15 Comments

A comprehensive look at one of my favorite herbs!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks! After I published, I realized I forgot the ecosystem services section this month. I may have to add it in post-production :)

Expand full comment

I'm definitely interested in that subject too!

Expand full comment

Thank you for this information. I only knew of some of it, so the rest is enlightening!

Expand full comment
author

Gladly Yana, we can know these plants on so many layers. I learn quite a lot every time I write these and I am almost always choosing plants I am quite familiar with.

Expand full comment

I would so love to make a SJW tincture (or anything) that would help my friend who lives with chronic pain in her face and head. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection on it.

Expand full comment
author

We still have some blooming that you could pick if you’d like, otherwise, you might just check out Heather’s website, I know she has some nerve pain salve and I think she has St. John’s wort tincture. https://www.herbanalchemymedicaments.com/shop

Expand full comment

I would love to choose Option A, but Option B is a great idea!

Expand full comment

This made me look out the window at my prairie to see if there are any yellow pops of color, yet. My MN oxeye is in bloom, but the St. John's wort has yet to show its petals. Thanks for providing some ideas to do with it besides admire its beauty!

Expand full comment
author

Hmm, our St. John’s wort started blooming June 19, our black-eyed Susan’s are going full steam, and bee balm and anise hyssop are just getting going. Maybe this is a rest year for your SJW plants.

Expand full comment

Wow. None of that is blooming here. I have a field of Queen of the Prairie currently in bloom. I didn’t plant it. My guess is it was along for the ride when I planted other things as plugs. The area with St John’s wort is becoming shaded by river birch trees. I noticed today how much they’ve grown. My ecosystems are shifting!

Expand full comment

I love how thorough and magical this article is! SJW is one of my favourite herbs and as mentioned by another, I appreciate the use cases from ancient and traditional practices. I’m looking forward to diving into more of your writing!

Expand full comment
author

Thank you Sylvia! I was so happy to have found the info on uses from other traditions too, understanding the approaches of different healing modalities is so fascinating to me. I’ll definitely add searching for TCM, traditional islamic, and ancient greek uses to my list of standard searches for this series going forward, though I suspect it’s hard to find about a lot of plants. Stay tuned, I believe motherwort is next on the agenda in early August.

Expand full comment
Jul 2Liked by Amy Walsh

I love how you included the traditional usage from so many different cultures 🌼 St John’s Wort was the first plant who taught me about nature’s timing. The first year I gathered flowers for oil and tincture from a beautiful wild meadow I would frequent. The plants were abundant…everywhere really. The next year they were completely absent save a few. Other herbalists I met that summer commented how their St John’s wort “patch” was absent that year. And then two or three years later it was abundant once again. The deeper I moved into relationship with plants, I noticed that this is actually common, not something unique only to St John’s Wort. I love that wild wisdom, knowing when to flower in abundance, and when to enjoy being a seed of potential.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks Emma, I have to credit the Iranian doctors who wrote a lovely review about St. John's wort. I usually find that info tough to track down. I love what you are saying about how when we are in the same place for a long time, we see the pattern of this plant arrives, then this one, so you're always greeting an old friend. And the cycles of productivity of plants that are related to inputs like sun, nutrients, and water, our gratitude and reciprocity as well, and something innate that feels in it's body when to rest and when to bloom.

Expand full comment