One herb comes immediately to mind, where the getting of
the herb was very much part of my experience with using the herb. For what could possibly bring one
closer to getting to know and “using” anything intimately, if one does not make
an encounter with that desirable wild thing – whatever it is- in its own
element, first. We’ve about all lost
those experiences of encountering wild things, including plants in their
element. Without those intimate experiences, I believe, we have lost our
appreciation of the full meaning and value of what we have in our hands before
us, because we haven’t experienced simply, getting it. For example, compare the
experience of opening a 1 pound plastic bag of cut and sifted Lemon Balm, to cutting
handfuls of fresh Lemon Balm growing in the filtered sunlight of a border
garden in late spring. Then, you know what I’m talking about.
So, it was true with Burdock. Large fuzzy-leaved and
intrusive in my garden scape surrounding my impressive deck, one spring I
decided it needed to go and I was going to get it. Get it all. Besides, what a
better time is there to dig it out, root and all, than spring? I had dug
Dandelion roots before, and I knew they were no small ticket for getting an
earth-bonding experience. I knew I could
handle this Burdock, or so I thought. I was ready. I grabbed my shovel and off
I started. Spadesful after spadesful I
worked around the thick-necked central tap root. Down, down I went into the
earth as I had to enlarge the circle as I went to loosen the hold that the soil
had on this massive root. Deeper and deeper down into the earth I carefully
shoveled to reach the narrowing end of the now branching taproot. Challenged not to prematurely break off the
tap root I carefully continued on and on into the afternoon of that bright
spring day.
Is there something about getting down to the “root of the
matter”, or finding the “root cause”, or the “root of the problem”? Is it no
wonder that roots are our source for solving problems? And, so it is true with
Burdock. “Burdock is truly a superior
tonic herb, both as a preventative and as a medicinal plant”, says Rosemary
Gladstar (1). Historically, Burdock has been traditionally used as a “blood
purifier”, and liver tonic. In fact, Burdock carries more antioxidant activity
than most vegetables and has demonstrated prebiotic properties that may improve
health (2). David Hoffman writes (3) and many herbalists agree that Burdock is
a valuable remedy for the treatment of skin conditions that result in dry and
scaly patches mostly effective for psoriasis if used over a long period of
time. Dr. Bove (4) includes Burdock in her herbal remedies for cradle cap, cold
sores and eczema for children. Deb Soule, a beloved herbalist of mine, from
Maine, writes that Burdock tea or tincture is nourishing for the liver and
kidneys and promotes digestion and appetite through the bitter stimulation of
digestive juices and the secretion of bile while it helps eliminate ingested
chemicals and waste materials (5). It
seems plain and simple: Roots are our roots for health maintenance and
well-being. So, how did I use that wild Burdock root that I spent all day
spading the soil for? I grated it fresh, and then, dried it, and, then put it
in a jar next to my stove in the kitchen. Over this past winter, I took a
handful, and would throw it into my stews in which I made many. I did it over
and over again. Its nutty earthy flavor penetrated the broth. No one
complained. Everyone heartily ate. The little grated roots tasted like ground
meat, frankly. No one knew. And, I didn’t tell. They didn’t need to know. And,
that was ok. Yes, experience it, to know, first.
References
1.
Gladstar, Rosemary. 2008. Rosemary Gladstar’s
Herbal Recipes for Bibrant Health. Storey Publishing.
3.
Hoffman, David. 2003. Medicinal Herbalism.
Healing Arts Press.
4.
Bove, Mary N. D. 2001. An Encyclopedia of
Natural Healing for Children and Infants. Mc Graw Hill.
5.
Soule, Deb. 1995. A Woman’s Book of Herbs: The
healing Power of Natural Remedies. Citadel Press.
