The Forager's Apothecary

Autorentext

Suzanne M. Tabert is a bioregional herbalist, educator, speaker, and author with four decades of experience teaching herbal medicine. She is the director of herbal education at Cedar Mountain Herb School, one of the longest-running herbal schools in the Pacific Northwest. She is also an adjunct professor at Bastyr University, where she has taught for fourteen years, training generations of herbalists in foraging, phytochemistry, and holistic wellness.

Suzanne lives on a four-acre farmlet in Sandpoint, Idaho, where she maintains extensive herb and veggie gardens and orchards. Her lifelong love for the natural world began at the age of five under the mentorship of her Great Aunt Mary, a spark that grew into a lifelong passion to preserve and share the art and science of foraging and plant medicine.

A sought-after speaker at national and international herbal conferences, Suzanne is a frequent presenter for the American Herbalists Guild and a regular blog writer, speaker, and podcast guest for Mountain Rose Herbs. She writes for major publications and is often featured on radio and podcasts. Suzanne is a member of the American Herbalists Guild and serves as a partner in education with United Plant Savers.

Klappentext

Learn to confidently identify, ethically harvest, and transform 50 wild plants into effective natural medicine, fostering a deeper connection with nature’s healing power in any environment—rural, suburban, or urban.

The Forager's Apothecary is a comprehensive guide designed to reconnect readers with the natural world and holistic remedies through the rewarding practice of wildcrafting. This book goes beyond simple foraging, inviting you on a journey to creatively utilize wild plants that thrive in diverse habitats, from sprawling wilderness to local parks to overlooked urban spaces.

Detailed plant monographs offer in-depth information on 50 commonly found wild trees, shrubs, berries, and several fungi, covering not only identification tips and look-alikes but also each plant’s healing properties, solubility, and ideal preparations. The inspiring recipes and remedies make wild plant medicine accessible and enjoyable, encouraging you to integrate these natural remedies into your daily routines for enhanced well-being—a cornerstone of sustainable living and self-reliance, no matter where you live.

Grounded in practical, hands-on guidance and a profound respect for the interconnected web of life, this book teaches you to interact with wild resources sustainably and ethically, considering both the plants themselves as well as the surrounding flora and fauna. This holistic approach is crucial for responsible land management, for mindful harvesting in urban and suburban areas, and for the preservation of thriving wild ecosystems.

Chapters cover:

• Foraging techniques and tools
• Seasonal timing of harvests
• Dosage and safety guidelines
• Storage and preservation techniques
• Cautions and contraindications
• 85 recipes for tinctures, teas, infusions, salves, culinary dishes, and more

Inhalt

Foreword

Introduction: From Root to Remedy—The Transformative Power of Nature Connection

PART I: From Field to Apothecary

Chapter 1: Preparing for the Path—Essential Foraging Knowledge

Chapter 2: Processing Your Plants

Chapter 3: Apothecary Staples—Tinctures, Extractions, Topical Remedies, and More

Chapter 4: Nutritious Remedies—Syrups, Honeys, Vinegars, Oxymels, and Elixirs

PART II: Comprehensive Plant Profiles

Chapter 5: Trees and Large Shrubs

Birch (Betula spp.)

Cottonwood (Populus spp.)

Elderberry (Sambucus spp.)

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Pines (Pinus spp.)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)

Wild Cherry (Prunus spp.)

Willow (Salix spp.)

Chapter 6: Shrubs and Brambles

Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum)

Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum spp.)

Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.)

Raspberry (Rubus spp.)

Wild Rose (Rosa spp.)

Chapter 7: Herbaceous Plants

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Dock (Rumex spp.)

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Nettles (Urtica dioica)

Violets (Viola spp.)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Chapter 8: Fungi

Reishi (Ganoderma spp.)

PART III: Snapshot Plant Profiles

Chapter 9: Additional Plants for Your Herbal Toolkit

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Blue Vervain **(Verbena hastata)

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Plantain (Plantago spp.)

Arnica (Arnica spp.)

Wild Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)

Cascara Sagrada (Frangula purshiana)

Turkey Tail Mushroom (Trametes versicolor)

Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium alba)

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca spp.)

Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis)

Blackberry (Rubus spp.)

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

Red Root (Ceanothus velutinus)

Sitka Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis)

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Western Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus, var. palmatus)

Puget Sound Gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Cattail (Typha latifolia)

Afterword: The Steady Harvest

Resources

Glossary

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Author