Know Your Roots

To the untrained eye there is not a lot going on herbally right now. Leaves are falling and aside from berries and seed, herbaceous plants are waning into the autumn light.

But a party is going on beneath the soil!

Lifting roots this time of year is almost a relief to me. The act of digging the plant and seeing the bounty of its’ medicine brings me reassurance that while I may be impatient about the increasingly cold and grey weather, there is still much to be thankful for. The Earth is doing its invisible magic again.

I harvest some roots without concern of the time of year. I have found that yes, they are more potent (typically) if harvested in the dormant phase, but I am frankly just too unorganized to follow rules and timelines! Typically, roots are harvested while they are at rest, in fall through late winter. This is when they are all about holding their energy for next seasons growth. And where there is energy- there is medicine.

My guidelines for harvesting are held deep in my traditional roots as a Folk Medicine Herbalist. I harvest medicine when I need it or as I like to joke, “when I am there.” But jokes aside, if I am preparing roots to save a life, I am strict and precise. Roots harvested for infection, disease, cancer or are to be used in clinic are harvested at the optimum time to make the best medicines.

Many of the root medicines (Dandelion, Dock, etc) are toning and nourishing plants. These plants are like food and the roots of food are different than the roots of healing, so the harvest protocols shift. I give myself permission to harvest them fresh as needed even if not the "perfect" time of year.

The root in the photo is Rumex sp. (Red Dock) and the vision I have of the person needing this plant freshly lifted from the soil is the person who is not digesting their foods well. They may be anemic, they may be exhausted, they may have thoughts that go round and round and back again. They are holding on to that which is no longer serving them and they are constipated. They walk to the plant and say a prayer asking for help with this condition they find themselves in. With daily decoctions, starting with weak decoctions and then building up to strong, a few days to a week later— the roots of healing are often complete.

Knowing your roots makes you a better herbalist. Now, go dig your roots.