Herb Profiles

Astragalus

by katheryn Langelier March 10, 2021

ASTRAGALUS

Astragalus membranaceus

Family: Fabaceae

Part used: Root

Energetics: Sweet, warm, moist

Actions: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiotonic, immune amphoteric, nutritve tonic

Astragalus, part of the pea family, is a perennial that we grow here on the farm. We harvest the roots in its third year to make into tincture or dry for teas, soup stocks, syrups and elixirs. Astragalus is a great herb to use when building back strength and vitality. I like to use it as immune support to help prevent colds and flu and help with allergies. Astragalus is a rejuvenative herb for when you are depleted and weak, helping restore vitality and energy. Helps improve digestion, nutrient absorption and cardiovascular function. This is a great front-line herb for immune support and preventive care.

Contraindications: None known.

katheryn Langelier

Author

Also in Herb Profiles

Milky Oats: Why Fresh Is Everything

by Katheryn Langelier August 12, 2026

There’s a short window in the life cycle of an oat plant when the tops are right where I want them for harvesting. The seed heads are green and fat and full of a milky white substance. When I pinch one between my fingers, a thick, creamy milk oozes out. That’s what I’m looking for.If I miss this stage by just a few days, that milky substance hardens into the groat, which will become delicious oatmeal. And although it’s deeply nourishing at that stage, it’s no longer the Trophorestorative medicine that I'm looking for with the fresh. Here on the farm, oats play multiple roles. I start planting them in the early spring both as a crop to harvest, and I sow them throughout the growing season as a cover crop. This plant isn’t just nourishing to us; it's also nourishing to the soil, bringing in nutrients when used as a green manure. Once I see the oats go from looking like lovely lush grass to growing their tops, I start paying closer attention. I head out to the fields regularly to check on them, pinch them, and see where they are in their growth stage.

When I start consistently seeing that white, milky cream ooze out, I know they’re ready. They need to be harvested and tinctured that same day.

Chamomile: Benefits, Growing + Harvesting, and Herbal Honey

by Katheryn Langelier July 23, 2026

Chamomile is well known for being a calming, relaxing and mildly sedating plant, but it’s also a plant that can inspire deep creativity. It’s all in how you work with it. I believe great medicine comes from just spending time with the plants. For me, spending time with chamomile means tapping into my intuition and creativity. It’s like a floodgate gets released and a series of clear, amazing possibilities fill my thoughts.

Chamomile is a fabulous herb for children who are restless or irritable, and for teething, growing pains, colds, fevers, sleep issues and nightmares. It can be used for both children and adults with digestive issues caused by anxiety or stress. Chamomile helps reduce inflammation in the GI tract, relieves gas and calms a nervous stomach. It’s also used to ease symptoms of PMS and menopause, like cramps, anxiety, irritability and sleep issues.

Topically, chamomile can soothe eczema, sunburns, sores and other skin irritations. Here in Maine, it has even brought relief to painful rashes caused by the browntail moth caterpillar.

A closeup of a lush green low of lemon balm and a mulch path in the background at the Herbal Revolution farm in Union, Maine

Lemon Balm: A Cooling, Uplifting Herb for Mood, Digestion & Everyday Plant Medicine

by Katheryn Langelier June 03, 2026

Lemon balm is a cooling, uplifting, aromatic herb that has long been used to support the nervous system, digestion, and emotional well-being.

Herbalists often reach for lemon balm when someone is feeling hot, tense, worried, scattered, or emotionally worn down. It has a way of helping us soften, cool down, and come back into ourselves.