Est. 1985

Herb Articles and Featured Herbs

FEATURED HERB :HAWTHORN

    Hawthorn is a good example of an herb from folk and botanical medicine whose benefits to the heart and circulatory system have been confirmed by modern research.  It's great advantage as a first line of defense against these conditions are due to it's very non-toxic, nutritional healing properties.

     Hawthorn is a small tree or shrub found in many parts of the U.S., Europe and Asia, with many varieties known.  It is often planted as an ornamental for its profuse and beautiful white to pink-shaded flowers.  The medicinal properties are found in the ripe berries and young leaves and flowers.  To make a fresh-herb extract I gather the flowers and young, light-green leaves, which come on at the same time.  In the late summer/early fall I gather the ripe berries. A very good extract is made by combining all three, for the widest variety of beneficial constituents. The liquid extract and decoction are the best forms to use it in.

      Hawthorn has been shown to provide nutrition to the heart muscle itself by its many flavanoids.  Here is an example of the amazing way in which the body's own intelligence can direct nutritional substances to where they are needed in the body. These flavanoids also provide anti-oxidant and other effects that aid in arterial health.  Hawthorn also has anti-spasmodic, nerve sedative, anti-coagulant, and anti-hypertensive properties. (read more)

Herbal Specifics: Choosing the Right Herb
I am often asked what may be the best herb to aid in a particular condition. Many herb books out there will list a condition, say arthritis,  and list twenty different herbs for that "disease." It is difficult to approach herbs in this way, as each is a unique life force with many potential benefits for the body. In a more holistic approach to health, each person is unique as well, and naming a "disease" does not take into account each individual manifestation of a condition. The "disease" is just the general term for the general outward manifestation of various imbalances that may have different origins and different symtpoms in each individual...(read more)

Herbal Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormonal Balance
I wanted to give a few herbal ideas on a big subject about which advanced science is still learning much about. Latest studies are showing more long-term side effects from Hormone Replacement Therapy. While realizing there are women with severe imbalances that can benefit from the manufactured hormones, there are many women who I believe can look to some of the traditional herbs for aid in coming back into balance. In an ideal world in which herbs can truly work with the body, women would use herbal aids before things get too far out of whack... (read more)

More Featured Herbs

Please choose from the list below to read our informative articles on our Featured Herbs.

Vitex (Chaste Berry)
The ripe seeds of the Chaste Berry (Vitex agnus/castus) have become a mainstay in modern herbalism, used to address a wide-range of hormonally-related conditions. The beautiful shrub with lilac-like flowers is native to the Meditteranean countries, and its uses were first developed in ancient Greece and Rome. Its uses were only slowly developed after the fall of these empires. Most of its early uses were related to its spicy, warming nature in "dispelling wind", although there are early references to its use in "inflammation of the womb", and as an herb to "quench the passions". The latter was probably wishful thinking on the part of medieval monks (Monk's Pepper was an early name), as its warming and stimulating nature would tend to have the opposite effect.      
From the 1930's on, there were quite a number of studies done on Vitex in Germany and Europe until now it is one of the most commonly prescribed herbals by both herbal practitioners as well as regular doctors for a host of hormonally related problems. [read more]

False Unicorn False Unicorn root (also known as Helonias) is a delicate and endangered woodland plant. While we at Teeter Creek Herbs are commited to the cultivating of such endangered or potentially endangered plants as Golden Seal, Ginseng and Cohosh, it appears that our cultivating efforts for False Unicorn will never be able to keep up with demand. Unlike the roots of the aforementioned plants, the False Unicorn's rhizome cannot be divided easily, and either divisions or seed, in ours and others experience, are extremely slow growing. Two inches in 6 years would be a fair estimate... (read more)

Wild Yam Wild Yam is a good example of an herb that is widely known and yet undervalued; with a much wider range of action than its modern designation as a "hormonal" herb, and even in this respect there are misconceptions. The Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) is the rhizome of a delicate vining plant that grows on the edges of woods and thickets in the eastern U.S. It is a cousin to many more tropical species, including those Mexican Yams from which hormones were synthesized, and only distantly related to edible yams. The tough, knobby root of our Wild Yam would hardly make a delectable meal... (read more)

Yellow Dock: One of the traditional potherbs of the spring is the greens of the Dock plant, locally known as Curly Dock. Yellow Dock is the name given to the root of the most common species (Rumex crispus), and it is the root that is used medicinally. The greens, picked young, provide an interersting soury-tasting cooked green that is very nutritious. It is in the Buckwheat family and grows in waste places, old fields and barnyards and generally considered a "weed", whatever that means. The medicinal root is one that I value very highly... (read more)

Herbs and Cancer: some personal reflections. Over twenty years of consulting with people on the subject of herbs, I have observed the effects of herbs in many cases of cancer. The great majority of responsible herbalists claim no magic cure for cancer; and indeed, the very complex nature and causes of cancer would seem to preclude there being any one magic drug or herb... (read more)

Valerian is a European herb that we find grows very well here in the Ozarks. Its fragrant white flowers and glossy leaves make it a favorite in our herb gardens. Valerian is a perennial that requires a fairly rich soil, with at least moderate moisture. It appreciates partial shade, but will grow under less than ideal conditions. The root is the part most commonly used, though the flowers make a nice tea or tincture with milder effects, that with experimentation, may be found to be more suited to long-term use, particularly for anti-depressant effects... (read more)

Pleurisy Root - herbs for anthrax and smallpox noted Now is the time to go rooting around. The roots of most medicinal plants are harvested in the fall, when the top of the plant has died back. Many roots are gathered at the wrong time of year, and are sometimes only 1/3 as potent as they should be. Pleurisy Root is also known as Butterfly Weed; with a bright orange, late summer milkweed-type flower (it is a milkweed, without the milky sap); the butterflies flock to its flower-clusters. It is an easy and beautiful plant to propagate; will grow in poor, well-drained soils and any piece of the root can propagate the plant... (read more)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is an herb gaining new prominence that has very solid roots in traditional herbalism. The part used are the blossoms that grow in profusion on the plant. The blossoms can generally be gathered from early to mid-summer and grow wild or have been planted in hayfields through much of the U.S., and as a legume, fix a good deal of nitrogen in the soil. The fresher the blossoms are, the better their effects. A fresh tincture is a very good way to preserve them... (read more)

Violet In looking to herbal aids for people I always look first to the herbs that are abundant in many locations, can be gathered fresh over a long period and are mild-acting (which doesn't mean ineffective) and nutritional. Along with an amazingly versatile herb like Plantain, I would place Violet herb... (read more)

Dandelion One of the earliest herbs to send out leaves and flower in the spring is the easily overlooked Dandelion. Many people, especially city dwellers, look down on the "lowly" Dandelion, yet it may be one of the most important herbs for our modern times. Larger roots will be found in looser soil. Harvesters should know whether the ground they are harvesting from has had poison applied or not... (read more)

Astragalus Our next featured herb will be Astragalus, a very good immune system builder. I thought I would take the time to address the herbal approach to long-term immune deficiency. Many people use herbs like Echinacea to boost their immunity to the bacteria and viruses prevalent at this time of year. Such herbs are seen as stimulating the "surface" immune system; the body's T-cells and other "killer" cells that fight off harmful pathogens in the system... (read more)

Echinacea Echinacea has become one of the world's most popular herbs. Echinacea is also the herb that introduced me to the healing energy of herbs. Back before it became popular I set out to learn about this beautiful wildflower that grows in unique glade environments in these Ozark hills... (read more)

Maitake/Grifolia Mushroom Maitake is the Japanese name for Grifolia Frondosa, a large mushroom that grows in the eastern U.S., Europe and Asia. In the Ozarks it is found growing as a usually large mass of overlapping, scalloped fruiting bodies around the base of old stumps... (read more)

Plantain When giving herb walks I'm often asked what I consider to be the most all-around valuable herb. I'll point down at their feet to the humble plantain plant and I get incredulous looks, "well, that grows everywhere." There seems to be a misconception that the most valuable herbs have to be rare, exotic and costly... (read more)

Maca Root While our focus has always been on the amazing diversity of herbs that can be found or grown here in the Ozarks, we have recently come across a very high quality source of this remarkable herb from the mountains of Peru. And the effects of this herb do seem to live up to its ancient reputation as a tonic for impotence, loss of libido, an aphrodisiac, fertility, menopausal hot flashes and as a general energy tonic... (read more)

American Ginseng American Ginseng is an herb that is quickly disappearing from the wild, due to over-harvesting over many years. Many of the wildcrafters now, unlike those in the past, take immature roots and don't plant back the seed. Ginseng takes seven years to mature from seed... (read more)