Superheroes At Our Door

I was so excited the other day when I spotted a medicinal plant growing along a hedgerow on our property. I had studied this plant, called Boneset, on and off for several years through books, monographs and videos, never to see it in person.......Oh the mystery of it. I was like a little kid getting a surprise visit from a superhero I was never worthy to meet. This plant "had me at hello." I was so excited, I immediately took a selfie and posted my great discovery on social media (yep, the one you're looking at). My herb friends cheered my great discovery, as they know the secret superpowers of this and hundreds of other plants. What about the rest of my following? I am dedicating this blog post to honor the Superheroes most of us don't even notice. More horrifying, they are referred to as weeds and killed in very graphic ways, from pulling to poisoning. Sad face, sigh......

Plant medicine has been used for thousands of years. Let's face it, God made a garden before he made man. It provided everything we could possibly need. Food, shelter... and eventually clothing. You know the story. Even after we were banished from Eden, the plants seemed to follow. They kept showing up for us, so we could support ourselves during sickness and in health. We literally cannot survive without them. Trees are the lungs of the earth, they breathe in what we breathe out, and they breathe out what we breathe in. It's such an amazing relationship, it's no wonder our fingerprints look like tree rings.

You may be wondering why I was so enamored upon meeting Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum). Its leaf structure is noticeably different than most plants. It literally fuses around the stem of the plant which grows up to 5 feet tall. Native to North America, it has been historically employed in the U.S. to mitigate or remove fevers such as dengue fever (break bone fever) and malaria. During the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, it was employed to 1000 patients along with other herbs and had extremely good results. Only 5 individuals from this trial succumbed to their symptoms. Historical records have shown that white and indigenous practitioners have used it to support the healing process of broken bones. Impressed yet? I could go on as there are a host of other uses this plant has to offer. But I digress, you get the idea.

Natural healing has become a lost art that is starting to regain traction. At least in the United States. (Other countries never gave up their traditional methods completely.) Natures pharmacy has stood the test of time. As the popularity of herbs grows, we really have to be mindful of what we take. We live in a world that over consumes, and it is becoming detrimental to many of our plants. A list of At-Risk plants can be found at United Plant Savers (UPS) website (unitedplantsavers.org) that focuses on conserving plants, research and education.

So, when you see the dandelions poking up in the spring, are you going to anxiously mow them down so the yard looks green and pristine? Or let it go wild to gather up the bitter leaves and flowers to make salads and teas? Maybe dig up the roots for a healthy spring detox? Want to know more about these and other amazing plants? Stay tuned, I will be sharing their stories on my blog from time to time. In the meantime, here's a poem the plants inspired me to sit down and write:

"The stories that lie under the trees,

The weeds that whisper you by.

To stop and sit with them is to hear, a thousand years of time.

They plant in your heart a seed of truth if you quiet yourself and listen.

Helping you on your journey through, a life you have been missing.

"Take notice of us! We're here for YOU," but the business of life distracts you.

They have a purpose you see, to care for us, so we can care for them.

To share their stories is a gift, the future needs to hear.

Nature has and always will be,

God's perfect medicine."

-Stacey Cirillo