The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [29]
The smaller and more fibrous roots like those found with some species of Echinacea and Valerian do better with less heat in drying. As soon as these roots are dry, they should be placed in airtight containers (especially roots which contain aromatic essential oils, in order to best preserve these volatile components). It is best to use these roots within a year, for their components, unlike those of other roots, don’t survive storage for long periods of time.
Stems
Stems of herbaceous plants are best gathered after leaves appear prior to flowering, unless the flowers are to be used along with the stem as one does with Hyssop and California Poppy. Harvest any aerial parts of a plant on or near a full moon.
Barks
Whenever possible, take any bark you wish to harvest from small branches or from pruned branches. Some authorities recommend gathering the bark of trees in the spring when the inner bark is transferring the heaviest concentration of water, nutrients, and medicinal components from the roots to the leaves, but I have mixed feelings about this. I feel better harvesting the bark in the fall. The mellow autumn return of the plant’s sap to the roots doesn’t seem to bleed out of a wound so copiously as it does during the spring when the sap bursts forth from its winter hibernation and rises fervently to feed new leaves and flowers. Ask the tree. Barks of shrubs are best harvested in the spring. At this time, the bark can be more easily separated from the wood. Of course, never ring a plant by stripping the bark completely around its girth. This will kill it. Incisions should be limited to one-quarter or less of the limb’s circumference. It is generally the inner bark that is used for making medicine, so the epidermal outer bark is removed and the inner bark dried. With some plants such as Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus), the whole bark of the root and lower portion of the stalk is used for medicine. This is an example of a plant that is very aromatic and high in essential oil, and its root bark must be dried and stored immediately to retain these volatile components. For some plants like Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium), the whole bark of the underground rhizome is harvested. Lunar-observant harvesters usually take plant bark during the three-quarter waning moon. If you ask, “Does that include root barks?” I’d have to say, “That’s a good question; you’ll have to get the answer from the plant.”
We create win-win experiences when we learn to harvest in a style that allows plant communities to recover and thrive … our hearts and herbal pharmacies thrive as well.
Leaves
Leaves should be gathered when fully developed before the flower blossoms develop, and certainly before the leaves have begun to wither and fall. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaves are exceptions. Ginkgo leaves are best picked as they are turning yellow, while they are still on the tree and predominantly green (at least that is what the experts currently believe). Artichoke leaves are picked in both the spring and the fall, then blended, each season’s leaves presenting a little different action than the other. These work well in combination.
Harvest leaves after the morning dew has dissipated and prior to the more intense heat of the day. The heat of the midday sun temporarily wilts the energy of many plants. If you notice that the leaves of plants you wish to harvest are flagging from the heat, refrain from harvesting them until the early evening when they perk up again.
Herbs high in essential oils or resins such as Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Calendula should be picked in the morning after the dew dries, during the hottest part of the year when their oils and resins are most prominently developed.
Leaves of biennial plants are best picked in the spring of the second year. In the