Plants that need our help

 

Lindsey with Rosemary Gladstar

If you’ve dabbled in herbalism, you probably recognize Rosemary Gladstone and her role in helping to birth the herbal renaissance that we so benefit from today.  My young friend, Lindsey and I heard her speak in Burlington last night, showered with entertaining gems of wisdom from the sprightly master of herbs. But the main message  was dead serious  — the need to protect and create sanctuaries for wild medicinal plants. 

I had no idea that so many of the herbal products we buy today still come from wild sources. Imagine tractor trailer loads of ginseng and golden seal roots leaving the woods for the factory! Thanks to the popularity of herbal remedies many important medicinals, especially those with excruciatingly slow growth, arduous reproductive habits and picky about their habitat, are being lost. The solution:1) only buy herbal products that are cultivated organically, not wildcrafted and 2) plant and cultivate wild plants wherever you are. 

The fabulous woodland edibles that will grace our tables in just a few more weeks — wild leeks and fiddleheads — are also slow-growing. They need our care and active support to avoid depletion.  Learn more at United Plant Savers.