Healing with Plants: Natural Health Tips
While we love succulents, of course, we believe in the healing powers of ALL living plants! We thought a handy guide to the properties of some of our favorites could be a useful thing to reference.
Especially as we’re all beginning to move around again more, if you find yourself out at a Farmer’s Market or another health food store, these plants, some more common and some more obscure, are great to be on the lookout for. Rather than reaching for a bottle of medicine…maybe you’ll be able to just get it straight from a living plant nearby. :-)
ALOE VERA
One of our absolute favorites, especially with summer quickly approaching, is the Aloe Vera plant. It’s perfect for a kitchen windowsill, where you can easily snap off a stem and apply it to a burn. Those of us that are a bit accident prone would do well to have one nearby while cooking! Of course the liquid is also great for sunburns, and can be applied liberally post-exposure.
FORAGING: No need to find your own in the wild! We sell them in store! Shop here: https://thezensucculent.com/ourplants/haworthia-ds5b5
USE: Kitchen burns, sunburns, specific kinds can also be taken orally to aid digestion
HONEYSUCKLE
Can you smell that? We just have such a soft spot for honeysuckle and they are really beautiful for natural healing techniques. Traditional Chinese medicine views honeysuckle as a “cooling herb”, one that clears excess heat and toxicity from the body.
FORAGING: Find wild honeysuckle out in nature. Harvest the flowers before they open in the early morning, and use fresh.
USE: Infuse honeysuckle into honey or hot water to help relieve sore throats, headaches, and to cool hot flashes!
DANDELION
Our first introduction to Dandelion, besides just admiring wild ones out in the grass, was in “Dandy Tea” trying to quit caffeine for a time. It’s absolutely delicious, and tastes very similar to coffee! Of course the plant is everywhere, seen as a pesky weed by most (which can also be true) but its healing properties are also pretty amazing! The leaves are rich in potassium, and are frequently used to purify the body of toxins. A natural diuretic that helps cleanse the liver? We’ll take it.
FORAGING: Of course these plants are everywhere! A local friend with a garden would likely be THRILLED if you wanted to take them off their hands. The roots are best dug up in Autumn.
USE: Eat the leaves raw or blanched in a salad, or infuse fresh or dried leaves in tea. The dried roots are roasted to create the yummy dandy tea (shop here) we mentioned!
ECHINACAEA
Echinacea is a beautiful flower that is as healing as it is nice to look at! It’s healing properties have been used for hundreds of years, originating with Native American tribes. It’s probably most well known now for its immune boosting properties. We were taking a LOT as soon as the COVID craziness began last year, as it’s a good measure to support the body through any amount of fatigue or general weakening of the immune system.
FORAGING: Very unfortunately, wild echinacea is endangered. When purchasing, ensure it’s from herbal suppliers that source from commercially grown plants.
USE: Powered root in capsule form and tinctures are the easiest way to consume. Take them if you start to feel a cold or flu coming on to help the process. You can find them at health food stores, and even most groceries these days!