Turn edible peach flowers into this pretty springtime lemonade! It’s an ultra easy recipe that creates a single serving of naturally pink homemade lemonade. While ripe peaches are best known for being delicious fruits of summer, the peach tree itself can also be utilized year ’round. In Appalachian herbalism, peach leaves, flowers, and twigs are…
Native plants are vital to supporting local birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Learn how easy it is to grow a variety of native plants using the winter sowing method! In nature, wild plants produce flowers, then seeds, which naturally make their way to the ground and spend time over autumn and winter, experiencing lots of…
Learn how to identify and forage plantain, a common backyard weed, plus how to harvest, dry, and use it! The herbal weed we know as plantain belongs to the family Plantago – of which there are about 275 species worldwide. Some of the plantagos most commonly seen here in the United States are non-native, introduced…
Grow your own American ginseng from seeds (or rootlets). Learn where to buy seed, how to choose the best spots for planting, how to identify baby ginseng plants, and more! American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a valuable native plant that’s been used in herbal medicine throughout history. Because of its monetary value (mature roots sell…
This recipe for yellow squash patties is quick, easy, and delicious. They’re also super simple to make gluten free! A family favorite, this recipe comes straight from our late Grandma Tiny’s recipe collection. Our grandpa grew a ton of vegetables in his home gardens, and as a child of the Great Depression, Grandma let nothing…
Learn how to make traditional corn cob jelly, with a naturally colorful twist! This stunning scarlet jelly features Double Red, an heirloom sweet corn that’s loaded with anthocyanins – antioxidant rich plant pigments, similar to the ones found in blueberries. This year we grew a small test patch of Double Red heirloom sweet corn and…
Now that you’ve learned how to forage for St. John’s wort, let’s turn those flowers into an herbal oil and salve that’s helpful for tired muscles, sciatica, cold sores, shingles, or general aches and pains! If you haven’t read up about collecting this sunny summer herb, check out our article: Foraging St. John’s Wort: How…
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a common weed with beautiful yellow flowers that are well loved by pollinators and herbalists alike! Learn how to identify and when to harvest this herb – then check out our accompanying article for information on making St. John’s Wort infused oil and salve for aches and pains! Tips…
In this article, you’ll learn what the data says about ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora). Is it endangered? Edible? Poisonous? Find out the answers to all of your questions below! Around June 8 every year, we start finding Ghost Pipe (also called Indian Pipe), mainly around our creek area. This year so far, we’ve had a…
Learn how to use honeysuckle flowers to make tea, tincture, salve, jelly, and more! Benefits of Honeysuckle Japanese honeysuckle has been well studied for its ability to help the body clear viruses. It’s cooling, making it useful for hot, inflamed, and swollen conditions like sore throat and colds/flu. In Chinese medicine, the unopened flower buds…
Learn how to identify Japanese honeysuckle, an edible flower that can be used for tea, tincture, jelly, and more! Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a non-native species of honeysuckle that you’ll often find growing in the wild. The trumpet shaped edible flowers not only smell amazing, they have food and herbal medicine uses too! Because…
Tasty and nutritious, black locust flowers are only in bloom for about two weeks each spring. Here’s how to identify and harvest them, plus ideas for using! Black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia), also called false acacia, are native to southeastern United States, but have spread throughout North America and the rest of the world. You’ll…