Morgan County Herbal Therapy

08/23/2026

Tinctures – part 2; kitchen style
First I apologize for my absence. I had some oral surgery done and was not able to get the blog posts done. Second, the lactuca I am using is not a great example. The Lactuca villosa that is under that post name is a much better example of what should be used. First and foremost, when using wild crafted plants, be VERY sure you know the plant you are using. To my knowledge, lactuca does not have any poisonous look-alikes.

I use the kitchen style method for plants that have a lot of latex or resin because they just don’t rehydrate well for percolation. Let’s get started!

Equipment needed: blender (optional), scale, something to measure liquids in milliliters, several jars with closures, funnel, coffee filter, plastic wrap.

Getting ready:

Here is the entry on Lactuca from Micheal Moore. You will use twice as much liquid (menstrum) as plant material (marc), and you need to use 95% alcohol. I use everclear for just about everything as I can just buy it and dilute as necessary. So straight Everclear for this one.

After washing and letting the plant material dry (no soap, just water. I mean, you’re not harvesting plants from under a cow pattie, are you?), cut it coarsely and weigh.

I am making a really small batch, because I don’t need any except to show the process to you guys.

Next measure the menstrum. I use metric measurements because it is much easier for me – and math is hard. So twice the amount of marc in grams is 40 milliliters of menstrum. (1 gram equals 1 milliliter/cubic centimeter). So 40 ml (or cubic centimeters – ccs) of Everclear. I want 95% alcohol, so I won’t dilute the everclear.

Now throw both in the blender and blend until mixed well. It does not have to be completely liquified. You don’t have to do this step, but it shortens the process a LOT. Blending cuts the cell membranes of the plant to allow the alcohol to pe*****te and start extracting the constituents.

Now put the mixture in a covered jar to sit for a while. If you did not blend and use whole leaves or roots, you need to let it sit for about 6-8 weeks. If blended, you can get away with a week or two.

After a few weeks, you will want to strain this to finish it. I use a funnel lined with a coffee filter, put the mixture in it, place the funnel in another jar, and cover with plastic wrap. This prevents evaporation while the tincture drains/filters into the jar. This may take a while. I set mine up and leave it for a few days to drain.

When it is done draining and you can’t extract one more drop, put it in a dark glass bottle, cap, and LABEL IMMEDIATELY. Trust me on that – you will forget. Your tincture is now ready for use. I also keep a log with tincture worksheets like this one, so I can track how and when I made each tincture. I label my tinctures with the Latin name and the date finished.

I hope you try making your own tinctures. Tell me about them; I would love to hear from you!

08/19/2026

08/02/2026

Tinctures – part I
First I would suggest reviewing this post –

Tea or Tincture? – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Once you’ve decided on the herb you want to tincture, you need to do a little work before you start just throwing stuff together. I would suggest this pamphlet from Michael Moore at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine

Michael did a lot of research using the old eclectic manuals and found the best percentage of alcohol to use for particular herbs and the ratio of herb (marc) to alcohol (menstrum). For some of the plants, there is only an option for ‘fresh plant’. This is because the latex or resins in the plant do not extract well in the dried form [plants like wild lettuce (Lactuca villosa), ma*****na, or gumw**d (Grindelia squarrosa)]. These plants are tinctured by the maceration method.

Maceration requires less equipment and less math than tincturing by percolation, and in some cases (like those above and really bad experience I had with Rosa canina!) the only way to tincture certain herbs.

All herbs can be tinctured via maceration; not all herbs can be tinctured by percolation. If you decide you want to tincture mint – you can easily tincture it by maceration (very little math, easy to do, takes a little more time, pretty much no equipment) or percolation (more math, more equipment needed, a little more challenging). I prefer to do percolation if possible, but that is just my preference. I don’t know – maybe it seems more exact or professional. But the truth is that every single tincture, even if you use the same technique, will vary – because the individual plants vary according to how they grow and are harvested. Herbal therapy is science, yes – but it also is art and creativity and intuition.

Next week, my plan is to walk you thru doing a maceration. We will be using wild lettuce as I have that handy (growing right outside my apothecary) and yeah, less math!

07/25/2026

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca spp.)
So, let’s talk about one of the most popular w**ds on Facebook and TikTok and probably other social media sites that I don’t get on – wild lettuce.

This stuff grows everywhere. I’ve seen it coming up thru cracks in the sidewalk. I think the largest one I’ve ever seen was in a deserted parking lot in the middle of Fort Lupton. It had to have been 6 foot tall. It is a very hardy plant. The stem has small prickles on it, as well as the leaves and if you tried to it eat – well, yuck! As medicine it is great; as food, not so much.

Another name for wild lettuce is ‘opium lettuce’. While it does contain opiate-like compounds, they are very in very low concentrations. There are ways to make them more concentrated – Sam Coffman (The Herbal Medic) has an amazing YouTube on making lactucarium and Seven Song has a short on Face book on how to make concentrated Lactuca tincture.

Lactuca does have sedative, analgesic, anti-spasmodic, and tonic actions due to its very minor narcotic properties. They are found in the sesquiterpenoids in the latex of the plant. This latex is also why we see wild lettuce used as a tincture rather than a tea. I suppose you could eat it, but it is known to be very bitter and… no. Just no.

That is not milk – it’s the latex from the stem when broken. The latex can cause allergic reactions in people allergic to dandelions or other Asteraceae family plants. Usually it is just a rash, but I would be cautious using Lactuca if you have a known allergy.

Bottom line – wild lettuce tincture is not going to replace oxycodone any time soon. It is not nearly that strong, but it can work to relieve pain and spasms, especially in combination with other herbs. Now is the time to harvest it if you want to experiment with the tincture.

Next week, I think I will start a series on how to make tinctures – what type of alcohol to use, what proof, how to percolate them, and ones not to try that with. In the meantime, have a great week!

07/19/2026

Burdock (Arctium lappa)
While burdock is not toxic to humans or animals, it is considered noxious and invasive. Those little green spiky ‘buttons’ you see on the top of the plant turn brown in the fall and catch on just about anything – clothing, animal fur, a passing dandelion seed (OK, that’s probably pushing it, but you get the idea). I have heard that burdock was the inspiration for velcro – and I can see how.

Arctium is also known as gobo in Asian cuisine and most parts of the plant can be eaten. Usually, it is the roots and the young stems. The burdock I have pulled from our pasture has twisted gnarly roots, while the kind I have bought at Pacific Ocean grocery look almost like white carrots. They have a slightly sweet earthy taste – more like carrots than beets. Not bad if you pickle them or dress them up a little with soy sauce and honey.

Burdock is considered an alterative (nourishing and strengthening herb), a chelating agent, and a tonic for the liver. It helps with all organs of elimination to move toxins out of cells where they can be excreted more efficiently. Burdock has shown to affect the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, and skin. I think of it primarily as a liver herb, right behind milk thistle. As liver herb, it is really good for cooling things down, both physically and emotionally. Just don’t expect it to work overnight – this is an herb that is all about a long-term relationship. It is used more as a tea than a tincture, when using the root.

The seeds of burdock can also be used, but they tend to irritate the kidneys if used for a long time. I would stick with the root unless you have a very specific reason for using it.

I can usually find it all over the pasture – it doesn’t seem to be too picky about its growing conditions. This year, it has been harder to find. I don’t know if it is related to the hail (unlikely) or lack of available water.

Burdock has also been used as an antimicrobial, but I feel there are better herbs for that use.

I would caution using burdock for a couple reasons: it’s not for pregnant women, as it can stimulate the uterus somewhat – and again, it’s a long-term use herb. I would also be very aware of where you are harvesting it. Burdock works as an accumulator of toxins in the body, and possibly in the soil. A pasture is probably fine. Somewhere that is regularly sprayed with herbicide or pesticide – not so much.

I have a few more ‘noxious w**ds’ I plan to cover, then I need another herbal subject. Any suggestions?

07/11/2026

Bindw**d (Convolvulus arvensis)

It’s everywhere this time of year – the twisting, wrapping vines with white or pinkish flowers. Convolvus is a family member of morning glory, so its physical characteristics are a lot the same. The leaves and flowers of bindw**d are a bit smaller, but they make up for it in its, uh…. exuberance for spreading.

Bindw**d is one of those plants that if you are cleaning it up, you’d better get every little bit. A new vine can spring up from the smallest piece that gets missed. It is frequently found in contaminated areas and has been used in phytoremediation to pull cadmium and copper from the soil. It also works as a nutritional mediator, adding nitrogen and carbon back into the soil.

As far as humans go, we can use the whole plant. Western herbalism uses it (granted not commonly) for a laxative, styptic (to stop bleeding), wound healing, and diarrhea (yes, I know – that’s kind of an oxymoron!). Ayurvedic herbalism uses it as a brain tonic and stimulant, tranquilizer, and excessive bleeding. Bindw**d should not be used by people on tranquilizers or anti-psychotics. Remember how I said it was related to morning glory?

Bindw**d is also related to sweet potatoes, and as such can work as an anti-diabetic med similar to Precose and Glyset.

The flowers of bindw**d have been shown to have antimicrobial and antifungal activity against a lot of nasty bacteria/fungi like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Salmonella, pseudomonas aeruginosa, candida albicans and Mycobacteria.

Not too bad for a ‘w**d’ that everyone wants to get rid of!

06/27/2026

Russian Olive (Elaeagnus spp.)

We have these growing everywhere around our place. It seems to one of the few things that survived the w**d-eater effects of the hail we got this week. Russian olive AKA autumn olive is considered invasive in most of the US, with the exception of the Deep South.

I have heard of some people making jelly from the berries, which can be red in color, but the berries from the variety where I live are green, more like olives, and have a dry mealy texture that will suck every drop of moisture out of your mouth.

Even though they aren’t too tasty, the berries have many antioxidants and vitamins that support general health. Studies have shown them to have antimicrobial properties as well as anticancer, relaxant, analgesic, and metal chelation constituents.

Russian/autumn olive is not used in Ayurvedic medicine and is not commonly in western herbalism, but is used extensively in Chinese medicine. The stems, leaves, and berries are used to treat traumatic injury, cough, asthma, pain, muscle aches, weakness, arthritis, indigestion, and itching. To me, this puts the herb strongly in the relaxant catagory.

I enjoy a tea from the leaves that is steeped for quite a while (24-48 hours) in the refrigerator. It has a tannic quality to it but blends nicely with something more moist like marshmallow (Althaea off.), rose (Rosa canina), or hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). If it is still a little too ‘herby’ or ‘w**dy’ tasting, you can throw in a little citrus peel or spice like a bit of cinnamon.

I don’t know of many things better than using a local, unwanted noxious w**d that is free for a tasty drink.

After all, free is my favorite price!

06/21/2026

Thistles (Cirsium spp.)
Around here the thistles are thick this year – tons down by the river and alongside county roads. They are just beautiful, and I’m sure all the local farmers and ranchers are cussing as they drive by them. The purple spiky flowers turn into seeds with a down-type thing and fly everywhere – meaning next year’s crop will be ten times what this year’s is.

I love how Tim Scott describes this plant: “Anger is known to be an intimate expression of the liver, and being around this plant often provokes a livid reaction that is often coupled with profanities even in the most civilized and refined people.”

The “spp.” in the title is to indicate that I’m trying to cover multiple species – there are over 95 Cirsium species worldwide. Like milk thistle (Silybum marianum), the Cirsium group is amazing for the liver. Typically, the seeds are used, but all parts of the plant are useful. And the seeds are kind of a pain (literally) to harvest – worse than goatheads!

Thistle stems and roots are edible after the prickles have been removed, and the flower heads are a bit like artichokes (but require a lot more work to remove the bristles off the leaves).

In our area, I see two main types: bull thistle (like the one above) has wider leaves, magenta flowers, and is taller (up to 8 feet). Canadian thistle has flowers that are more pink, smaller leaves and only grows about knee high. Both can be used in similar ways. While you can use the seeds (dried) as a tea or powder, if using the whole plant, I would make a tincture with fresh herb and 60% alcohol. Maybe when I finish the series on noxious w**ds, I’ll do one on tincture making – how do any of my readers feel about that?

While thistle is primarily thought of as a ‘liver herb’, helping with detoxification, lowering blood pressure, and supporting liver function; it can also be very useful in disorders involving connective tissue like tendons and ligaments. One article I read had a study that showed thistle tincture could be as effective as some of the drugs like Humira and Enbrel. Granted it was a very small study – but the potential costs savings would make me try it if I needed to!

Thistle has no known contraindications that I could find, but I would never advise a pregnant woman to use herbs without the OK of her medical provider.

I’m still looking for some goatheads/puncture vine that have not been sprayed. If any of you out there have some, I’d be thrilled to take them.

06/13/2026

Puncture Vine, Goatheads (Tribulus terrestris)

Those of you that are familiar with this plant just lifted your foot off the floor, didn’t you? Stepping on the fruit of one of these is like stepping on a caltrop or a tiny lego. I was surprised to find out that these are in all of the continental US – I tend to think of them as a Southwest kind of thing. Good to know everyone gets to enjoy them!

This is puncture vine, AKA goat heads (the fruit looks kinda like a goat head – look the next time you’re pulling one out of your shoe or foot or carpet or dog….) It is considered noxious/invasive and can form huge mats and LOTS of seeds/fruits. Just a tip: I’ve found the best way to grab them for w**ding is at the very base where the plant meets the ground. But you will still get pricked by it.

So – what can we use this for? Tribulus is used more in Ayurvedic herbalism than Chinese or western. It is typically used as a male tonic as it is said to increase the production of testosterone and muscle mass. . It is also thought to increase circulation as a way of treating erectile dysfunction. While research has shown that it can increase circulating testosterone, that doesn’t mean it’s only for men.

Tribulus has several saponins that are thought to effect steroidal hormones, especially luteinizing hormone. This can affect women by increasing estrogen. Makes sense why it is put in formulas to increase fertility and manage PCOS (or PMOS) symptoms. It also functions as a mild diuretic.

Different sources I have looked at list both the leaves and the fruit as the most potent part of the plant, but I’ve also seen products with the whole plant. It can be used as an infusion (tea) effectively, but it makes a decent tincture as well.

I’ll bet you never thought there was a good use for puncture vine!

06/08/2026

Japanese Knotwood (Polygonum cuspidatum)

My, this is a beauty! However, it is not a beauty in my area. I was asked to do this one by one of the blog readers, so here goes. This plant is considered invasive in most of the northeastern US (extending into the northern Midwest), as well as Alaska and Oregon. It can grow 6-10 feet and looks somewhat like bamboo. Polygonum actually means ‘many knees (or joints), and there are multiple species of it. It is edible and has no deadly lookalikes.

Unfortunately (or not, depending on your outlook) it spreads like wildfire. Like many invasives, the smallest bit left in the soil if you are trying to eradicate it will grow a new plant. And it is hard to harvest – the roots twist around each other and become one giant knot (see what I did there?). The root is used for medicine and the shoots for food.

Knotw**d is actually higher in resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, than grapes. It contains lots of minerals – calcium, zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron. And it works to clean soil. Knotw**d is often found in moist areas like roadside ditches and old mining sites. It has been found to help detoxify the soil of lead, zinc, and copper. (This makes me add the caution to be careful where you harvest it.)

It is used a lot in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) for arthritis, traumatic injury, jaundice, kidney stones, menstrual pain, burns, skin infections, dental caries, and constipation. It is not traditionally used in Ayurveda or Western herbalism, but more and more research is being done.

One of the most fascinating things I have learned about it is the use with Lyme disease. It is used to address the neurological symptoms of Lyme as well as killing the bacteria that causes it. Knotw**d tends to spread into an area about 6 months before the ticks that carry Lyme do. How cool is that?

As far as herbal actions, Polygonum has the following: antimicrobial, immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, CNS relaxant, antipyretic, analgesic, cardioprotective, vasodilator, anticoagulant (mild), antineoplastic, and hemostatic.

Almost makes you want to plant some!