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Family: Fabiaceae
Part used: Flowers, leaves
Energetics: Sweet, salt, cool, moist
Actions: Alterative, demulcent, expectorant, lymphatic tonic, nutritive
Red clover is a plant that we use as a cover crop here on the farm for its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, but it’s also an incredible medicinal. We harvest the blossoms when they’re beautiful and vibrant and dry them to use in tea and vinegar. I use red clover for lymphatic congestion, swollen lymph nodes, skin issues and cleansing the blood. Red clover has been used for hot flashes during menopause as well as for circulation and thinning the blood. If you live near an organic farm, you should check to see if they grow red clover as a cover crop. If they do, it’s worth asking whether they’d let you harvest some of the red clover blossoms. Harvesting and drying your own means you’ll have good-quality flowers throughout the winter season. You can buy it, but it tends to be expensive because it’s so labor intensive. If you do buy it, I suggest purchasing from a smaller local herb farm or Healing Spirit Farm, Zack Woods or Oshala Farm.
Contraindications: None known.
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.
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.
