Health Topics

The tree Betula pubescens, also known as Betula alba, has many common names, including downy birch, moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch. Common Birch, as we refer to it in Gemmotherapy, is native to and found abundantly throughout northern Europe and northern Asia. Relatively short-lived, it grows to nearly 100 feet…

Native to Europe, Russia, Turkey and Iran, Alnus glutinosa grows up to 70’ (21 meters) in height, always near or in water. Classified as an invasive species in the United States, it was originally planted for erosion control. It’s quite easy to recognize because Common Alder is the only broad-leaved plant to produce cones. Each…

The shrub Lonicera nigra, commonly known as black honeysuckle or black berried honeysuckle, is most likely to be discovered under the canopy of a coniferous or mixed forest, where it would bask in the filtered sunlight.  Unlike the cultivated honeysuckle vine, this honeysuckle shrub only grows to a height of 4-5 feet tall. Not widespread…

Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, is a shrub native to Europe and Western Asia. Growing 6-10 feet in height, it was commonly used throughout history along with Hawthorn to border fields as a protection from animals. Its creamy white flowers, which appear before the leaves, were a signal of the arrival of spring. Blackthorn shrubs appear in…

Native to Europe and Asia, black currant shrubs grow well in damp, fertile (but not waterlogged) ground and are intolerant of drought. This moderate-size shrub develops as wide as it is tall, which is about 5 feet (1.5 meters). The broad, long aromatic leaves, with five lobes stemming from the leaf base and serrated margins,…

Known for their beautiful pale blossoms, welcoming the early days of spring, almond trees are native to the geographic region known as Iran and its surroundings. Almond trees are actually among the earliest domesticated fruit trees (3000-2000 BC), and it is in an orchard where you are most likely to encounter one.  A relatively small…

The days are shorter, and the skies are darker, and possibly this is not your favorite season. Perhaps if you told the truth, you’d like to skip the next months altogether. Well, one option is for you to curl up in a ball like my calico cat, Ruby (pictured below :). Or, you could try…

During cold and flu season, you or someone in your family will develop an acute cough. Coughs are symptoms with a real purpose, one greater than to just be annoying. A series of actions that begin in your brain lead to your cough, whether it is to clear thick mucus, respond to an allergen or…

When you face a cold or flu there are a number of options to choose from that are readily available to address your symptoms. I’m sure at one time or another you have experimented with each of these. As a child, the choices for your acute care were based on your parents’ understanding of health,…

No doubt you are familiar with your physical immunity, but what about your emotional immunity? A sister of physical immunity, your emotional immunity also acts as a filter between you and the outside world. While your physical immunity is filtering tangible substances, your emotional immunity processes your day-to-day experiences. Both immune systems have a 24/7…