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May 2013
1) Penstemon & Prickly Pear
•Penstemon - Used as a flower essence for strength & perserverance during hardship.
•Prickly Pear (Opuntia) -Used for hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Edible, but slimy like okra :)
2) Red Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus) - Root is astringent and anti-inflammatory. Topical use – gum problems, burns, wounds, etc
3) Wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana) – Strong topical anti-microbial. Short term use for internal parasites. Strong anti-malarial like it’s cousin Sweet Annie (another artemesia). Strong anti fungal – try for athlete’s foot. Indigestion. Dysmenorrhea. Inhale steam or smoke for respiratory issues. Not for long term internal use.
4) Another Penstemon – Flower essence used for sense of adventure and risk-taking, determination and tenacity when facing physical challenges.
5) Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea) – Hot, irritated respiratory tissues. Somewhat immune stimulating in lungs. Soothes uti, but you need to use it with a stronger anti-bacterial herb. Soothing topically. It’s relatives are useful for digestive issues – dry membranes, ulcers, acid reflux, so may be useful for this as well.
6) Mariposa Lily (Chalochortus flexulosus) – Flower essence used for self-mothering, ability to accept love
7) Agave (Yucca baccata) – Arthritis, joint inflammation. Strong laxative, don’t do high doses. Long term daily use can inhibit nutrient absorption
8) Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) – Flower essence used for clarity and focus. Manifestation, meditation or other times steady focus is necessary.
9) Cliff Rose (Purshia stansburiana) – Flower essence used for motivation to bring creative or other ideas to fruition. Michael Moore (the herbalist) used for early stages of cold, for certain types of backache. He also used a small amount of flowers/buds to scent tea.
10) Lavendar Leaf Primrose (Calylophus lavandulifolius) – Don’t know any uses other than simply enjoying it’s beauty. Not a very good picture, though :)
11) Lizard of some sort!
This past Saturday I had fun supplying and talking about medicinal plants for the Southside Community Garden on E 5th near 2nd. We planted Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Stinging Nettles, Chinese Skullcap, Hops, Yarrow, Tarragon, Comfrey, Cilantro, and Parsley.
The garden is organized by a very motivated Fort Lewis student, Ryan Lazo and maintained by him and a growing number of volunteers. If you want to get involved with the garden, check out their blog: http://southsidegarden.blogspot.com/
This didn’t quite fit the format of the “Reviews” section, so here it is…
The Garden Club of Durango visited Osadha Herbal Wellness in April for a talk on medicinal and novel kitchen uses of common garden herbs. We squeezed over 20 people in!
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald Friday, January 27, 2012
With varying facial expressions, from left, Donna Pittenger, Suzanne Bolton, Stephanie Ryan and Cindy Arnold Humiston react to the taste of turmeric. Tumeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, said herbalist Marija Helt. She taught a free class Thursday called “Kitchen Witchery,” which described numerous household herbs and spices that also have medicinal value. The class was held at Zuke’s, a Durango-based dog-treat company. ”Pretty much all of the herbs you have in the kitchen have one medicinal use or another,” Helt said.
Mushroom medicine
Durango herbalist says fungi have a role in health realm
By Dale Rodebaugh Herald staff writer
Photos by SARAH FRIEDMAN/Herald
May 08, 2011
There are 15,000 identifiable species of mushrooms, and only 2,000 of those are edible. The most dangerous toxins have delayed effects, taking hours or days to show. Microbiologist Anna-Marija Helt teaches workshops about mushrooms, their medicinal properties and how to identify poisonous ones. From left to right: reishi, artist conk, oyster, shiitake, portabello and phellinus.
Ancient Romans have said that mushrooms are the “food of the Gods,” and Anna-Marija Helt teaches a class about mushrooms and the medicines that can be made from them. John Velasquez, left, looks at a mushroom while Helt, center, explains mushrooms to Bridey Conway and the rest of the class.
Microbiologist Anna-Marija Helt says one way to identify mushrooms is to cut off the head of the mushroom, place it on a piece of paper and cover it with a bowl. When the mushroom releases its spores, a person can see them on the paper.
“Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food,” according to a Hippocratic writing. Paul Ambrose and Karen Mee look at mushrooms passed around during Anna-Marija Helt’s lecture about mushrooms and their medicinal qualities.
As a microbiologist who worked in cancer research, Anna-Marija Helt knows complete remission of the scourge is often a long shot.
But as an herbalist who studies fungi, including mushrooms, she believes mushrooms play a complementary role in the treatment of cancer.
“In Asia, mushrooms are a standard part of cancer treatment,” Helt told a class covering the medicinal use of mushrooms last week in Durango.
“In Asian philosophy, it’s unethical to treat cancer with chemotherapy without using mushrooms to mitigate side effects,” Helt said.
Mushrooms have been used to boost the immune system and as an antioxidant in the Asian countries for centuries, Helt said.
Helt earned a doctorate in microbiology at the University of Washington. Her thesis on molecular mechanisms of the human papillomavirus was based on work done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Helt did research in the fields of cancer and infectious diseases for 15 years.
She won a postdoctoral fellowship to study dengue virus replication at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
She also was a research technician at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Burnout led her to get off the scientific fast-track to study herbal medicine, which satisfied a long-held interest in wild and garden-variety plants.
Helt didn’t take a direct route in pursuing her dream. She first took a side road and opened a cafe in the South of Market district in San Francisco.
A student at the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville who frequented the cafe often chatted about her studies, sparking her own interest, Helt said. But the purchase of Greg Tilford’s Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West was the final push, she said.
“I was instantly captivated,” Helt said. “I never looked back.”
Helt enrolled in herbal medicine courses at several schools in California.
She came to Durango last November and now consults as an herbalist and gives workshops about the medicinal qualities of mushrooms.
There are 15,000 species of mushrooms but only 2,000 are edible, Helt said.
A number of mushrooms grow in the San Juan and La Plata mountains, Helt said. Herbal medicine enthusiasts who don’t want to hike the backcountry in search of mushrooms or who can’t identify species can find mushrooms available at local health-food stores.
It’s dangerous, fatal even, to misidentify mushrooms, Helt said. She said historians believe that Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from 41 to 54, was murdered by poison, possibly in mushrooms.
Mushrooms can be eaten fresh or ingested in tea, tinctures or powder, Helt said.
A website search reveals that studies in Japan, China, Brazil and England tentatively show mushrooms reduce the effects of radiology and chemotherapy in treatment of cancer patients.
An American Cancer Society website, referring to the shiitake, said studies of animals found the shiitake has properties that fight tumors, lower cholesterol and inhibit viruses.
“However, clinical studies are needed to determine whether these properties can help people with cancer and other diseases,” the post says. “It is reasonable to include shiitake mushrooms as part of a balanced diet.”
daler@durango herald.com
They may not be impressive to some of you, but my garden’s over 7000 feet above sea level, so I’m pretty happy with the progress :)
Valeriana officinalis - it's 2nd year
Tiger Lily. Not so impressive yet. Coming from bulb planted 2 years ago
Thyme. OK, this didn't actually go away. It just hid under the snow for the winter.
Oregano. Like it's friend Thyme, it was just hanging out under a blanket of snow
Tiny little Spearmint poking out of the clay. Soon it will be time for mint-infused gin & tonics!
Roman Chamomile that self seeded last year
Baby Nettle patch
Motherwort. One of my favorite herbs. Keeps my ticker in rhythm.
Lemon Balm patch coming back for the 3rd year in a row (not bad for living at elevation in a dry climate)
Lady's Mantle. On the north side of the house, so it can get some shade
Wee Hollyhock. Beautiful and useful in our low-humidity climate
Dandelion. I deliberately plant weeds in my garden...I use them. This one's been around for a year. Letting the root get nice and big!
Bleeding Heart that I thought I killed
Chives. These guys didn't take long to come back
Buds on the Hawthorn planted last year
Everyone else is still laying low. Stay tuned…
Bottom's up! Yes, those are elrenmeyer flasks they're using to drink their Dandelion tea...
Goodies at the end of the day!
Chopping Oregon Grape root
Fresh Oregon Grape root
Freshly pressed Calendula-infused olive oil
Calendula salve from our infused oil
Rose Hip glycerite in progress
Rose Hip glycerite, ready to go
Roasted Dandelion root & Cinnamon decoctionBottom's up!
Beautiful day for medicine making!
A day of wildcrafting, tincturing, infused oils, herb vinegars (and algebra....)
Weighing out dry herbs for tincture making
Grinding Burdock root