10 Questions
What is a traditional use of Yerba Santa according to the content?
To control senility for a time
What is the nature of the illnesses treated by Yerba Santa?
Deteriorative in nature
According to Matthew Wood, where does Yerba Santa apply itself?
The internal body linings such as the pleural cavity, meninges of the brain, and the synovial fluid linings of the joints
What is a characteristic of Yerba Santa that the author has discovered?
It holds firm and is anchored in a sense of rootedness
What is the author's notion about the sense of immovability in Yerba Santa?
It is a purist notion
What is the best way to describe the spirit of Yerba Santa?
It is like a piece of drift wood, flowing with the current yet not sinking
When is the best time to collect Yerba Santa in southern California?
In the early spring
What is the condition of the plant when it is gathered?
When it is fresh, green, and vibrant
What is a factor that determines the harvest time of Yerba Santa in Arizona?
The amount of moisture
What is the botanical name of Yerba Santa?
Eriodictyon Angustifolium
Study Notes
Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon spp.)
- Native to California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Baja California.
Energetics and Properties
- Warm and dry.
- Sweet, pungent, and slightly bitter.
- Vital stimulant, tonic, astringent, and relaxant.
- Decongestant, expectorant, mucolytic, anticatarrhal, bronchial dilator, carminative, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antioxidant, astringent, digestive, and disinfectant.
Uses
- Internally: Cough, cold, flu, chest congestion, urinary tract infection, gas, bloating, asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, cystitis, leucorrhea, vaginitis, diarrhea, dysentery, fever, hay fever, sinusitis, hemorrhoids, pharyngitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, rheumatism, sinus congestion, sore throat, smoker's cough, and tuberculosis.
- Externally: Broken bones, bruises, sprains, strains, fever, insect bites, stings, poison oak and ivy rash, eczema, sores, rheumatism, and partial paralysis.
Collecting and Preparation
- Gathered whenever fresh, green, and vibrant.
- In southern California, often in early spring; in northern California, late spring to mid-summer; and in Arizona, from April to November, depending on proper moisture.
Additional Information
- Yerba Santa means "Holy Herb" in Spanish.
- The plant can look brown and withered in early July, but vibrant in early November, depending on moisture.
- Prune fresh, flexible new growth at the end of the branch, gathering no more than 10% of the branches from any one plant.
- Dry the wooly varieties loosely in paper bags, and the resinous species on a screen or cloth in the shade, checking periodically to turn and mix.
- Strip the leaves and use as desired, discarding or using the stem with less effect.
- Yerba Santa can be used in decoction, tincture, fresh or dry, syrup, oxymel, wash, poultice, steam inhalation, douche, pessary, chew, and smudge.
- It is said to hold truth with integrity, anchored within a sense of rootedness, and is the epitome of tai chi, with a sense of neutrality and flexibility.
Learn how to properly prune, gather, and dry desert plants to ensure their health and quality. Understand the importance of careful handling and storage to prevent mold and damage.
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