Spring Tonics | 5 spring herbs for cleansing & revitalization

Over the last two weeks our landscape has been completely transformed, with the quiet expectancy of the dormant leaf buds have now unfurled into an active orchestra played in tender shades of green. The newly birthed leaves of the Balsam Poplars, streaked with copper-coloured resins, having now begun to shimmer and dance in the wind ushering in the comforts of the warm season ahead.

The Western Bleeding Hearts, Trilliums, and Fawn Lilies carpet the forest floor with their gentle pale pink and white blossoms. The new leaves of Vanillia Leaf stand facing outward like a little gathering of sentinels on alert. The leaves like a tiny three-paddled windmill standing strong for spring, then soon relaxing into upright canopies with which to better soak up the warm sugar-giving sunlight of spring.

Spring arrived slow this year on Vancouver Island. All the way into mid-April it was as if all the activity of nature was on pause. Night time temps still frosty, and chilly days still windy and cold. Then suddenly, almost overnight, the cold block moved and life was in a buzz to catch up. The plants responded quickly to the new warmth of the sun with an enthusiastic explosion of growth.

And with this brand new luscious growth of spring, the very first spring-harvest herbs have arrived! In this post I share about five of my favourite spring healing herbs that can be found wild and weedy in the forest, field or garden ~ Chickweed, Dandelion, Nettle, Cleavers & Horsetail ~ and how to prepare them into a nutrient dense herbal vinegar.

These special spring herbs, each both a food and a medicine, offer the perfect support to cleanse and revitalize us at the time in the season when we need it most. Each herb has their own unique method of action, or as I like to think of it its ‘superpower’, to help us to eliminate the stagnant winter residues and fortify us for the active warm season ahead.

Breaking dormancy

It is natural to feel sluggish coming out of winter, and during the seasonal transition to springtime there are many common imbalances that often pop up. Like any seasonal change, it can be a time of irritability and instability. Spring can be experienced as a seesaw of emotion, with bursts of joy and outward enthusiasm followed by periods of needed retreat and inward withdraw, and the lingering desire to hold on to the restorative tendrils of a restful winter.

A dormant plant without leaves has no means of making sugar and new fuel for its activities. Instead it must push forth from the deepest winter slumber drawing entirely upon inward reserves stored in the roots and stems. Once the plants push out their first spring leaves they can begin to be supported by the nourishment from the sun and the elements of nature. But the first push is a leap of faith and one that they need to do all on their own.

For the plants to movement from dormancy to active growth is a huge test of will, inner strength, and resiliency. And so it is for us, also of the earth and intrinsically embedded in its natural rhythms, we too can struggle with that first push to brake dormancy and move into an inspiring new season of active growth and energetic movement.

Common imbalances of spring ~ such as lethargy, allergies, eczema, liver and digestive issues ~ all may relate to the accumulations that can happen over the dormant winter season. In winter we tend to be less active in mind and body, and this restful period that is so needed for restoration, when in excess, can manifest in sluggishness in our tissues and impair our natural detoxification processes.

Luckily for us there are many fresh spring herbs that help us with the process of breaking dormancy, helping to revitalize and invigorate our bodies. These herbs appear just at the moment we need them, soaking our cells in fresh vitamins and minerals, opening the channels of elimination, enhancing metabolism and increasing vitality.

5 Spring herbs for cleansing & revitalization

1. Chickweed

Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a self-seeding annual that grows as a wild weed in gardens and shady lawn edges across the continent and beyond. It is a small plant growing to only 6” or so high, then sprawling into mounds about 1ft wide. Many plants together will create a thick mat of weeds. The small, pointy, egg-shaped leaves are opposite each other along the tender stems which display a line of tiny hairs running along the length of of one side.

This line of hairs running up the stems is a sure way to identify this species. Another key identifying feature of Chickweed is the tiny white flowers. At first glance the flowers may appear to have many petals, but looking closely you will see that there are actually only five true petals with each divided almost in two, giving the appearance of ten.

The above ground parts of Chickweed are tender and succulent and commonly used in the kitchen as a fresh salad green. The flavour is best described as ‘green’ with just a tiny hint of sweetness. The plant is packed with essential nutrients like Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, beta-carotene, niacin, selenium, magnesium, zinc and copper. All in a form which is very bioavailable and easily utilized by the body.

In addition to being incredibly dense in nutrients which feed our cells and fuel so many activities needed for the maintenance of health and vitality; Chickweed’s superpower is that it acts on the cellular level to increase metabolism. The herb increases the permeability of cells to the absorption of nutrients, and the removal of metabolic wastes.

This action can be very supportive for helping to eliminate any excess weight or accumulation of toxins in the tissues that can often occur over the winter months. Chickweeds special cleansing action can help clear up allergies and skin issues; it can also support the body in dissolving masses, such as tumours and cysts. Chickweed has shown a special affinity with reproductive health and when taken regularly may help with ovarian cysts.

Both the fresh plant tincture of Chickweed, and the infused vinegar are wonderful ways to get the nutritive and medicinal properties of the herb. Chickweed is an ingredient in our Divine Detox Tincture blend, as well as our Serene Skin Tincture. A salve may also be made which is incredibly soothing to skin irritations and can be helpful for rashes, eczema, and psoriasis.

If you are lucky enough to discover Chickweed volunteering in your garden, it is a sign indicating that your soil is fertile and loamy. Preferring the cool temperatures and ample moisture of early spring, Chickweed is often ready to harvest by early April in the PNW. If kept moist, the plants will keep producing up until the warmer weather of late may or early June arrives, at which time the plants will turn yellow and straw like, no longer useable for medicine, but full of ripened seeds which can be left to self-sow for next years crop.

Successive crops of Chickweed may also be started from seed through out the spring and summer. As long as they are given nice loose, fertile soil, shade from the hot sun and plenty of water. These fast growing annuals are incredibly easy to grow from seed, and as long as you let them go to seed, they will return year after year. We have Chickweed seeds available for growing in our shop here.

2. Dandelion

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) the much loved and loathed weed of lawns and pastures a plenty, is most easily identified by its deeply-toothed basal leaves, sunny golden multi-petalled flowers, and hollow stems that ooze a white sap when broken.

The entire Dandelion plant has edible, and has many virtues. As a spring green it is one of the most sought after. In fact, it is commonly grown on farms for this purpose and sold in produce sections across the planet. Though many battle with Dandelion in their own yards, why fight to eradicate this incredible superfood that grows for free right under your nose?

Spring Dandelion leaves are one of the first fresh greens available in spring. They can be eaten fresh or cooked and are incredibly jam-packed with nutrients. I like to add them in with braising greens like kale and spinach as a side dish. A little goes a long way with these bitter greens incredibly rich in minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, folate, and manganese; and Vitamins C, A, E, K, and B6.

Spring harvested Dandelion greens are tender and only mildly bitter, and lightly cooking them nearly eliminates the bitterness. As the season progresses, the leaves concentrate more and more bitterness. Though the majority of us modern humans have become unaccustomed to the bitter taste; it can actually be really good for you if you have slow digestion. Eating bitter greens before a meal was commonly practiced in many traditional diets to stimulate and prime digestion before ingesting heavier foods.

Aside from its bitterness, I’d have to say its action on the kidneys is Dandelions most pronounced superpower. One of the strongest diuretics in the Western Materia Medica, Dandelion leaf aids to powerfully flush out toxins through increasing kidney activity and the production of urine; while at the same time replenishing minerals, especially potassium, that may be lost through this action.

I’ve written much more on this beloved herb, including how to use the entire plant in the kitchen, medicinal uses, growing tips (yes we do sell the seeds!) and more in my blog Dandelion | Rooted Resiliency. Please check it out to learn more.

3. Cleavers

Cleavers (Galium aparine) is both a native plant and a weed, found both in forests and in gardens. It is a bristly plant with whorled leaves and slender sprawling stems that trail along the ground or up and over whatever will support them such as walls, fences, and other plants. Though not technically a vine, Cleaves attaches itself to whatever it comes in contact with the small barbed hairs that grow all over its stems and leaves.

The plants are best for fresh eating while they are young and before they become too bristly. They can be harvested for medicine up until late spring when they open many tiny white star-like flowers. The flowers slowly mature and ripen into small green nut-like seeds which stick to pant legs and the fur of animals passing by.

Young Cleavers shoots have a lovely flavour and can be added to salads, smoothies, or added to dishes as a cooked green. Cleavers is wonderfully cleansing and nutritive, full of useful minerals and vitamins such as silica, Vitamin C and many flavonoids.

Like Chickweed, Cleavers has a detoxifying action that can be useful for dissolving masses such as cysts and tumours in the body; more specifically it is known to aid in dissolving kidney stones. It is also a diuretic and makes a great bladder tonic.

Though this herb is just a fantastic all around alterative and blood cleanser, I like to think of Cleavers superpower as its ability to cleanse the lymph. I like to think of its bristly brush-like form as I imagine its constituents sweeping through the lymph system and helping brush it clean, helping to restore healthy lymph flow. Indicated for moist hot conditions with swollen glands, Cleavers can be a great aid to support the body after infection, improve immune health, clear up skin conditions, and reduce allergies.

Cleavers is an annual herb that is easy to grow in the garden and will self-seed and return year after year. We have fresh-plant tincture of Cleavers available in our online store, plus Cleavers is an ingredient in our Devine Detox Tincture blend. Seeds can be found here (we will have more in stock this fall).

4. NETTLE

Stinging Nettle (Uritica dioica) can be found growing throughout our mixed Alder and Poplar forests here on the West Coast. Look for deep green shoots, with finely-toothed heart-shaped leaves that appear opposite each other, and alternating up the stalk. The stem and undersides of the leaves are covered in fine stinging hairs which can be seen to the naked eye.

The new green shoots of Nettle can be harvested as soon as they are 4-6” high up until they begin to flower. The tender new shoots are ideal for culinary use, as the texture is most succulent at this time and the flavour is most sweet and earthy.

The new shoots also contain the highest percentage of bio-available minerals. Nettles are a true superfood, high in protein ~ 25% of their dried weight! ~ and chock full of minerals and vitamins, specifically iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins A, C and K, as well as several B vitamins.

Adaptogen, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory, Nettle fortifies us, gives us endurance, and clears the excess dampness and stagnation from the body that often accumulates during the winter months. There is nothing I look forward to more than eating the first spring Nettles, and I would say the energy and feeling of vitality they bestow to the body and spirit is this herbs greatest superpower.

Also a great aid for seasonal allergies, Nettle is one of the main herbs in our Allergy Easer Tincture blend and honey. We also have a fresh batch of Nettle Tincture available in the shop here. And are stocked up with Nettle seeds for growing in your home garden.

Read more about this abundant spring superfood in my blog post Ringing (…or Stinging) in the Spring with Nettle.

5. Horsetail

Horsetail (Equisiteum spp) is an ancient plant native throughout planet earth. Long before the flowering plants and multitude of animal diversity, Horsetail forests dominated and towered over prehistoric life. Today there are a few common, and much smaller, species that can be found in the garden or along creek beds, wetlands, or throughout moist forests of the PNW.

Horsetail shoots are just coming up now, with the harvest season normally though late April and May. They are best harvested while the leaves are still upright against the stem and not open more than 45 degrees. Preparations made from mature plants may be irritating to the kidneys due to the formation mineral crystals.

For me, Horestail’s superpower is its ability to support joint health. Young Horsetail shoots contain the mineral silica in a form that is readily absorbable by our bodies. Silica is needed by the body to build collagen, which strengthens connective tissues such as fascia, cartilage and bones; as well as teeth, skin, and hair. Horsetail is one of the highest silica-containing plants on earth with over 35% of the plant made up of the mineral.

Horsetail also contains quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory that can ease inflammation during allergic reactions. The herb is also wonderful for improving bladder health; it can reduce the frequency of bladder infections, and helps to flush uric acid from the body.

Horsetail is a main ingredient in our Bladder Benefit Tincture blend, our Heavenly Hair Rinse, and our Skin Sav-R Facial Toner.

I share more about the medicinal properties of Horsetail in my blog post Exquisite Equisteum | A Horsetail Tale. Check it out to learn more about harvesting and using this powerful healing herb.

Herbal infused vinegars

Many of these spring herbs can simply be eaten as a salad green, blended up in smoothies, or made into pesto; but one of my favourite ways to extract the medicine is to make a herbal infused vinegar. Raw apple cider vinegar is a wonderful menstruum for pulling out the water soluble minerals and vitamins in the herbs, as well as the medicinal constituents.

A medicine in itself raw apple cider vinegar is full of healing properties and useful enzymes that help support the body and aid in digestion. Vinegar is a wonderful way to extract the nutrition from herbs and preserve this fresh medicine for years to come. Since they can be used in the kitchen in everything from drinks to dressings, soups to smoothies, Vinegars are also super easy to integrate into the diet and routine.

New for this spring, our Spring Tonic herbal vinegar blend is now available up in the shop. This nutrient-rich, revitalizing and detoxifying, vinegar is wonderful to take before meals to aid digestion, or can be used as a culinary vinegar. It contains our 5 favourite spring herbs plus a hint of fresh spring Fir Tips for flavour.

The harvest season has only just begun! Make your own batch of spring herb vinegar with herbs of your choice using the recipe below. Some other spring herbs up right now that are also fantastic in vinegars are Elder flowers, Wild Rose leaves, Mahonia blossoms, Spruce or Fir tips, Sweet Violets. Soon the Wild Roses will be blooming along with the Lilacs, and a bounty of luscious herbs await to delight the senses!

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Fresh Herb Infused Vinegar Recipe

1 part fresh herbs
4 parts organic raw apple cider vinegar

1) Collect the fresh herbs of your choice and chop finely.

2) Weigh your herbs and place in a large glass jar.

3) Pour 4 parts raw organic vinegar over the herbs. (Add 400mls of vinegar for 100grams of herb)

3) Place a tight fitting lid (make sure to line with waxed paper if using a metal lid), and store in a dark cool cupboard. Let steep for 4 full weeks to fully extract the wonderful healing minerals and constituents.

4) Strain and compost the herb, bottle the vinegar in a glass container of your choice. Your infused vinegar is now ready to enjoy. Infused vinegars have a shelf life for 4+ years when made with the proportions in this recipe.

*Note that your vinegar may grow a ‘scoby’ during the infusion process or while sitting after straining. The scoby looks like a a slimy pancake like growth. This is all good it just means your vinegar is healthy! Simply remove the scoby and enjoy the health giving benefits of the vinegar.