gathering & processing your own herbs

Whether you call it "wildcrafting" or "foraging", collecting one's own plants for use for food or herbal medicines is perhaps among the most empowering things a person can do, as it implies that they have taken the time and effort to learn about the virtues of the plant and how it might benefit them, how to identify it in its habitat or how to cultivate it in a garden, and how to prepare it as food or medicine.  It also implies that a person has chosen to take responsibility for their own health and well being, rather than entirely surrender that faculty to another.

There are, of course, many instances when self-diagnosis, and self-treatment are not good choices; they can indeed be dangerous.  There are always instances when seeking out a highly experienced practitioner is the best course of action, and it's good to remember that "holistic" is rooted in the word "whole", which means considering ALL options.  Even if you are natural medicine minded, remember that conventional medicine is a part of the whole implied by "holistic".  That being said, most of the herbs commonly used in herbal medicine pose little risk and much potential benefit if used from a place of educated understanding.  While nothing is inherently safe for everyone (some people are severely allergic to strawberries), there are many herbs outside your doorstep (often literally outside your doorstep) that can improve your health without risking it.  One simply needs to discover what they are.

There are, however, things that need to be learned about the practice of gathering plants so that you not only obtain the most potent and effective herbs possible, but also do not harm the plant populations themselves or needlessly take the life of the plants that you gather.

I often think that there are two 1st rules of wildcrafting.  The first 1st rule is:

Be absolutely positive that the plant you're gathering is what you think it is.
Never, never, never, ingest a plant of uncertain identity.  This means not only knowing what the plant you intend to gather looks like, but knowing what other plants might look like it.  What follows is a true story regarding this matter.

Some acquaintances came across what they believed were young cattail roots at the edge of a pond.  Knowing that cattails are a virtual natural grocery store and that all parts are edible, they both ate small portions of the root.  Within the hour they both felt very ill and spent the next several hours with severe diarrhea and vomiting.  The plant they had eaten was not cattail, but blue flag (Iris veriscolor). Imagine several hours of severe vomiting and diarrhea.  Sounds unpleasant, right?  Now consider that this is really a lucky experience.  Had they confused water hemlock for angelica or foxglove for mullein, they might both be dead.  This story isn't stated to scare anyone, it's just a part of what we need to know so we can forage safely and responsibly, and not harm ourselves or others.  It is just as important to be aware of and know how to identify the dangerous plants in our ecosystem as the ones we want to use as food or medicine.

While phone based plant identification apps are very useful tools, never rely on them as a sole source for identification.  I know of MANY instances of plant ID apps misidentifying deadly poisonous species.  A good rule of thumb when using them is to take multiple pictures from different angles of the same plant to look for discrepancies.  Then, if you have a seemingly solid ID, double check that conclusion with other, non-app sources.  Don't just try to know what a plant is, try to know why that conclusion makes sense... are the leaves opposite or alternate?  How many petals to the flowers have?  Are the stems hairy or smooth?   Marc N. Williams is an awesome botanist (and human) and offers a sliding scale/donation based online botany class that is absolutely worth checking out.

The other 1st rule of wildcrafting is:

Always gather plants in a way that's sustainable to the plants and ecosystems they exist in.
Sustainability of plant species is always more important than your "needs".  Never not harvest so many plants that you threaten the continuation of that population.  Learn which plants are legally endangered or threatened in your area and don't use those.  Some other plants also might be protected but not be legally endangered or threatened.  Some plants might be rare in your area.  Some plants might be locally abundant in a certain area but not regionally; let those be.  Some plants may grow in especially sensitive habitats; let those be.  Gather roots after seeding, scatter seeds, replant crowns and learn to harvest rhizomes without pulling the growing portion of the plant from the ground.  Even better, learn to wild cultivate the plants that you use so that you not only don't hurt their populations, you help sustain them. Join the United Plant Savers, a group dedicated to protecting at risk native medicinal plant species from habitat loss and over-collection.  Learn what plants are endangered, threatened or at risk and only use organically grown or wild cultivated varieties.  Support herbalists and herb companies that stress conservation and cultivation of threatened plants.  Even if a plant seems to exist in great abundance, look ahead and assess whether it has become very popular and what its growing cycle is and whether it can really be collected en mass... remember that even the passenger pigeon that blackened the skies was wiped out, so maybe that seemingly endless expanse of ramps could be as well. Abundance ≠ sustainability.  All of these efforts and practices mean much more to the plants than throwing some tobacco on the ground when you pick them (although I do strongly encourage taking a moment before gathering any plant to offer thanks, respect, and to determine whether it "feels right" to collect it - it doesn't always).  By caring for the plant populations and the land that they grow on, we nurture them, and reinforces the systems of interdependence that nature is rooted in.  Wildcrafting and foraging require a commitment of stewardship.

It is also important to know when to gather plants in order to collect them at their most potent stage of growth.  Often, you'll see the idea time to gather plants listed by season, or time of day.  This can indeed be important, but isn't decisive.  I think one of the best to asses and ensure an herbs potency is to know what qualities you're looking for in it.  If the herb's virtues lie in its aromatic nature, how strongly does it smell?  If it's used as a bitter, does it taste bitter at the time you're collecting it?  If a plant is going to be used as an astringent, can you feel a sensation of tightening and drying if you nibble on a bit?  If it's a moistening demulcent, can you taste/feel it's sliminess?  These qualities, to me, take precedence over what season or time of day some book says I'm supposed to gather it in.  I try to taste and feel stuff throughout the seasons to get a sense of which herbs hold their virtues throughout the year, versus which change along with the seasons.

That said, here are some general guidelines that make sense with regards to "when" stuff should be collected.

Greens: The leaves, stems, and above ground portion of many plants are often considered to be in their prime at or just before flowering. It's best to gather greens after the sun has evaporated the dew away, when the sun is getting high in the sky, and, if the plant is aromatic, before the plant has spent too much time under the hot sun. As an example, I gather goldenrod just as the plant has gone to flower, collecting some tops with flower buds, and some tops with the flowers just opened.  An exception to this might be lobelia, which is ideally collected when there are still some fresh flowers at the top of the plant, but ripe seedpods formed at the bottom of the flowering stalk. Some plants seem to retain their virtues thought the day and year. Again, if you can, taste for the qualities you're looking for.

Flowers: Generally, gather flowers at their peak of blooming, trying to avoid collecting many of those that have begun to wilt. They should be gathered after the sun has evaporated the dew away and, if aromatic, before they have sat too long in the hot sun.  Many flowering plants will go to seed as they dry (boneset and goldenrod are examples); in these cases gathering them just as they are budding will increase the chances that the flowers you pick will still be flowers when they dry, as opposed to seeds.  Some plants, like new england aster, go quickly and almost entirely to seed while drying, and are best extracted fresh to retain the resinous aromatics you’re trying to capture.

Roots: Roots (including rhizomes, which are actually underground stems) are generally dug in the fall after the plant has seeded or died back for the year, or in early spring before or just as new growth begins.  They are ideally gathered earlier in the morning, and before the sun has been overhead too long.  If the foliage of the plant has already begun to die back (solomon's seal turns a straw yellow, for example), you can gather throughout the day.  If you can, replant crowns or root cuttings and be sure to leave a sufficient number of plants to continue the population.  Especially if gathering roots requires killing the plant, be absolutely sure you can gather sustainably.  If gathering rhizomes, try not to dig up the plant, but trace down the stem and find the rhizome in the dirt.  Cut the rear portion of the rhizome a couple of inches away from the stem and pull it up without removing the growing part of the plant from the ground.  This allows the plant to be harvested without much trauma, and is preferable to replanting crowns.

Seeds: In most cases, collect seeds when ripe.  For some plants you can cut the tops of the plants off and hang them upside-down to dry.  When dry, shake seeds loose over a clean surface and collect the seeds from there - this will save considerable effort.  Seeds can be tedious and low yield.  Don't expect and easy and abundant seed harvest from those six milk thistles you planted.  Sometimes the use of an herb references “seeds”, but might actually mean “seeding tops”.  For example, pretty much everyone I know who uses nettle “seed” is actually gathering the seeds and the calyx together.  This is much more practical than trying to only collect nettle seed.

Bark:  Barks are largely gathered in early spring, as this is when the sap starts to flow up from the roots, or in the fall, as the sap is returning to the roots.  In this region, I think about bark gathering when the maple sap starts flowing and is being collected for syrup.  Not many people collect barks from standing trees, but if this is done, never strip bark in a circle around a tree, as this will prevent the flow of nutrients from the roots to the branches and kill the tree.  Use vertical strip, or ideally prune branches.  Sometimes thinning a crowded population will improve the growth of the other trees; if so, take the whole tree.  Mostly, I gather bark from trees downed in spring storms.  In herbal medicine, it is generally the inner bark that is used, with the outer bark being removed and discarded.  I personally feel that if the outer bark is thinner and can easily be scratched away with a knife or fingernail, it can be left on.

Remember that there are always exceptions to these guidelines, and it's best to consider each plant individually.  Also, don't rely solely on books or what others have said.  For example, while books say that ground ivy, Glechoma hederacea, is ideally collected in the spring while in flower, I've never found a time of year that ground ivy is actively growing that it doesn't work great.  Blackberry roots seem always to be astringent all year long, and if this is the quality you’re looking for in them, they can be collected all year long.

Be keenly aware of possible pollution and/or contamination of habitats and ecosystems.  Avoid gathering near roads, power lines (often sprayed), train tracks (often sprayed), areas that may have been exposed to fertilizers, chemicals, pesticides or other insidious forms of chemical pollution.  Plants growing around the foundations of old houses or buildings, especially those high in minerals, may take up any lead in the soil from old paint jobs.  Obviously, don't gather plants that look sickly, or from an area that doesn't radiate healthy growth.  Be very wary of plants growing in water. Ask, "Where is this water coming from?"  Research pollution in your area.  Talk to local watershed councils.  You'll often find distance related guidelines suggesting how many feet or yards away from a roadside or other questionable locale plants can be gathered.  I find such guidelines problematic... for example, I feel more comfortable gathering closer to a road if I'm uphill than I do if I'm downhill.  Use discernment and judgment.

Not all land is up for grabs to collect plants.  Parks often have specific rules, and private land is, well, private.  If you are unsure as to whether it is okay to gather plants from an area, ask for permission from the owner or steward.  If you're frustrated trying to find land to gather plants on, perhaps try contacting local organic farms and see if they'll let you collect there.  Many common weeds and invasive plants are used in herbalism, and they might be happy to have someone come and collect them.

After gathering the plants, the next step is called "garbling". What this means is to go through what you've gathered, washing dirt off roots and picking out wilted leaves, woody stems, stray grasses, pine needles and pieces of other plants that came along with what you picked.  Garbling can be a tedious experience, but it is really quite delightful, and allows you to get to know the plant you've collected even better.  And it's a fun word to use . . . someone may call and say "What are you doing?", and you can reply, "Well, I just sat down to garble my spatterdock..."  Definitely an interesting way to start a conversation.

Once you've garbled through your herbs, you can either hang them up to dry (in which case, don't strip leaves off the stem while garbling), cut them into smaller pieces to dry (many roots may require this), or chop them up fresh to tincture.  If drying, find a place out of the sunlight with plenty of air and ventilation.  I bundle up herbs and hang them in a closet, or dry them on top of a cupboard near the ceiling, checking on them and turning them so they don't mold.  Above the refrigerator is an excellent location, as the warm air from the fridge is constantly passing over them.  As long as you have gentle heat and air circulation, you shouldn't have to worry too much about mold. Another option is to dry herbs on a screen or wooden dish rack, which will assure adequate ventilation.  Of course, dehydrators can be great, but you may find they can't keep up with the quantities you're collecting of some plants.

Only when the plants are completely dry should they be put into clean glass jars (they will mold if there is residual moisture in them).  Mason jars are ideal containers.  Though many books say to use amber glass to protect the herbs from light, a mason jar kept in a dark place works just as well, and costs less.

Most herbs, dried and stored properly, will retain their potency for at least a year, though many will last much longer and some will lose substantial potency within months.  It is a good idea to check on your herbs by opening the jars and smelling & tasting them to assess how they're keeping. If they seem like they've lost a lot of their oomph, you can discard them, though sometimes I like to keep stuff around until I collect more, because even so-so quality herb might be better than none.  There are some herbs are said to either lose the virtues entirely or greatly diminish in potency upon drying; chickweed, cleaves, st. john's wort, lemon balm and skullcap are some examples.  Usually, this refers to poor quality commercially distributed herb, and recently dried herb often still works great.  There are certainly some plants that don't store as well for a longer period of time, like ground ivy or violet, and fresh preparations of these may be appropriate to sustain their virtues.

Using medicines collected and created by your own hands is an experience entirely unlike using store bought medicines, and, I am convinced, the result is usually a much more potent remedy because of the personal relationship that is developed while making it.  This is, of course, an entirely subjective experience and could not be proven "scientifically" (in fact, it could probably be disproven - "scientifically"), but based on my experience it is indisputable.

Also gained is a personal connection to the land that you live upon. The “concept” of interdependence becomes lived experience.  Reestablishing this relationship is as, if not more, beneficial than the virtues of the actual herbs; for in it lies the healing of our souls... and I doubt you could find a better way to spend the day.