It is said that for every human disease, there’s a plant in nature that is its cure.
Or in the case of Satoshi Omura who discovered an anti-parasitic microbe in the soil and earned a Nobel prize for it, nature has cures for us not only in her plants but also in her fungi and her microbes. Let’s not get too carried away into all of nature’s cures and let’s focus on the ones that are so prevalent all around us.
Enter Mullein, Arnica and Yarrow.
Mullein is such an extraordinary plant in its healing properties for humans and the healing it does to disturbed soil. They are a pioneer plant and will quickly establish after soils have been disturbed by earthworks, fires or logging. They have deep roots which can re-stabilize the soil and their flowers attract a myriad of pollinators ranging from butterflies to beetles and bees. It is also very popular in xeriscaping as it does not need much water.
Most importantly for us, they are an incredible expectorant and have been used to treat lung conditions since time immemorial.
It is even said that mullein can be an ally in fighting tobacco addiction and many have substituted smoking its dried leaves instead of the latter.
Mullein is also very helpful in treating skin conditions such
as frostbite and bruising. Thank you Mama Mullein for all you do!
Another incredible bruise healer is the pretty yellow flowering plant known as Arnica. It grows wild throughout North America and is very distinguishable when it blooms in late Spring or early Summer with its very vivid yellow petals.
You can make it into a poultice while it is growing fresh or have it available all year by soaking the flowers in your favorite oil and making a long-lasting salve. It is a great
wound healer, anti-inflammatory for the skin and can be very soothing on achy muscles.
Just remember although Arnica is often classified as an herb, it is not to be consumed – only used topically to heal skin conditions. Thank you Mama Arnica for your potent medicine!
Last but not least let’s talk about that fluffy tufty magical plant known as Yarrow.
It’s another one of those plants that seems to be EVERYWHERE you look – even growing in sidewalk cracks in busy cities. Over time I’ve learnt that the plants that grow around us the most are usually the ones we need the
most.
So what does Yarrow do? We should be asking what doesn’t it do!? Here’s a short list of what yarrow is known to heal: IBS, wounds, skin inflammation, painful menstrual cycles, bacterial infections, respiratory illness, hemorrhoids and your run-of-the-mill colds and flu.
Yarrow is in the daisy family and if you look closely at its cluster heads of 4-6 flowers, you’ll see that each tiny flower looks like a miniature ¼ inch daisy.
Thank you Mama Yarrow for being so beautiful and contributing so much to our health!
Anna
YaMaY Botanicals
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