Early summer herbs that have been holding me
We’ve made it to June, and this is the season I seem to look forward to all year long. It is the time of year when nature is in her full expression, the nectar is flowing, and the peak of summer heat has not arrived quite yet. Our schedules are incredibly busy and I personally feel like my attention span is being tugged at in a million different directions. I have been moving through stressful times, between my Saturn return and managing health issues with my animals. It’s easy to get carried away in the swirl of that early summer mood, and with all the buzz it’s particularly harder to slow down in such a fleeting and delicate window. These are the seasonal herbs that have been supporting me right now, and it’s no coincidence they all bring a sense of ease and calm.
MILKY OATS: Yes, the same plant that makes up your morning oatmeal, Avena sativa, has historically been a hallmark species in the herbal world as a nervous system restorative. Traditional healers and Eclectic physicians in the 19th century treasured the freshly squeezed, milky white sap of immature seed heads for treating nervous exhaustion and anxiety. In his 1919 text, “The American Materia Medica”, Ellingwood describes the medicine as being a “remedy of great utility in loss of nerve power and in muscular feebleness from lack of nerve force.” The milky sap is specifically known as being a trophorestorative, meaning it repairs nervous tissue from states of depletion, burnout, and stress by deeply nourishing and toning said tissues.
Avena sativa is an easy plant to grow in your garden or neglected corner of a yard. It provides usefulness beyond just the milky sap though. The leaves and stalks can be harvested and dried as oatstraw, for a nutritive tea rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, and silica. It can be grown as a cover crop, to help protect and rebuild soils. It can be chopped and dropped and used as mulch, providing nutrients and water retention. You’ll know the milky oat tops are ready for harvest when you squeeze one of the seed heads and a thick milky liquid oozes out. This is one of the few plants where it is best to tincture fresh in order to capture this ephemeral medicine. Fill a jar with the milky oat tops and cover with 75% cane alcohol (I like to blend them together in my vitamix to really release all of the milky sap from the seeds). Let sit for two weeks and strain through a fine mesh filter or nut milk bag. Dosing is unique to each individual, so start with a dropperful and see how you feel and increase from there. This is a food-like, energetically neutral herb, so larger doses can be tolerated well. However, excessive use of tincture can cause headaches, and people with gluten sensitivity may want to avoid non-alcohol extractions like tea.
ROSE: Recently I led a plant journey centered around the rose. We made four rose elixirs using different parts of the rose plant combined with apple cider vinegar and honey, and sampled the medicine together. It was quite profound how the differences in preparation led to such distinct medicines in taste and effect. The fresh petals were more sweet and moistening, while the dried petals (from the same plant) made a stronger, more drying, and astringent tonic. The rosehips created a more demulcent, syrup-like consistency, with a tart and almost bitter flavor. What makes rose medicine special to me is its combined affinity for the heart and the nervous system. After sampling the medicines together during the workshop, we all felt a shared sense of deep calm and relaxation as well as expansion in the chest and openness in the heart space. Our pulses were stronger, yet our bodies were more relaxed. I think this speaks to the heart of rose medicine, it is soft, it is gentle, but it is not weak. Just like how the plant itself is protected with thorns, rose medicine teaches us in such a delightful way, that we can be soft and strong at the same time. Some of my favorite ways to take rose are as a tea, powder, tincture, syrup, or honey paste. Her antioxidant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, and nervine tonic properties can all be gleaned from those preparations. There is much to say about rose, so look out for a dedicated article that gives her all the attention she deserves.
LEMONBALM: Lemonbalm is one of those plants that I am consistently running out of. It is one of my most used herbs, and for good reason. It has a true uplifting quality about it, yet it is also a mild sedative. This makes it a perfect ally for stress and anxiety. I find it is just relaxing enough to take the edge off, but not so calming that it will make me sleepy during the day. It is another mild herb with profound effects. It is known as a vasodilating hypotensive, meaning it widens the blood vessels, which naturally drops blood pressure as it reduces systemic vascular resistance. It is also a cooling plant, which can be very beneficial during the warm summer months. Its latin name, Melissa officinalis, comes from the special relationship this plant has with honeybees, as Melissa, is the Greek word for honey bee. For centuries, beekeepers have used the herb to attract swarms, calm bees, and encourage hives to stay localized. In medieval Europe, lemon balm was often planted near beehives to encourage honey production and ensure a steady supply of honey for medicinal and culinary purposes.
When harvesting lemon balm it is best to make two cuts: one in early summer before flowering, and another haircut once it grows back and is about to flower again. I’m excited to see how my new bee colonies are attracted to the lemon balm in my garden this year. I harvested some yesterday to dry for teas and for making syrup to add to a nervous system tincture. The fresh leaves also make an amazing pesto.
I often find myself being ushered into new seasons of life by the plants themselves. Taking herbs that are in season and growing in the local environment is such a special way to foster a living connection to the land, but also be reassured in knowing that despite all of the changes, the plants, and the earth, will always be there to hold you. Sending you all summer sweetness
~ Emma
