Autumn Herbs
The Equinox/Mabon has just passed. The days still hold the warmth of late summer, but there’s a familiar chill returning to the early mornings and evenings. Here in the mountains, the colors are beginning to pop, golden yellow and red leading me into my most favorite time of the year: Autumn!
There’s something about this season that invites us to slow down, take stock, and prepare for what’s ahead. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is a time to nourish the Lungs and Large Intestine. In medical astrology, we are moving through Libra season, a time associated with balance and the kidneys. Both traditions seem to echo something we can feel in the season itself: a time for balance, release, and letting go.
Autumn can also carry an element of grief. The leaves are literally showing us how beautiful it can be to release what we no longer need. It is one of the best seasons to cleanse ourselves, not only physically, but energetically and emotionally as well.
If you’re a gardener or herbalist, there is certainly no slowing down yet! This is our busy, busy season of gathering. We’re collecting seeds from echinacea and calendula, planting the bulbs that will surprise us next spring, and harvesting roots and berries to tuck away for the winter months.
The garden is also giving us a few more bunches of culinary herbs to be hung and dried such as Basil, oregano, thyme, sage and rosemary so we can carry a little bit of summer into the colder months.
But beyond the culinary herbs, there are a few plants I’m especially busy harvesting right now. Herbs I like to have tucked away in my apothecary because they are particularly helpful to have on hand throughout the winter. Here are a few of my autumn favorites:
Horehound — We have an abundance of horehound growing in our yard right now. And because it’s a member of the mint family, even if you think you’re going to keep it contained in a pot, it has other plans. Before long, you’ll find it popping up and surprising you all over the place. It even recently tried to climb up the back steps to knock on the door and remind me to indulge a little in its benefits.
Horehound is a wonderful bitter herb with an affinity for the respiratory and digestive systems. I also think of it as an herb that helps us come back to ourselves and stay present. You can dry it, make a tincture, or infuse it into honey for a soothing winter throat preparation. You can even make horehound candy but in my opinion, this herb does not taste like candy!
Valerian — When harvesting valerian root, I’ve learned one very important lesson: Do not snack on the roots while you are harvesting it. You might find yourself ready for bed before you ever get those fresh roots into your tincture.
Valerian has a long history of use for the nervous system and restful sleep. Dr. Christopher taught that the fresh root was especially supportive for sleep, while the dried root was traditionally used more for the nerves and stress. David Osborn describes valerian as helping us close out some of the distracting influences around us so we can return to the basics of life, regain our focus, and find our composure. There is something particularly fitting about that as we move into the darker, quieter months.
Hops — This intensely bitter herb is another favorite to keep around our house. Hops has a strong affinity for the nervous and digestive systems and is traditionally used when there is tension, restlessness, or difficulty settling into sleep. It is also traditionally considered a galactagogue, meaning it has been used to support milk production, which makes it specific for our house as we two new grandchildren arriving soon.
Hops can also be helpful when digestion is sluggish or digestive secretions are out of balance. I believe it was Matthew Wood who described hops as particularly suited to people with intense personalities and a lot of mental strain. It’s an interesting picture for an herb that can help us soften, settle, and finally let the mind quiet down.
Burdock — Burdock root is generally harvested during the first year or two of growth, and this is one root I love having in the kitchen as much as I do in the apothecary. Burdock is traditionally considered a nutritive and alterative tonic, helping us build nourishment and support the body's natural processes of elimination.
I love adding the root to broths and soups throughout the winter. It can be used fresh or dried, and I also harvest the seeds, which have a more pungent, diffusive quality and a traditional affinity for acute issues of the kidneys.
Burdock is also one of my favorite herbs for those dry, scaly winter skin months. It reminds me that sometimes supporting the skin means looking deeper than the skin itself.
Sajah Popham writes that Burdock helps us face our worries about the unknown, the things lurking in the dark woods beyond our control. I love that imagery for autumn. Burdock has a way of getting down into the deeper, more complex places and helping us uncover what is ready to be brought to the surface.
Goldenrod — Goldenrod is one of those unmistakable signs that autumn has arrived. Those brilliant golden flowers seem to announce the changing season.
Traditionally, goldenrod is especially appreciated for its affinity to the upper respiratory and urinary systems, and it is often reached for during seasonal discomfort due to allergies. Herbalists also associate it with people who feel overwhelmed by the task ahead, those who sigh often and wonder, How am I ever going to get all of this done?
There is something about goldenrod's bright, upright nature that feels encouraging during the transition into darker days. It also contains rutin, a flavonoid traditionally valued for its relationship with healthy blood vessels and circulation.
Hawthorn — Oh, Hawthorn. How I love this herb! When those berries begin turning that beautiful, brilliant red, I get so excited. Hawthorn is one of my favorite heart herbs to strengthen the heart both physically and emotionally
Hawthorn is traditionally known as a guardian of the faery realm, a tree that stands at the threshold between worlds.
Perhaps that is part of why Hawthorn has such a beautiful relationship with the heart. She seems to know something about thresholds, the places where we are leaving one season of our lives and entering another. Maybe she can help us find the parts of ourselves we thought we had forgotten.
It also can be a great aid for digestion. Try her as a cordial after meals as a fun way to introduce her to your friends and family.
The berries are incredibly versatile. You can make them into jellies, honeys, tinctures, or teas. However you choose to work with it, I always want Hawthorn nearby when autumn arrives.
Elderberries — And of course, who doesn't have elderberries tucked away for winter?
Elder is a wise old plant, and in some traditions she is known as the Elder Mother. She is generous with her flowers and berries, freely offering them to those who know how to work with her, but take her bark without understanding her, and you may be sorry. She has two sides, and a little magic is required to know her.
As soon as the kids head back to school, I like having elderberry preparations ready to go. Elderberry has a long history of traditional use during the winter months, particularly for seasonal respiratory concerns, and it is also valued for its antioxidant properties and support of a healthy inflammatory response.
We make elderberries into honeys, syrups, and teas around here. Just remember: elderberries should be properly cooked or prepared rather than eaten raw, as raw or inadequately prepared berries can cause digestive upset.
There is something deeply satisfying about this time of year. We gather the plants while they are abundant, tuck away the roots, berries, seeds, and flowers, and prepare our little home apothecaries for the months ahead.