Making herbal medicine - with Rudbeckia triloba and nettle (ortie)

Catherine Lanza digging action

from backyard live dining 2009, Catherine, Anne-Marie and Nicole dug up Rudbeckia triloba or brown eyed susan flower, for her roots (used like echinacea). This flowering plant, which attracts pollinators, great for a permaculture "garden" urban agricultural space, invaded my backyard this season. Only recently did i know why, it was telling me, "use my roots to make some herbal medicine". So we did. With all the viral flu warnings, we all catching cold as the cold comes upon us, the plants are saying here we are to help, as prevention to catching the viruses, as helpers in our health. Rudbeckia triloba tincture - chopping up the roots and putting them in a jar with vodka, helps for earaches it is said. (source http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/KSPMC/culturallysignificant.html ) as from the ethnobotany culturally significant plants


Brown-Eyed Susan has many uses in traditional herbal medicine: Some Native American tribes have used it as a poultice for snake bites, to make tea to treat colds and worms in children (Ojibwa), and as a diuretic (Manominee and Patawotomi). Additionally, tea made from Brown-Eyed Susan has been used as an astringent to wash sores and wounds, and juice from the roots has been usedas drops to treat earaches.


Monica Giacomin joined them, bringing nettle from her backyard, Catherine Lanza had also harvested nettle from Mont Royal. Catherine made tincture with the nettle and kept some of the fresh nettle to dry for infusion (herbal tea). Info from Monica and Nicole that nettle is good for arthritis and the endocrine system (thyroid).

Monica Giacomin's website for more info on herbalism http://herbsontheside.com/

Here are some photos of the digging action, cutting, preparing and making tincture (making herbal medicine)


Anne-Marie Lanza removing earth from rudbeckia triloba roots
photo by Nicole Fournier


Catherine Lanza, Monica Giacomin and Anne-Marie Lanza (cutting the roots), no drive way near street
photo by Nicole Fournier


photo by Nicole Fournier


close up of root tinctured
photo by Nicole Fournier


Anne-Marie Lanza, Nicole Fournier and Catherine Lanza
Photo by Monica Giacomin