Simple Thrift and Herbs

Saving money, time, energy. And chatting about herbs.

Health

  • 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… Read more

  • Russian Olive (Elaeagnus spp.)

    We have these growing everywhere around our place. It seems to one of the few things that survived the weed-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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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.… Read more

  • 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’… Read more

  • 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… Read more