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Morgan County Herbal Therapy, Wichita, KS (2026)

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.

Knotweed 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. Knotweed 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. Knotweed 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!

05/30/2026

Mimosa (Albizia julibrissen)

Mimosa is such a beautiful tree. I remember one in my grandmother’s yard in southern Oklahoma, and an amazing grove of them in southcentral Kansas. It is also called silk tree, sensitive plant, or the happiness plant. When you touch the undersides of the leaves, they will actually fold up and together away from your touch.

We use the flowers and bark of this plant to make tea or (my preferred) tincture. The tincture is a gorgeous light green that reminds me of uranium glass. Albizia has mild sedative, antioxidant, antidepressant, and neuroprotective properties. It has a way of gently uplifting your spirit and putting a little spring in your step. Traditionally it is used for anxiety and depression and is mild enough to be used even for children and elders. It is considered safe for pregnant women, although it does ‘invigorate the blood’, so use caution.

The flowers can be used for a simple tea, but if using the bark, let it soak for about 20 minutes, then bring to a vigorous boil (covered) in a non-metallic pan. Note: Corningware Visions cookware (which is glass with lids) can be found occasionally at thrift stores. If you are an herbalist, or have an herbalist friend, sn**ch them up for presents!

Unfortunately, mimosa is toxic to cattle (the seed pods are the most poisonous part to them) and are considered invasive in some parts of the country. I have only seen them south of mid-Kansas, and none at higher elevations.

I think for the next few weeks, I am going to focus on plants that are considered a nuisance or invasive. Many of these plants have lots of nutritional value and are great herbal allies. I would encourage you to really look and try to identify the plants around you that are ‘weeds’. I know in my area, we have lots of wild lettuce (Lactuca villosa) which is fabulous for pain, dandelions (Taraxacum officinalis) which is high in nutrition and minerals, and goatheads (Tribulus terrestris) which is a very good male tonic. And you thought they were just ‘weeds’ – and not even the good kind!

05/24/2026

ALoe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloes seem to like my house. They reproduce like … well, not rabbits, but a lot! Aloe is an amazing plant to use topically for any type of burns. In herbal vocabulary, it is a vulnerary – a plant that promotes tissue healing and soothes irritated tissue. The gel inside aloe leaves is amazing for sunburn, radiation burns, and abrasions.

Topically, aloe has research that has shown it to be anti-tumor, anti-viral, and immunomodulating. It can also be used for diabetic wounds. When I was receiving radiation for cancer, I used it daily instead of the Aquaphor that the cancer center recommended. I think that the herbs I used (a wash of calendula and marshmallow, followed by aloe gel) kept me from getting any type of burns. Herbs are good stuff!

I’ve found that I can preserve the gel (scraped off the leaves into a jar) for about a month in the refrigerator. I have also freezedried some of the leaves cut to jar size and split. These rehydrate nicely for ‘herbal bandaids’.

You can use aloe internally, with some major precautions. The outside of the leaf contains some really bitter yellow latex that is a purgative (laxative). It can help with chronic constipation, but it is not my herb of choice for that. One, it tastes bad. Two, it’s way too strong for chronic use and can cause some electrolyte imbalances from the resulting diarrhea. The aloe drinks you see in grocery stores use the inside leaf, and not a lot of it. I can see how it might be helpful for an irritated tummy, but I wouldn’t advise drinking it daily.

I’ve downsized (OK, killed) two of my huge aloes (bigger than the ones in the photo) today, and repotted (as of this moment) 7 babies. If any of you are in need of a plant, please let me know. I love them, but my mudroom is starting to look like the Little Shop of Horrors. I’m doing a little experimentation with them as an amendment to my gardening – I’ll let you know how it turns out.

05/18/2026

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

My goodness! Look at those spikes! Stinging nettle is a plant that is unforgettable, especially if you meet it while skinny dipping. I haven’t, but… it would leave an impression, I’m sure! I actually have tried several times to grow it without success.

This is more what it looks like when you see it growing. Those lovely spikes are hollow silica fibers that inject histamines, acetylcholine, and serotonin into the flesh it brushes against. This can cause an irritation – ‘nettle dermatitis’ – that looks like slightly raised blisters. Sounds bad, right? Not always. Urtication, or essentially beating your skin with raw nettles, is a way of treating pain from arthritis. The histamine from the ‘sting’ draws inflammatory markers away from what is hurting. If you have heard of using bee stings for arthritis pain, this would be in the same category.

Nettle also makes for a really delicious COOKED green (cooking inactivates the stinging) that is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Nettle tea provides many of the same benefits and is very nourishing to all body systems. The cooked greens taste a bit like spinach; the tea tastes like grass to me.

Nettle has been used for malnutrition (due to all the nutrients above and because it is not hard on the stomach), hay fever, coughs (it dries things up), gout, arthritis, and muscle spasms. It is an herbal powerhouse.

Nettle is one of the most drying herbs, though. If you consistently drink nettle tea, you will notice your skin getting dry, your mouth getting dry, even your hair and nails being affected. Nettle is still an amazing remedy – you just need to offset the dryness by adding another herb like marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) or rose (Rosa canina) or sweeten it with honey.

If you are harvesting nettle yourself, there are a couple precautions to take: one, wear gloves. Two: Harvest before the plant flowers. Nettle harvested after flowering can cause some irritation to the urinary system.

The root of Urtica can also be used – it is used more as a styptic or for urinary issues like BPH.

One of the main reasons I use nettle is because it is an antilithic – meaning it breaks down stones or deposits. I have found it is really helpful with the arthritis I have in my knees and jaw.

I actually like nettle in all its forms – tea, greens, and urtication (yes, people do tend to think you are a little odd if you rub it against your skin – until they find out why). Most of nettle’s constituents are water soluble, so tea is better than tincture for this plant.

So – if you plan on skinny dipping over Memorial Day, just watch for nettles. Harvest first, swim later!

05/10/2026

Mother’s Day Coffee

I’ll admit it – I’m taking it easy this Mother’s Day. Well, sort of. Today’s post is about coffee. OK, I call it coffee. We all know it’s really dessert, but ‘coffee’.

‘Coffee’ is expensive. Starbucks in the bottle here is around $4 and a large ‘coffee’ without espresso added in here in my area is around $7. That’s a lot, even if it’s just once a week. Yeah, I’ll do the math…roughly $200 to $350+ a year if you visit them weekly.

Since this blog is about thrift as well as herbs, I am going to share a couple recipes with you. First is for really easy ‘iced coffee’. This ends up like the Starbucks in a bottle. You have more control over the ingredients, and honestly, they are so much better for you.

Take a quart jar and add about 2 cups of brewed coffee. I just use Folger’s or whatever is on sale. Add 1/4 cup sugar and one 13 ounce can of evaporated milk (unsweetened). For vanilla, add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract. For caramel macchiato, use brown sugar instead of white. You can add whatever flavorings you like – one of my favorites is a little chocolate syrup and some peppermint (leftover candy canes, a bit of extract, whatever you have on hand). Mix well and cool in the fridge. This makes 2 servings.

On a positive note, it’s cheaper and healthier than Starbucks. On the downside, you do have to make it yourself, and it doesn’t have whipped cream and drizzle of the day on it.

The next item is creamer for your coffee. Again, this recipe is really easy and adaptable for your personal tastes. In a blender, put in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Fill to the 4 cup line with milk. Add your flavorings of choice: vanilla, peppermint mocha (1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and a bit of mint extract), pumpkin spice (a bit of pumpkin puree and pie spices), caramel (use dulce de leche instead of the sweetened condensed milk). Just play around with it to see what you like the best. Stores in the fridge for at least 2 weeks (I’ve never had it last longer than that).

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there. And if you are still blessed enough to have a mama you can talk to – make her coffee!

05/02/2026

Spring Tonics

Spring is finally starting to spring here. We’ve gotten a little bit of rain, and things are greening up. The rancher (husband) is complaining about all the wild mustard that is the first to show up, as well as thistles that are beginning to slip out of the ground.

Traditionally, people took a ‘spring tonic’ that helped break the routine of winter meals – soups, stews, heavy on salt and preserved meat. That spring tonic might come in the form of fresh greens/salads like lambsquarter (Chenopodium album), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), or rhubarb (Rheum spp.). These tend to have a bit of a laxative effect, so this also worked as a bit of a cleanse.

When my kids were young (and I was NOT an herbalist, but had a bit of knowledge – scary, I know!), I would start a ‘spring tonic’ in January of onions, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and cayenne. We would take shots of that in April as a spring tonic. My children have never let me forget that this was absolute torture for them. Now that combination is more accurately called ‘fire cider’ and it still is a great thing – but more for acute illnesses than as a tonic.

‘Tonics’ are meant to support and nourish the body and restore it to optimal functioning. Certain herbs are ‘tonic’ or ‘trophorestorative’ to particular organs – milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for the liver, hawthorne (Cratageus oxychantha) for the heart, milky oats (Avena sativa) for the nervous system, and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) for the uterus are the most common I can think of. ‘Tonic’ can also refer to the herbal action of supporting and tightening tissue somewhat like an astringent – think vasoconstriction and anti-diarrheal. Yeah – I know it’s a bit conflicting… an aperient herb that is also an anti-diarrheal.

Although our diets have changed and we have much more fresh food available year round, a spring tonic or cleanse is not a bad idea. I think it helps to reset our clocks for the new season, more outdoor activities, and a possible dietary change.

Next week, we’ll talk about one of my favorite spring greens, stinging nettles, although I usually use it in tea.

Have a great week and enjoy the spring weather! Get your hands out in the dirt – it’s good for you!

04/26/2026

All Purpose Cleaner
My blog is about herbs and thrift, and general healthy stuff, and whatever enters my mind after it gets censored for public use.

Today, I want to share a recipe for all purpose cleaner. Have you noticed how many cleaners suggest you wear gloves? We can absorb a lot thru our skin – that’s why medication patches work so well. And some of the ingredients in cleaners are industrial strength stuff. And it’s a great marketing tool, right? Stronger is better! I’m just not too sure about that.

This is something you can easily make up, and it works well on everything except wood. The alcohol in it will strip some finishes, so please avoid that. And if you aren’t sure of what an item is made of, use this sparingly and don’t leave it on too long. Time helps a lot – spray and walk away for a few minutes. You won’t have to scrub as long.

So – All Purpose Cleaner

1/2 part alcohol (isopropyl or rubbing alcohol is fine. I use the 91% kind. And don’t use the green kind – it tends to stain things)

1/2 part water (essentially, you want it about 50% alcohol).

A few drops (5-6) of Dawn dishwashing soap.

Mix in a spray bottle. That’s it. And take a look at, and think about what types of cleaners you are using, and if it could be affecting you. I suppose you could scent this as well with a few drops of essential oils – whatever floats your boat.

Have a great week.

04/13/2026

A Word and Warning about Botany and Wildcrafting

Beautiful, isn’t it? What do you think? Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)? Carrot (Daucus carota)? Nope! This is poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). I have been watching a wonderful herbalist on FaceBook that ends her reels with “Happy snacking! Don’t die!” Great advice.

When starting to wildcraft or harvest herbs from your local area, BE VERY SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PICKING. The results of picking the wrong thing can be literally deadly. There are very few herbs that will kill you dead. There are a lot that might make you feel like you are dying and can cause serious medical issues with lifelong complications.

Because there are a LOT of plants out there, I think it is best to learn the poisonous ones first: There are a lot fewer of them. Any plant has the potential to make you sick – maybe you ate too much of it, it just doesn’t’ agree with your constitution, or you’re allergic. But there are a very few plants that will kill you dead.

Before starting to harvest your own, please learn what it poisonous in your area, and its look-alikes. I do not harvest any herbs from the family Apiaceae that I have not planted myself and KNOW what they are. No guessing on this one – it’s just too dangerous in my opinion. Poison hemlock is widespread in my area. You don’t always see a lot of it every year – it is a biennial, so every other year you will see a large flush of it. It likes marshy wet areas with some shade. It is a beautiful plant, but I won’t even touch it without gloves on.

This is another lovely and deadly plant, death camas (Zigadenus venenosus). To me it looks a lot like wild onion. And again, I won’t harvest anything in the same family (Liliales) due to the risk. Those of you who know me know that I tend to be rather risk-averse!

Children used to pick elder (Sambucus canadensis) or hemlock (Conium maculatum) stems to use as whistles or straws as both stems are hollow. While the elder would tend to make them nauseous or even vomit, hemlock would kill them.

It’s spring and things are popping up all over. It’s hard not to get excited about harvesting food or herbs to stretch your experience and funds. Just be careful. And to quote someone I admire: “Happy snacking. Don’t die!”

04/05/2026

Cottonwood Season

It’s spring! And here, that means wind (OK, well, we have wind all the time, but in the spring it seems to pick up some). Our cottonwood (Populus deltoides) is starting to bud out and the wind does take down a few branches here and there. A short walk will give me quite a few branches like this:

I want buds that are like this or maybe even a little fatter, but not with leaves showing yet. They will feel sticky and pop right off the branch. I usually carry an empty pint jar with me, and pop the buds into it as I walk. When the jar is full (or even if it’s not), cover them with oil. I tend to use olive oil because that’s what I have available, but you could use other oils like jojoba. Put a lid on it and stick it in a dark cabinet until you remember it – longer is better.

These have been sitting for probably at least 18 months.

The oil will turn orange as it sits. This will make a great salve for pain relief and minor skin irritations. Drain out the buds, warm the oil, and for every 8 ounces of oil, add 2 ounces of beeswax. Stir until melted and well combined and pour in tins or jars. One word of caution: have a dedicated vessel (pot, crockpot, and utensils) for salve making. It is a bit messy and a challenge to not have smells or the wax effect food if you cook in the same pot.

When done, it will look like this:

This will keep really well, and it smells herb-y, but nothing like camphor or menthol. If you have cottonwoods around you, go for a walk after the next windstorm and see what is available. This is a project that can be done in small amounts of time a step at a time. As busy as life is right now – that’s a plus!

03/28/2026

Tea or Tincture?
If you’ve been exploring herbs for a while, you may be wondering tea or tincture, and why. There are several things to consider when making that decision. For instance, have you ever wondered why there is no ma*****na tea?

Most of the constituents in ma*****na are thick and resinous partially due to their polarity (which heavily influences their solubility and stickiness). Thick, sticky constituents are best extracted in oil (hence – special brownies) or alcohol. To give a less ambiguously legal example – gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa). It’s lovely for coughs but won’t do much if you consume it as a tea for the same reason as ma*****na. The constituents are too thick and resinous to extract well in water.

On the other hand, some herbs like marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) don’t do well in alcohol or oil. Their constituents extract better in water. It makes a lovely tea or is great for a wound wash or poultice but would not do well in a salve. Some herbs like California poppy (Eschscholtzia Californica) do well in either water or oil or alcohol.

Another option for herbal therapy is using the herb ground to a powder for ingestion. Obviously, you only want to use herbs that are for ingestion – so no Arnica (Arnica montana or other species) or cottonwood (Populus deltoides), but ground herbs are an economical alternative. When using ground herbs, you can use about 20% of what would be needed for tea as you are consuming the herb, not just the water it was soaking in. Herbal powders can be encapsulated or sprinkled on applesauce or oatmeal to consume. That decision highly depends on the taste of the formula. Some that might contain slippery elm or fennel could be quite tasty – others… um, not so much!

Tinctures are a great option if you are not a tea drinker, or if they are inconvenient for you to use. A tincture can easily be slipped in a pocket or purse. I would not advise using tinctures if you are in recovery. Herbs are great and can be a help in recovery (especially milk thistle (Silybum marianum) – but be careful not to make more issues for yourself.

The amount of tea, tincture, or powder used per day depends on the herb or formula. Reach out if I can help you with any herbal therapeutics – I’d be happy to!

Morgan County Herbal Therapy

06/08/2026

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