Roses: Petals of the Heart

Roses evoke feelings of love, passion, romance, friendship, optimism (rose-colored glasses) and prosperity (a bed of roses). Close your eyes and think of roses. What do you sense? A rose garden? A wild bramble of delicate flowers on a country road? A meadow of wild flowers? A bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day? Do you hear a favorite love song or poem? Smell the scent of rose oil (liquid gold)? Feel the soft, velvety petals?

Roses are one of the world’s most ancient, ubiquitous and beloved flowers. The fragrance emitted from the flower lifts the spirits and is a primary ingredient in most perfumes and personal care products. Roses are used culinarily – most commonly in the form of rose water. And they have been used medicinally for millennia. Many varieties still grow wild while thousands of hybrids have been cultivated. The love of roses has not abated. Competitions for the perfect rose are held. Americans purchase over 1.2 billion cut roses annually and gardeners plant approximately 150 million rose plants worldwide. Explore the divine world of roses with me.

The Elusive Rose

Roses (family Rosaceae, genus Rosa) belong to one of the largest and most complex botanical families on earth. They are an ancient flower; fossil remains from 55 million years ago have been found. They are grown as erect bushes, climbing or trailing shrubs with prickles commonly known as thorns. Genus Rosa includes 150 species with new hybrids continually emerging.

Part of the confusion in understanding and categorizing roses is due to their adaptability. According to Brittanica:

Roses from different regions of the world hybridize readily, giving rise to types that overlap the parental forms, and making it difficult to determine basic species. Fewer than 10 species, mostly native to Asia, were involved in the crossbreeding that ultimately produced today’s many types of garden roses.

Specialists generally categorize roses into three groups: Wild or Species Roses, Old Garden Roses, and Modern Roses.

The Ancient World Fell in Love with Roses

Would Jove appoint some flower to reign, in matchless beauty on the plain, the Rose (mankind will all agree) The Rose the queen of flowers should be.

Sappho (630 – 570 BCE)

Wild roses spread along well-travelled trade routes. Approximately 5,000 years ago, China began cultivating roses.  Confucius wrote of growing roses in the Imperial Gardens about 500 B.C. and mentioned that the emperor’s library contained hundreds of books on the subject of roses. Cultivated roses spread westward into the Middle East and Europe.

The ancient civilizations of Persia, Greece, Egypt and Rome literally fell in love with the cultivated rose. The Persian King Nebuchadnezzar is said to have slept on a mattress filled with rose petals. Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra welcomed Marc Antony in a room filled knee deep in rose petals. Ancient Greeks and Romans associated roses with the goddess of love Aphrodite (Greek) and Venus (Roman). According to Greek legend, Aphrodite created the rose from her tears and the blood of her lover Adonis. The rose became the symbol of love and beauty. Roman nobility filled their baths with rose water and feasted while seated on carpets of rose petals. Rose petals were used as confetti at festivals and weddings. Newly married couples wore crowns of roses. Roses were used in cosmetics then as now – for their anti-aging properties and divine fragrance.

Old Garden (Antique) Roses

After the fall of Rome, Europeans continued to tend their roses – both native and cultivated hybrids. Medieval European monasteries and abbeys were centers of healing and contemplation. They grew culinary and medicinal plants, including roses. As Julia Lawless wrote in The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils:

The healing virtues of the rose have been known since antiquity and although roses are rarely used in herbal practice nowadays, up to the Middle Ages they played an essential part in the materia medica, and still fulfil an important role in Eastern medicine. They were used for a wide range of disorders, including digestive and menstrual problems, headaches and nervous tension, liver congestion, poor circulation, fever (plague), eye infections and skin complaints.  

The world’s oldest living rose bush dates to the Middle Ages and is thought to be 1000 years old. The Rose of Hildesheim is a Wild Dog Rose and continues to bloom on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.

Once again, new hybrids were traded to Europe from the Middle East and Asia. According to Wikipedia:

The French Crusader Robert de Brie, who took part in the Siege of Damascus in 1148 at the second crusade, is sometimes credited for bringing the Damask rose from Syria to Europe. 

The yellow Persian rose was traded extensively and reached Vienna sometime in the 16th century. From there, it slowly gained popularity across Europe for its color and fragrance.

Antique roses all date to before 1867, the year of the introduction of the first hybrid tea rose. Since roses have been hybridized since ancient times, there are thousands of tough, long-living antique hybrids. Antique roses emit a strong-scented fragrance and bloom once per season. They are hardy and disease resistant. Understandably, Antique Roses are sometimes misidentified as Wild Roses.

Modern Garden Roses

Roses continued to be cultivated and revered in Asia and by 1759 the Chinese Rose (Rose chinensis) was introduced to the west. Guillot, a French rose breeder introduced the first hybrid tea rose, known as La France in 1867. Thus began the era of the Modern Garden Rose. They bloom most of the summer with elegant buds and large blooms. Modern Roses have become so popular that they dominate in most gardens. More than 10,000 hybrid teas had been bred by the late 20^th century. They are less hardy than Wild Roses and Old Garden Roses and require more care.

Stop and Smell the Roses

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.

Chinese Proverb

Roses emit a rich and deep sweet-floral and slightly spicy aroma. The smell of roses can calm your mind and boost your mood. Because of their lovely, deep aroma, roses are used extensively in aromatherapy. The Damascus Rose (Rosa damascene) is the most popular rose for the production of essential oil, fragrances and cosmetics. Aromatherapy is the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants (flowers, herbs, trees) to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit. Scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. It takes about 5,000 pounds of rose petals to make a pound of rose essential oil. The world leader in growing Damascus Roses and producing the best rose oil is Bulgaria, particularly the Rose Valley.

Common ways to use rose essential oil includes:

• In the bath, use rose water, rose petals or bath salts made with rose essential oil. Rose blends well with many other essential oils.
• Use a room diffuser, or simply simmer plant materials in water on the stove top.
• With a carrier oil (almond, sesame, coconut, jojoba, avocado) in massage oil, lotions, soaps and other beauty and bath products.

Health Benefits of the Rose

According to Bill Laws writing in Fifty Plants That Changed the Course of History:

Then there was the pale pink hedgerow rose (R. canina). Good for treating rabid dog bites, its leaves served as a laxative, it seeds as a diuretic, and its hips were such a rich source of vitamin C, that during World War II British school children were sent out to hunt them out. (They returned with ) an annual harvest of 250 tons [226 tonnes})

The skin is an organ of absorption. Plant medicines are absorbed through the skin in oils, lotions, salves and balms. Rose oil, and rose water are recognized for their benefits to skin including:

• Moisturizing emollient that soothes skin irritations make it a great ingredient in massage oils, face creams, lotions and hair conditioners.
• Harmonizes all skin types and balances the skin’s pH – rosewater and distilled water or witch hazel make a great skin toner or astringent.
• Full of antioxidants that help regenerate skin tissue.
• Full of Vitamins A, C, D and E help minimize wrinkles and aid in collagen production.
• One of the most antiseptic essential oils. The tonic and soothing qualities make it well-suited to mature, dry or sensitive skin.

Rose water combined with witch hazel is soothing and cooling on a hot summer day. Spray rose water on your face to start your day refreshed. Rose oil makes a wonderful base for lotions and soaps. I have made rose oil and rose water, as well as potpourri, bath salts, lotions and soaps. I dry blossoms from my garden roses and infuse them in oil (rose oil) or distilled water (rose water).  So can you! I found these easy-to-follow instructions for rose oil and rose water online.

Ayurveda and the Rose

The rose is a medicinal herb according to Ayurveda. They are classified as sweet, bitter, hydrating, oily and cooling. In addition to the uses listed in the previous section, rose water is used in biryani, drinks, teas and desserts while rose petals are sipped in tea. Ingesting roses helps reduce inflammation, balance digestion, reduce stress, support heart health, and nurture skin. Roses are considered rasayana (the path of essence) and aid us on the journey towards a long and healthy life.

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Thank you Laura Kraft for the illustration of a rose trellis.

Grow Mellow with Mint

My favorite herb is mint. Soft to the touch it carpets the earth in soothing shades of green. It is sweetly aromatic, cooling, calming and enhances the flavor of many foods and recipes. Mint is one of the most useful and beneficial plants on earth. Not only does mint taste and smell lovely, but it is also good for us and for the soil. According to Gardening Know How:

Because mint forms runners, it is an excellent plant for use in areas that need soil stabilization. The densely matted runners will help prevent erosion and sediment runoff.

What can be more refreshing on a sweltering day than a cold mint and lime drink? My personal favorite is a cup of peppermint tea and a good book on a rainy afternoon. Mint chocolate chip is one of the most popular flavors of ice cream and I must agree. Mint is also used to flavor savory foods, especially lamb. And mint makes a great chutney. We freshen our breath with mint toothpaste, our hair and skin with mint shampoo and soaps, and our homes with mint-based room fresheners. No wonder catnip, a member of the mint family sends cats into fits of pleasure.

What is Mint?

Lamiaceae (family) Mentha (genus) is an aromatic perennial herb with hundreds of varieties. Common varieties are spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, apple mint and orange mint. There are hundreds of varieties. When grown close together, mint types cross-pollinate and create new varieties making the variations unlimited! Each variety has a slightly different taste. I grow several varieties of mint and they do vary in flavor. Pineapple mint adds a light, citrus quality to a summer fruit salad.

Mint belongs to a larger family containing many of our beloved culinary herbs. I remember the first time I dipped a crusty piece of bread into fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella in a bath of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I grow Mediterranean herbs in the Lamiaceae family in my herb spiral – oregano, thyme, marjoram, lavender and sage. I use fresh herbs in the summer and fall, and dried during the winter and early spring. I have such a profusion, that I leave a fair amount to flower for the bees and butterflies to enjoy. Their buzzing amongst the sweet smells of herbs makes my heart sing.

History and Origin of Mint

Native to the eastern Mediterranean, mint gets its name from the Greek story of a beautiful naiad named Minthe and her flirtation with the Greek god of the underworld,  Hades. When Hades’ wife Persephone discovered that the lovely Minthe had caught her husband’s eye, she became enraged and transformed Minthe into the mint plant. Hades could not reverse the spell, so he bestowed a lovely aroma upon Minthe, ensuring she would always be noticed. The story of Minthe validates the importance and longevity of mint in ancient Greece.

According to Greek Mythology Wiki:

In ancient Greece, mint was used in funerary rites, together with rosemary and myrtle, and not simply to offset the smell of decay; mint was an element in the fermented barley drink called the kykeon that was an essential preparatory entheogen for participants in the Eleusinian mysteries, which offered hope in the afterlife for initiates.

Mint in the Garden

Mint is easy to grow in the Pacific Northwest. So easy, that I recommend growing it in a contained space to avoid overspreading…. Or use it as a groundcover. The plants enjoy a damp soil and prefer partial sun to shade. Since most mints are perennials, they return year after year. Mint is shallow-rooted and requires loose-textured soils for good root penetration and growth.

Plants from the mint family have a unique stem structure. The stems are square and not round like most plants. Some mints have variegated or fuzzy leaves. Crush mint leaves and take a deep breath of the unmistakable aroma. Harvest leaves from spring through fall.

Masses of Mints

With all of the demand for mint flavoring and mint essential oils, the two most popular mints – peppermint and spearmint are grown in mass quantities. In 2010 the United States produced 8.6 million pounds. Top producers are Oregon, Washington and Idaho. I have driven along acres and acres of mint fields inhaling the sweet aroma. Ahhhh!

Medieval writers agreed: Gerard, in further praise of the herb, tells us that ‘the smelle rejoiceth the heart of man, for which cause they used to strew it in chambers and places of recreation, pleasure and repose, where feasts and banquets are made.’

Culinary Uses

Mint tastes sweet and produces a lingering cool effect on the tongue. Fresh leaves are more potent in flavor and scent than are dried mint leaves.

Peppermint is aptly named and has a stronger flavor than spearmint. Peppermint was originally a cultivated hybrid propagated before the 17^th century in England and now cultivated worldwide. It is grown and processed into peppermint oil, which is used to flavor baked goods and candies, including chocolate.

Mint sauces and jellies are made of the milder-flavored spearmint. Fresh mint leaves are usually cut in ribbons (chiffonade) and added to recipes. Crushed (muddled) leaves and stalks release more flavor into a drink. Dried mint leaves can be added to a sauce or stew as it simmers.

I grow peppermint, spearmint, pineapple mint, lemon balm and recently planted apple mint. Spearmint and lemon balm both add a light citrus minty flavor to summer fruit salads. I prefer peppermint for my herbal tea. I learned to add crushed lemon balm to muffins in a Wild Edible Foods class years ago. This summer I plan to make Jal Jeera, a refreshing drink popular in India.

Healing properties

Mint is used to soothe sore throats and is an ingredient in throat lozenges. Peppermint is one of the oldest and best tasting home remedies for indigestion. According to WebMD: Taking peppermint oil reduces abdominal pain and helps treat irritable bowel syndrome without producing side effects. 

Aromatherapy

Mint has been used as an aromatic since ancient times. People rubbed it on their dining tables, spread it on the floor, burned it for incense, added it to their baths and served it in tea. 

The mint plant produces oils in specialized glands on their leaves and stems. Mint essential oils are produced by steam distilling the harvested plants. Julia Lawless, writing in The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils summarized the actions of peppermint essential oil:

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiphlogistic, antipruritic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, astringent, carminative, cephalic, cholagogue, cordial, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hepatic, nervine, stomachic, sudorific, vasoconstrictor, vermifuge.

I have used peppermint and spearmint in the creation and production of lotions, soaps and bath salts. I hope you enjoy my foot soak recipe.

The yard was full of tomato plants about to ripen, and mint, mint, everything smelling of mint, and one fine old tree that I loved to sit under on those cool perfect starry California October nights unmatched anywhere in the world.

~ Jack Kerouac

The Hawthorn Tree – A Gift for the Ages

Hawthorn in bloom on the day of our wedding.

When I think of our wedding anniversary, I think of Hawthorns – always in bloom right about now. And they are a perfect symbol of our marriage – a bit thorny, with a passionate ruby-red fruit to heal the heart; at home in an urban setting as well as the countryside; unpretentious blossoms with a mild and pleasant fragrance providing pollen for insects in the spring, feeding birds in the fall and sheltering wildlife in the winter. Traditionally the Hawthorn tree is a symbol of love and the union of marriage. The blossoms are a harbinger of spring.

This May Day, as I ambled through a local park, I came upon a young woman with a basket of hawthorn branches and flowers. I asked her what she was going to make, and she answered medicine. What type? A tincture, she replied. Tinctures are not my thing, so I plan to make a simple blossom infusion. The young and tender leaves and flowers can also be eaten in salads.

May’s natural wedding veil.

Botanical Description

The Hawthorn is one of the most beautiful trees in the Rose family, native to Europe, northwest Africa, western Asia and naturalized throughout North America. The common name includes two distinctive qualities of the tree – its thorn and its fruit – the haw. The botanical name, Crataegus monogyna derives from the Greek word for strength (Kratos) in recognition of its hard wood, longevity, resilience, and healing properties.

Hawthorns are fast growing, small trees, with a dense crown. They can reach 30 feet and are commonly used in hedgerows. The young twigs are reddish with small leaves and thorns. Flowers grow in clusters, consisting of five petals. Most hawthorn blooms are creamy white, others are a lovely shade of pink. Hawthorns can live to an incredibly old age and tolerate a wide range of environments and conditions. Some claim a tree in England was planted in the 13^th century.

One of the many Hawthorns in our nearby park.

Legends of the Hawthorn

One variety of Hawthorn is known as the Glastonbury Thorn and blooms twice a year, once around the time of the Winter Solstice and again around Easter. Glastonbury Thor is believed to be the resting place of King Arthur. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea, the great uncle of Jesus fled Jerusalem with twelve companions and the Holy Grail after the crucifixion. Thirty years later, they found their way to Glastonbury and climbed Wearyall Hill. Before they rested for the night (Christmas Eve), Joseph planted his staff into the ground. By Christmas morning the staff had not only taken root but sprouted and bloomed into the Glastonbury Thorn Tree. Although the original tree is gone, it lives on from sprouts carefully planted on the same spot. Beginning in the early 17th century, a winter blooming branch was sent to Queen Anne. The tradition continues today. It is said the Queen decorates her breakfast table each Christmas morning with a sprig from the Glastonbury Thorn Tree.

In Ireland, the Hawthorn is known as the Wishing Tree, and on May Eve candles are lit and ribbons festooned on branches. Each color has its own meaning – red or pink for love, blue for protection, green for wealth and violet for spiritual insight.

The blooming of Hawthorn marks Beltane – halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. If you sit beneath a Hawthorn tree on May Eve, you just might hear the Fairy Queen horse’s bells as she rides by in the grand procession of wee folk. A Hawthorn tree stripped of its branches and crowned with flowers has been used as the center pole for many gleeful May Day dances.

The Hawthorn – a Healing Tree

The healing properties of Hawthorns have been known since time immemorial. It was believed that a great nature spirit imbued the tree with magical healing powers. Ancient healers used all parts of the tree to prepare herbal medicines. The Greek herbalist Dioscorides described its use as a heart medicine in the first century AD. Many refer to the fruit as a berry, but it is a small, oval dark red pome containing a single seed – like an apple or a pear. Haws can be eaten raw, but are more commonly made into elixirs, tinctures, jams, jellies, wines, and syrups. Writing in 1649, Nicholas Culpeper noted that the haw was used as a heart tonic and increased the muscular action of the heart.

Today, Hawthorn is a common herb in Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The haw is rich in antioxidants named bioflavonoids and proanthocyanins, benefiting the heart and improving blood flow through the blood vessels. Antioxidants also boost the immune system. The fruit is also rich in fiber and aids in digestion. The flowers contain Vitamin C and are antibacterial.

Ayurveda and the Hawthorn

According to Drs. David Frawley and Vasant Lad, writing in the Yoga of Herbs, Hawthorn is sour with a heating quality. It reduces Vata and increases Pitta and Kapha if taken in excess. The fruit stimulates circulation and digestion and strengthens heart muscles. Actions in the body are stimulant, carminative, antispasmodic, and diuretic. Hawthorn can be beneficial for heart palpitations, and heart problems related to aging and sluggish digestion. Since Hawthorn promotes longevity it is classified as a rasayana herb. By promoting digestion, Hawthorn helps remove accumulated and undigested food (ama). For some, it may aggravate Pitta and create excess heat in the body.

Hawthorn can be taken with small amounts of cardamom and cinnamon in a gentle heart and digestive tonic. Precautions include pregnant and breastfeeding women and those with ulcers and colitis.

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How right it is to love flowers and the greenery of pines and ivy and hawthorn hedge;

they have been with us from the very beginning.

~ Vincent Van Gogh

A Brief History of Three Beloved Herbs

The study of herbalism is deep, complex and ancient. Over 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians listed hundreds of medicinal plants on clay tablets. The ancient Ayurvedic texts written over 1,000 years ago describe medicinal plants as well as preparations from mineral and animal sources. Much of herbal wisdom is transmitted orally – from mother to daughter and from one herbalist to another. Yet our relationship with plants is direct and personal. We each experience a plant’s healing qualities according to our constitution, age and overall health.  And each plant’s energetics depends upon the environment where it was grown, the seasonality of the harvest and the gardening/farming techniques employed. Modern herbalism includes scientific research on the chemical constituents of medicinal plants. According to a 2008 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, nearly 1 in 5 Americans reported using herbal products. Much of the current research reinforces the ancient wisdom of our ancestors.

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

Many of us are unaware of the origins and uses of common herbs. For example, did you know that Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) was used in ancient Rome as a digestive? Fennel is native to Southern Europe and now grows extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, China, India, and Turkey. Today, we eat Fennel seeds following a meal for the same reason the Romans did in their day. Fennel is also used in toothpaste since it is a breath freshener. Bulb Fennel is a close relative to Seed Fennel and is used in salads, soups and other culinary recipes.

Many of us drink chamomile tea to feel calm and rest peacefully. Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1197 AD) recommended a porridge of chamomile, water and wheat flour to bring on menses.  Modern herbalists describe Chamomile (Anthemis floes; Maricaria chammilla) as a nervine, carminative, tonic, antispasmodic. It is still recommended to ease menstrual cramps and bring on menses.

Following is a description of three well-known herbs used since ancient times:

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The Latin name for Yarrow is derived from the story of Achilles, the Ancient Greek hero portrayed in Homer’s Iliad. Achilles was a student of the healing arts and Yarrow was his special ally. He dressed the wounds of his fellow soldiers with Yarrow to stop the bleeding. Achilles died of a mortal wound to his heel – the only part of his body not protected by Yarrow. To this day, we refer to our Achilles heel as our weak spot.

German mystic and healer Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179 AD) wrote about Yarrow in Physica:

“If a person has been wounded by a blow, the wound should be bathed in wine. Then Yarrow, cooked gently in water, and that water squeezed out, should be tied gently, while warm, over the cloth which covers the wound. It will take away the putrid matter and the ulcer from the wound, and the wound will be healed. He should contine to do this as long as it is necessary. But, after the wound begins to be drawn together and healed a bit, discard the cloth and place the Yarrow directly on the wound. It then heals completely.”

According to modern herbalist Leslie Tierra, Yarrow is an astringent, antiseptic and hemostatic. It is used to heal burns, cuts, bruises, and other wounds. It can be applied directly to the wound to stop bleeding or used in a bolus or salve.

Yarrow Salve is easy to make. This recipe is from Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies:

1. Steep yarrow leaves in olive or sesame oil for 6 weeks. Pack the leaves tight so that none are exposed. A glass canning jar is great for this use. You can skip this step and heat the leaves in the oil, then strain. I prefer to soak the herbs in oil.
2. Strain.
3. Heat oil to near boiling point. (Use glass or steel pans.)
4. Add beeswax – use 1-1/2 oz of beeswax for each pint of oil.
5. Add 1/2 t tincture of benzoin for each pint of oil. The tincture of benzoin is used as a preservative to keep your salve free of bacteria.
6. Put a small amount of salve in your refrigerator to test for firmness. If it does not set up to a nice consistency, reheat and add a little more beeswax.
7. Pour into labeled jars.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria Officinalis)

Lungwort (not to be confused with lungmoss) is one of my favorite herbs to grow. I love the delicate violet flowers and the spotted leaves.

It thrives in shady spots and adds an old-fashioned whimsical look to my garden. Wort is a very old word for a healing herb derived from Old English, Old High German and Old Norse. Lungwort, a member of the Borage family is thought to have originated in Central Europe. I can envision Lungwort growing in the herb garden of Bebenhausen Monastery long before the groomed gardens were installed. And I imagine a monk sipping lungwort tea to soothe a raspy cough on a cold winter morning.

According to the Doctrine of Signatures, herbalists believed that plants looked similar to the parts of the body they cured. To medieval healers, the leaves of the Lungwort resembled lungs. Writing in 1649, Nicholas Culpepper recommended Lungwort for coughs, wheezings and shortness of breath. He said it is drying and binding and will stop excessive bleeding including heavy menses. He described the astringent qualities of Lungwort:

“…. it can be used in lotions to stay the moist humours that flow to ulcers and hinder their healing. It is also used to wash ulcers of the privy parts.”

Marshmallow (Althea Officinalis: Malvaceae)

When we think of marshmallows, we may think of hot cocoa with puffy marshmallows on top, Rocky Road Ice Cream or Rice Krispie Treats®. Our love of marshmallows is long – the ancient Egyptians made a treat with marshmallow sap mixed with nuts and honey. But the marshmallow plant is more than an ingredient in confections – it is also a medicinal herb with many uses. Marshmallow is native throughout Europe, from Denmark southward. It grows naturally in salt marshes and damp meadows, by the sides of ditches, by the sea and on the banks of tidal rivers. Marshmallow is a tonic, diuretic, demulcent, emollient and is anti-inflammatory. Leslie Tierra writes that marshmallow is the best source of easily digested vegetable mucilage. It lubricates the body and protects it against irritation and dryness.

Writing in the 12th century AD, Trotula of Salerno recommended marshmallow in a treatment for sore eyes:

“For pain of the eyes, take marsh mallow, the herb of violets, tips of bramble, dried roses, vervain, and sermountain. (With this) forment the eyes in the evening, and make a plaster from the same herbs with white of egg, and apply it.”

Mallows were one of the most commonly used herbs in Medieval times. One of the many  remedies was a plaster made of mallow and sheep’s tallow to treat gout. Nicholas Culpepper wrote about a preparation to help cool fevers:

“The leaves and roots are boiled in water, with Parsle or Fennel roots and applied warm to the belly.”

Other uses include: reduces pain and swelling from bee stings; encourages the flow of milk in nursing mothers; and soothes sore throats. Marshmallow juice mixed with wine aids in a smooth labor and speedy delivery.  The roots boiled in wine or honey water soothes coughs, hoarseness, shortness of breath and wheezing.

Written with deep gratitude to the healers and herbalists throughout history. Thank  you for keeping the wisdom of plant medicines alive. And for keeping our families and communities healthy and whole.

And thanks to Mike and Kim for taking me to Bebenhausen, a Medieval German monastery built @ 1180 AD.