Balsam Root

Balsamorhiza sagittata This bright yellow flower is the crowing jewel of spring on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. In fact, it can be found from the east gate of the Columbia River Gorge all the way to Montana, down the Rockies through Idaho, Utah, and most of Nevada over to E. California. The basal leaves are the first part of the plant to be noticed as the ground thaws in late March/Early April. Then the soft, almost fuzzy, very green leaves unfurl and before long, the hillsides are exploding in a bonanza of yellow flowers. Being in a field of these flowers is truly amazing. After pollination the flowers drop there petals and the process of developing the small, brown, sunflower-like seeds begins.

All parts of the plant are useful. The roots are best harvested in the early spring and then again in the fall, once the rain comes back. A good rule of thumb is that if the ground is moist, then it may be a good time to harvest the root.

The leaves are best harvested when green and fresh. If you study the plant, you will notice that after flower production, the leaves turn a dull green, and then they get holes in them from insects. After the holes arrive, they are no longer good to harvest. But when the leaves are a nice, verdant, almost shiny green, then they are ready to be harvested (April, May and early June).

The seeds are best collected after midsummer night and you'll want to keep an eye on prospective harvesting sites as many of the bird communities will be doing the same. Balsam root is one of the first flowers to go to seed in large quantities, so you can bet that many other beings are watching them for the ripe moment to eat as well.

The root (tincture) is very useful for times of illness. It is an immune system booster as well an expectorant and disinfectant. It partners very well with Lomatium and Devil's Club and is a great ally plant to have for cold and flu season.

The leaves of the plant are good for burns and minor skin irritations and a poultice or an oil of the plant is very useful for the more common outdoor ailments such as sunburn and windburn.

I think one of the best medicines this plant has to offer is the experience of collecting it. The beauty of a field ablaze in the yellows of Balsam Root with the Meadowlarks singing in the background is something I have come to make an annual pilgrimage out of experiencing.

I had no problem looking for pictures of the flower on the web. Many people have photographed Balsam root and then posted in on the various photo web sites. But when it comes to finding info about the medicinal uses of the plant, the resources are few and far between.

Here is the most useful site I was able to find: Link. It is a great technical site from the United States Forest Service (USFS) and will certainly be valuable to anyone who really likes ecology. It was compiled during the glory days of the USFS (late 90's to early 2000's) when they had the time and budget to do something like this.

That's all for this week folks! Tune in next week when we'll work with another plant species and make some more medicine. Until then...Stay Outside!

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Lomatium columbianum

Hello Medicine Clubbers! Welcome to the growing season! I've been away, studying the land and visiting friends in New Mexico and then came the birthday season of my beloved Tauruses.

Well we're back in the medicine making phase of things here at the Medicine Club and I was more than happy to kick things off with Lomatium columbianum, AKA Columbia Desert Parsley.

Most of the reference work in finding out about this plant comes from Lomatium dissectum a very close relative of the Columbia plant. I like working with the Columbia Lomatium and I like the land I go to harvest it off of. Though to tell you all the truth, my assistant Erica and I got kicked off the land this time because, apparently, it's private. Well, not before getting a few pounds of the plant!

I guess I need to find a new spot.

Lomatium is a large plant, fern like in appearence. There are many, many varieties of Lomatium, but for the purposes of medicine making, it is best to look for the Big Root of dissectum or columbianum. Lomatium is a plant of the dry regions and can be found in the Eastern Gorge all the way to the Rocky Mountain Slopes of Idaho and Montana. Look for it in drainages that cut through the dry landscape. Lomatium is the Great Basin healing plant of choice and can be found throughout the basin and range land of Nevada, E. California, W. Utah and Southern Idaho.

Dissectum is a darker green with yeallow flowers. Columbianum has purple flowers and is silvery green in appearence, feathery, basal leaves that are sometimes over a foot long. Larger plants sometimes have more than a dozen basal leaves radiating from the ground. The leaves of both plants are reminicscent of carrot leaves, though more so with the dissectum.

The flowers of both species are umbel arrangements from a single stem These flower stalks can be 2 to 5 feet tall and pop out well above the folliage. After polination, these flowers turn into flat, oval seeds that are green at first and then brown by the end of the summer.

Lomatium is a perennial plant, with individuals attaining great ages of 20 to 30 years. These are the plants that produce the most twisted, gnarly, resinous roots. I wish we took a picture of the roots, but we were in a rush to not piss off the land owner so, we did not and then when Marion and I prepared the roots last night, we did not think to take a picture...so, I have provided a link to Kiva Rose, an herbalist from New Mexico with some of the roots. http://bearmedicineherbals.com/?p=290 She is pictured here holding a few roots of Lomatium.

Lomatium is considered Big Medicine by the natives of Nevada and they would use it for many ailments related to respiratory tract problems such as chronic coughing, congestion, and common colds.

Lomatium is an anti-viral, anti microbial, and anti-biotic and has been proven effective against many strains of influenza. Check out this article about the great epidemic of 1920's Nevada where many people died, but those who used Lomatium survived!!! Click here.

This seems like good info to keep in mind, what with pigs flying.

There is also ample evidence to show that Lomatium works well in keeping Herpes I and II at bay.

Lomatium can cause a rash! This is not the end of the world, but something important to consider when working with this plant. I have provided a link to a great little article about this rash here: <00>

Please use wisely, or better yet, come to the next class about lomatium when the tincture is ready and learn more!