants to bathe inflamed eyes. I suggest the easier grown and effective Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Chickweed (Stellaria media), or Calendula (C. officinalis) instead, though I have to notice that it speaks loudly to 'clearing vision'. This may be part of Indian Pipe's alignment medicine.

Many stories are told that it’s an excellent pain reliever as one of its main constituents is salicylic acid, which is aspirin. So if you’re thinking it will be stronger than opioids to just kill pain, I would say this is not the plant for you. It may have a place in pain management but Willow Bark (Salix alba) and Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) provide the same physical medicine and are easier to find and grow, if we are talking physical medicine only. It also may produce compounds we do not understand yet which is why the stories speak to addressing conditions that aspirin does not touch. If you’re interested in digging deeper into why pain has become the language of your existence then yes, this is the plant for you.

​Please turn to Indian Pipe Flower Essence for this deeper unraveling.

​So it's here that the true gift of the Indian Pipe sits for me. Flower essences always meet each person where they are to support imbalance shifts. They’re work is subtle and transformative, rooting down to the core of an issue. Indian Pipe works on the alignment of both the root and crown chakras so we align with the Earth below and the cosmos above, to become the ‘hollow bone’. The stems are just like hollow bones, or clear conduits. Rooted deeply into the Earth itself, and assisting with the translation of the trees, Indian Pipe helps ground those who struggle to find their way.

I sometimes combine this essence with Lavender (Lavanula offcinalis) or Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) for deep dream work. It illuminates hope to those who seek their truth and are willing to do the work and face their fear and pain. Indian Pipe flower essence assists us in standing with the truth of our pain and to bear witness to it, instead of confining it to an expression within the confines of our physical nervous system or energetic emotional body. Think 'alignment', 'hollow bone'. To journey into the pain and ask the hard questions is the medicine of Indian Pipe. It is a still and quiet plant, and only those who are truly ready to bear that silence, which sits beyond fear and pain, will gain the full benefit of what this plant has to offer around personal truth. It brings brightness and is a beacon of light within ‘the dark night of the soul’ we all must travel at some point in life, guiding one back to a place of understanding, balance, and peace. Indian Pipe will stand strong next to one who faces their fears in the name of moving forward.  

Come deepen your walk with our original medicine plants and make them part of your primary healthcare system for you and your loved ones. We walk through building your own apothecary filled with potent medicines you learn to make yourself. Let's tighten the weave of who you are, right where you are, as you begin to birth and walk the path of your inner herbalist. Herbal study is on-going with Jen Costa, Herbalist, Critical Care RN, CST. Start anytime on-line. 

As we cycle around again to this high solar and masculine time of the year of the Medicine Wheel in anticipation of Summer Solstice, I honor how Elder, connected deep to the essence of woman, is gathering the essence of man through capturing bits of sunlight into her flowers. Ultimately these swell with these bits of light and water and air and earth to create the round berries we cherish taking during the Winter as the sun recedes. These berries strengthen us to endure, to release, and to keep good boundaries as we wane into Winter and the great season of gratitude and release . Cycles and the support through them with feeding across the wheel happens all the time and is embodied in the medicine of Elder.

I've included here a Plant Profile of Elder as is given to my students at ElderMoon School. A profile is just that, and informational writing of my experience of Elder, with practical information I have learned from others and from the plant directly.  

Parts Used Medicinally:
Leaves, flowers, berries, bark and some Herbalists have taken in the root but be careful with taking in only small amounts for severely acute illnesses only.  The flowers are a prized edible for salads and fritter making, in ancient facial care formulas such as Queen of Hungary's Water, and for making liqueurs and are the base of St. Germain's liqueur made in France. This proves to be a magical, delicate and delicious addition to drinks of all kinds.

Contains: Scientists have isolated proteins that appear to protect our healthy cells from the invading actions of viruses by literally making a protein coating they cannot penetrate. Ongoing clinical trials continue for HIV, herpes and flu.

Medicinal Actions: Antimicrobial, febrifuge, antiviral, diaphoretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory

Common Names: Black Elder, Common Elder, Pipe Tree, Bore Tree, Bour Tree

Habitat and Description: 
Elder grows throughout North America and Europe and are quite abundant. Elders produce large clusters of small white or cream colored, delicately aromatic flowers in the late spring, and are followed by clusters of small red, dark purple or black berries. The shrubs can live over a hundred years. Gather the darker berries of black and dark purple; avoid red berry varieties which are more toxic. I stay with the S. canadensis which is more shrub-like and the European species of S. nigra which grows more as small tree. There are many hybridized varieties too but I seek the older known species for medicine making. 

Elderberries grow best in moist, fertile, well-drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. Elderberry plants are generally free of pests, which makes them great for landscape plantings. However, the deer can and do devour them if Elder is in their usual grazing path here in Woodstock, NY. Harvest elderberries in late August through early September before the birds get them all. It is an ancient practice to consider negotiating with birds if you want berries and know howto enter such negotiations as they often strip the bushes while the berries are still green.

Elder took root in the center of one of my vegetable gardens years ago. I deeply honor this plant for healing. I love how the plants work with the insects, animals and particularly the birds in order to be mobile across the land. It makes gardening as an herbalist full of welcomed surprises. It's a different way of gardening and much easier! So Elder stayed there and we adjusted who and what grew around this beauty. She has edible flowers too that make their way into salads, garnishes, drinks of the muddled sort, and fritters!

Ancient Harvesting Practices: 
Looking into past harvesting practices will easily uncover many a story about how Elder grows at energetic portals or doorways deep into the Earth and if she chooses to grow near you then she has agreed to be a guardian of your home and tribe. The roots are said to lead to other worlds and are connected to the Mother of us all - the Dark Mother and Goddess of Earth Magic - that reigns stronger during the Winter Solstice time. Her essence resides in the Elder and must be consulted with before harvest or removal of any part or whole plant. Great warnings of mishaps that can ensue if one does not ask abound. It is common practice to ask within the heart and be sure to self-reflect on greed or ulterior motives for this will be seen. 

Spiritual and Energetic Medicine:
In pre-Christian times the ancient vegetation Goddess presided over the cycle of life - birth, life, death and regeneration. This rhythm is reflected in the waxing and waning of the moon, the cycles of the season and naturally was also thought to govern the lives of women and men. Thus, in one of her aspects she was revered as a Goddess of the Underworld, who guarded over the souls of the dead. Green twigs of Elder were often placed into coffins or buried in graves to offer protection for the deceased on their journey to the other world. Elders were also planted on graves and in some places it was a custom for the driver of the hearse to carry a whip made of Elder wood to keep focused and safe while escorting the dead to their final resting place. Crowns were woven and worn of tender Elder branches and leaves at Samhain, near Halloween, to facilitate communion with our dead beloved ancestors who do return to visit and assist.

Elder Flower Essence helps one appreciate self and all beings by enhancing the ability to see the value in how things truly are. Elder removes the walls and ceilings of comfort and dissolves judgement and fixed ideas. Elder brings us deep within to our emotional blockages and helps us dissolve these as well. Past life recall as well as accessing blurred events of one's current life is enhanced when necessary for aiding understanding of where one is now and how healing can flow. ​

 Elder Flowers are the color of butter and smell sweet and just a bit spicy but delicate. Their beauty fades fast, however. You will need to pick them before noon, as the aroma fades once the afternoon sun hits the flowers. Time is quite important: You want to make this liqueur within an hour or two of picking the flowers to get the best effect. I fill my jar while picking and often make in the garden in order to encourage the essence forth in the moment of harvesting and making. This really could not be any easier! 

Instructions: 

1. Snip the flowers off the stalks and into a quart Mason jar. Remember the stalks and leaves of elderberry plants are toxic, so snip off as much of the stems as you can. Getting them all is not possible, but do spend some time removing the big main stems. I also add the zest and juice of one organic lemon or orange to this sometimes and so you can add that now if called to. 
2. Cover the flowers with the alcohol and seal. What alcohol? Typical is 80-100 proof vodka, gin, brandy; I prefer 100-proof vodka so it will not compete with the aroma and flavor of the Elder flowers. The flavors and aromas of Elder flowers do not extract well in just water, though the medicine always does.
3. You will want to submerge the flowers completely in the alcohol. If you don’t, the top layer of flowers will oxidize from contact with air, turning brown. This doesn’t harm your liqueur. The plant material will settle in a few days too so shake and watch for this. 
4. Keep in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. The longer you steep the flowers, the darker the liqueur gets. Shake from time to time.
5. Strain. Strain twice if you want it perfectly clear without pollen. I love the pollen so I strain mine once through a fine mesh sieve. Second straining through a paper coffee filter will do for making it clear. 
6. Return this to your jar, add between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup wildflower, local raw honey. It depends on how sweet you want it. Start with less and wait a day and taste to allow the flavors to mingle together. 
7. Re-bottle in a beautiful jar with label and this is shelf-stable- no need to refrigerate. 

This Lemon, Elder Flower & Honey Liqueur will turn amber as the flavors deepen over time. This is normal and part of the joy of making it. It is especially good with seltzer over ice and fresh lemon or sipped to chase a cold or chill in the winter by the fire, or added to other refreshing drinks as you feel inspired. 1 Tablespoon to warm water makes a delicious and medicinal quick elder flower tea. Enjoy!!  

Are you ready to deepen your walk with the plants as medicine keepers and make this part of your primary healthcare for yourself and your family?  Maybe you're longing to design your own apothecary with potent medicines for when needed? Maybe listening to the plants directly is a calling for you. Take a look at our on-going herbal classes. 
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There's a start anytime on-line course to get you started or begin the process of tightening the weave of who you are, right where you are with the medicine plants. In-Person courses start each May in Woodstock, NY. where we walk together for 13 Moons and learn how to find you own way of moving with the medicine plants as an Herbalist for yourself, family and loved ones. Full descriptions below. ​