For many people the identification of plants can seem overwhelming.
No one wants to poison themselves and the mass of green stuff out there
can make the task seem hopeless. Finding a plant and then trying to wade
through a field guide can get aggravating.
Better to go to the plants themselves. Better to first go into the
fields and woods and vacant lots with no plant names in mind and no
pre-conceived notions. Find a few plants that draw your attention, that
speak to you, and spend some time with them. I want to back up a little
further yet and speak a little about the attitude we go out into nature
with, for in the end it will vastly improve your awareness of plants and
the information you can gain from them that can't be found in any book.
A Native American medicine man was asked by someone if they would
impart some of his herbal knowledge to them. He refused to divulge
anything at the time, saying First you have to learn how to walk on the
Earth . If we approach seeking only to harvest and profit (even in
knowledge), we may not learn much. If we come with humility the plants
may even speak to us. The stories of indigenous peoples who live close
to the Earth emphasize the fact that in the long ago plants and animals
and people spoke freely to one another; and such a dialogue may still
take place for those who open themselves to it.
What we are speaking of here is not a dialogue of words necessarily,
but of awareness. We can learn many things from nature by shutting down
our normal ways of looking at the world, with our minds ready to define
and categorize everything. As an exercise, go to the woods or field or
vacant lot and try to quiet the mind completely. Don't label: tree ,
leaf . Use the eyes, the nose, the ears, and the touch to perceive. This
way and a true sense of humility will go far in learning how nature
speaks. The plants will begin to speak in their impressions on our minds
and senses. The beginnings of research into plant responses hint at
just how sensitive plants are, so we also must not forget that as we are
perceiving, we are also being perceived.
Once we learn to really slow down and perceive, the plants themselves
will show you their unique forms and expressions. You will see the
unique patterns of leaves, how the leaf joins the stem, its texture, its
smell, the feel of the spot of land on which it grows. Pretty soon
you'll notice these patterns everywhere. You will have a hard time
walking or driving along without noticing the form and expression of
plants that draw your attention.
European ancestors relied on the Doctrine of Signatures , the belief
that the shape, color, environment of the herbs reveal something of
their healing powers. Some flowers and particularly roots that are
yellow were thought to be stimulating to the liver; the yellow related
to the jaundice hue of the skin when the liver is congested. A very
common herb like plantain was seen to grow where people traveled; the
more it was trodden underfoot, the more likely it is to flourish. And so
Plantain was thought to be both a protector and aid for the mishaps
that travelers may encounter, and used for everything from insect bites
to bleeding wounds.
The sinewy, tough veins of Plantain might suggest its use as a knit
bone herb, for torn ligaments, sore tendons pulled muscles, bone breaks.
I don't recall if the latter is recorded from herbal history, but so it
speaks to me.
For the Native Americans, and many other indigenous peoples, the plants
have the ability to not only perceive, as science has shown, but to
speak to the medicine person in vision and dream. Each plant has its own
spirit. This granting of the natural world the power to also perceive
and speak and dream is why they were careful to walk with respect toward
the Earth and its beings; that even all alone, where no one would know ,
we are being watched and heard.
At the point where we begin to truly perceive the plants, and what they
speak , it can be helpful to obtain a basic botany book, or field guide
that lays out some of the basic botany terms and models. Seeing leaf
patterns, opposite alternate , pinnate , etc. will further enhance our
awareness. The types of flowers, the characteristics of certain plant
families; all will increase our knowledge of things we may not at first
have seen.
When we have seen and recognized the many patterns of plant life around
us, we will find a handful of herbs that we can identify with
confidence, because they have shown themselves to us so completely.
There is so much healing power in a handful of the common herbs that we
may rest here, and learn all we can about them. Others will want to go
on to at least be able to identify and have a feel for many of the herbs
used for healing.
This is important to becoming an herbalist or user of herbs. Whatever
form we ingest herbs in, it is good to know when one has a good herb on
hand, for the potency of the herb has everything to do to how viable the
herb is for healing. We should be familiar with its smell and taste and
look when it is at its prime. The taste is a very important aspect of
the energy of the herb, and we should be able to taste at least a little
bit of the herb to be familiar with its energy. By experiencing the
vast spectrum of tastes of herbs; especially for those of us whose
tastes are limited to sweet and salty, we will be put in touch with
different healing energies of the earth.
In this same vein, it is good to learn a few of the local edible plants
and to add at least a little to our diet. Such things as Violet leaves,
Chickweed, Lamb s Quarters. These aren't starvation foods; they are
things our ancestors highly valued as nature s super-foods. We are also
learning the many things like the flavanoids in flowers and leaves that
are showing strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer compounds. Research is
pointing to the wonderful protective properties of things like
Watercress and Blueberries. In this way we can't take advantage of many
healthful compounds that science hasn't begun to suspect.
It is good early on to identify the handful of distinctly poisonous
herbs and such things as poison ivy that may grow in our neighborhood.
to aid our own confidence and safety in the use of herbs. There are
generally only a few in any region. Then one can feel safe in nibbling
here and there as we are out on our herb adventures, and develop our
herbal taste buds.
Our herb excursions should extend through the seasons, so that we are
familiar with at least a few plants from when they poke from the ground
until they have seeded and/or died back. It will not only aid in our
understanding of the plant; but if we are to do any gathering we need to
know that roots are generally dug in the fall, when the vitality of the
plant has gone back to Earth. We must then know how to find the plant
when it is pretty well done for the season. By frequent observations of
an herb for which the flowering tops are used, it will be seen that
there is often a few day s window where the plant can be seen and felt
to be full of vitality, at its peak of potency.
By being aware of the larger environment in which the plants grow, we
will begin to get a feel for just how much any harvesting we may do
might effect their survival. It actually takes some time to see the
effects of our harvesting, and some time to learn how to consciously
harvest. Never pick more than a third of a plant s leaves or flowers,
and even less of the plants in an area if you are digging. Look for
areas where the same plant may be more abundant.
Speak to your plants; the plants and the Earth can hear you. Leave an
offering for them; they can feel your intentions. So it is that we can
learn so much from the green world itself.