and I have been immersed in the world of plant medicine and garden-grown vegetables since childhood. My parents’ array of supplements, teas, tinctures, and infused oils far outweighed their pharmaceutical drawer. My mom made homemade ketchup. She has glorious gardens and a green thumb. Mom treated earaches effectively with warmed mullein oil and often proffered spoons of cod liver oil or echinacea goldenseal. Despite this upbringing, as a child and teenager, I rejected it all.

I was convinced that Heins corn syrup-drenched ketchup tasted better and plant-based medicine was crunchy nonsense. I hated whole wheat bread, secretly bought aluminum-based deodorant, and jettisoned the expensive multivitamins I was given daily into the bushes on my way to the bus stop. 

However, at the age of 17, when I found myself living independently for the first time in college, I felt an inexplicable urge to amass my own collection of teas. I soon became known as the person with the tea drawer, frequently insisting that acquaintances take chamomile back to their dorm with them if they mentioned struggles with insomnia. (And truth be told, I remain that person to this day.) I began addressing some of my health challenges through diligent research and experimentation with supplements such as St. John’s Wort and Ashwagandha. Over more than a decade, I’ve delved into herbalism, learning not just for myself but for the benefit of my friends and loved ones as well.

In the tumultuous year of 2020 (yes, that year), I found myself grappling with intense mental health issues—much like many others did during that time—as well as enduring inexplicable chronic pain. Reluctantly, I sought help from a doctor for the first time. However, I was too apprehensive to follow through with the prescribed Zoloft. A hellish year later, I found myself back in the doctor’s office and decided to try pharmaceuticals for real. They helped, but downsides outweighed the upsides. Following this experience, I’ve spent the past three years seeking solutions instead of band-aids for my symptoms. Since then, I have spent the last 3ish years trying to find solutions and not band-aids for my health issues. I went back to my roots and began digging pretty intensively into other remedies. I found a wealth of knowledge, a new way to approach herbal medicine, and tons of studies that highlight actual results. 

There’s an inherent logic to herbal medicine that resonates deeply with me. The notion that something you can grow in your front yard could alleviate headaches, that a tincture of fennel or ginger could soothe a troubled stomach, just makes sense. As a voracious reader since childhood—particularly drawn to fantasy stories—I harbored a secret conviction that magic existed in the world. Interestingly, I’ve come to realize that this magic has been within reach all along; it’s only through the journey of adulthood that I’ve truly come to see it. It’s plants. 

So join me as I take my decade-long experience researching plant medicine to a new level. I plan on using this space to share what I learn so that it can benefit more than just myself. I will battle my less-than-green thumb, learn from others about wildcrafting, and create remedies that range from salves to tinctures. Oh, and the history’s pretty cool, too!