If there is one thing that keeps people out of the woods, it is the fear of getting a rash from Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). So it’s good to know that there are both ways to avoid getting a reaction, and that there are many natural remedies
Read more →Candied Anise Hyssop Flowers Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a beautiful garden plant and a lovely tasting digestive herb. Though it makes a delicious tea, what’s even more fun is making a healthy candy and a multi-purpose syrup. This plant tastes like licorice but is actually in
Read more →(partly taken from the book, Southeastern Medicinal Plants, to be published by Timber Press, October 2021) Wildcrafting, meaning to harvest plants from the wild for food or medicine, has become very popular lately, as has herbal medicine in general. And it’s totally understandable – it feels so
Read more →Loving your Self I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that Valentine’s Day is a little strange. Modern culture already puts more value on romantic relationships than any other kind of relationship, so having one day focused on romance puts a lot of pressure on people
Read more →This week we said farewell to one of our generation’s most difficult years. But the times are still challenging, and we’re not out of the woods yet. It’s going to be a while before things go back to some semblance of normal, whatever this “new normal” holds
Read more →Staying Calm in Stressful Times Feeling anxious about politics, the pandemic, wildfires, and just 2020 in general? There’s plenty to be concerned about but anxiety never helped get anything done, it makes it harder to think clearly and make good choices. So here is my advice to
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This is CoreyPine writing, it’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself and with a new decade starting as well as our third decade teaching, it seemed like a good time to share a bit about who I am. Even more, I’d like to share my vision
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Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine has invited Olatokunboh Obasi, an African herbalist living in Puerto Rico, to teach in Asheville in early June. Olatokunboh offers a unique perspective often lacking in many herbal programs – an indigenous voice speaking to the parallels of colonialism of land
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A few weeks ago I was in Florida and was fortunate enough to find a good-sized stand of Prickly Ash trees (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), a plant that I’d been hoping to find during my trip. There was enough of it that I felt comfortable harvesting a few branches to bring back and make into tincture. As I was researching the herb to refresh my memory of its more obscure uses, I thought it would be a great to share with you. Both because it is an amazing and under-used herb but also it gives me a chance to talk about heating remedies and what they do.
Read more →There are more herbs for digestive issues than for just about any other issue, maybe because digestive problems are one of the most common complaints. Almost every herb we use in cooking has a beneficial effect on digestion, which is part of the reason we use them
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