Botanic Tonics’ Post

Our latest Herbs in History entries are here! Learn more about tamarind and celery and check out the whole #HerbsinHistory series for more fascinating details about botanicals you know and love: https://lnkd.in/gTPwqzvE

Want to Advertise with NAHA? Advertise in the Spring 2024.1 Aromatherapy Journal Deadline to submit artwork is February 10th, 2024. Print ready artwork can be submitted to makayla@naha.org or info@naha.org Please make sure you have the correct sizing/specs before submitting. See Media Guide: https://lnkd.in/gT8db--a If you offer aromatherapy products, classes, and services, here’s a great way to promote those to NAHA members and our email subscribers.   Please see the list of article and profile topics if you’d like to target your advertisement for these botanicals.   THEME: Mint and Sage: Studying lesser-known mint and sage herbs in the mint family. We will be covering such topics as bergamot mint, Spanish sage, pollinators of mint and sage, and evolutionary development and use of mint plant chemicals in nature. **Final articles are subject to change** Purchase Journal AD: https://lnkd.in/gzk2B8q

Want to Advertise with NAHA? Advertise in the Spring 2024.1 Aromatherapy Journal Deadline to submit artwork is February 10th, 2024. Print ready artwork can be submitted to makayla@naha.org or info@naha.org Please make sure you have the correct sizing/specs before submitting. See Media Guide: https://lnkd.in/gTVuiHJc If you offer aromatherapy products, classes, and services, here’s a great way to promote those to NAHA members and our email subscribers.   Please see the list of article and profile topics if you’d like to target your advertisement for these botanicals.   THEME: Mint and Sage: Studying lesser-known mint and sage herbs in the mint family. We will be covering such topics as bergamot mint, Spanish sage, pollinators of mint and sage, and evolutionary development and use of mint plant chemicals in nature. **Final articles are subject to change** Purchase Journal AD: https://lnkd.in/gTBhf4R

Can you guess the botanical name for rice? Drop your answer in the comment below, and let's put your botanical knowledge to the test! #quiztime #rice #ricetrivia

Do you know about the History of #Saffron? 1- The botanical name of saffron, Crocus Sativus, is derived from greco-roman origins, with “krokos” meaning yellow in Greek and representing a genus of flowering perennials. These plants are known to close up their flowers during cold or bad conditions, demonstrating their adaptability to environmental changes. 2- The Latin word “Sativus” in the name Crocus Sativus means cultivated, referring to the species of crocus flowers known for their lilac-colored petals and three burnt-orange colored stigmas, which are the saffron threads. The ability to close up their flowers during unfavorable conditions indicates a survival mechanism that contributes to their cultivation. 3- Saffron is a sterile plant that likely originated from the domestication of wild Crocus Cartwrightianus by the Greeks through selective breeding. This process of domestication from a wild ancestor resulted in the cultivation of the saffron Crocus, with its valuable stigmas becoming the most expensive spice in the world. 4- Iran currently holds the position as the largest producer of saffron, and historical evidence suggests that saffron cultivation has been a common practice in many central regions of the country since ancient times. This historical continuity highlights the significant cultural and economic value of saffron production in #Iran. 5- Saffron is a perennial herb that flowers in early autumn and grows in dry and subtropical regions, typically taking about 8 years to reach maturity. Its specific ecological requirements and lengthy maturation process contribute to the high cost and value of saffron as a #spice. 6- The saffron plant undergoes an awakening period and a dormancy period, with distinct growth and sleep stages during each period. Understanding these life stages is essential for cultivating and maintaining healthy saffron fields. 7- Only Crocus sativus, also known as Autumn Sativus or Saffron Sativus, is edible, as other types of crocuses can be poisonous. This distinction underscores the importance of accurate identification when handling and consuming crocuses. In summary, saffron’s botanical, historical, and agricultural significance reveals its complex and valuable nature, making it a captivating subject of study for researchers and enthusiasts alike.

We'll never know what fantastic foods (flowers, plants, medicines) we're missing if we continue to industrialize our production. By only focusing on variants that are the easiest to produce and cultivate, with the highest output and thus most commercial benefit, we not only expose ourselves to potential disaster from climate change. But we also deprive the world of beauty, joy, variety, history, as well as strength, resistance and longevity. Thanks for sharing Cameron Dowd! Really enjoyed reading about Silphium. And yes, would have also loved to try it! #regenerative #sustainability #regenerativeeconomics

Silphium - or why we will never again taste the true Caesar salad. Another weird story here but I promise there's a logic to it. Roughly 2000 years ago things were quite different around the Mediterranean. Lions roamed Greece and the Balkans, seals were common in Italy, and nobody could speak English anywhere. The Romans were a pretty big deal, and Julius Caesar was a big fan of the herb he would have called laserpicium. So much of a fan, he hoarded half a ton of it in the state treasury. Laserpicium, laserwort, or silphium (as the Wikipedia page is titled) was a herb with a thousand uses, growing only in Cyrene in modern day Libya and well known by pretty much every ancient Mediterranean culture. The Egyptians had a special hieroglyphic to represent it. The Greeks used it as a medicine for stomach pains, an aphrodisiac and even as an effective contraceptive. And the Romans, by the time they took control of the small stretch of land in north Africa where the herb grew naturally, developed a taste for it in food. The Romans used silphium to flavour all kinds of dishes, they wrote poems and songs about it, and featured it on their currency. All attempts to cultivate the herb failed however, demand only increased, and as the price for the herb began to reach its weight in gold, the story goes that the last wild silphium plant was picked and offered to Emperor Nero. The reasons for the extinction of silphium are not entirely clear, Pliny the Elder suggested overharvesting and overgrazing from the sheep introduced to the region (sounds somehow familiar...). Some research suggests changes in microclimate due to local deforestation. But whatever the cause was, it's gone and we can't taste it. Of course, Julius Caesar isn't actually related to our modern caesar salad, but however he was eating his salad it was probably with silphium from the 500kg he explicitly stocked in the treasury. 50 years after his assassination, the plant would never be seen again. The story of silphium is not just an unfortunate situation for historical Roman cuisine enthusiasts. It's quite likely the plant had real medical value that could still be useful today in the form of its active compounds. And indeed, there's many other endangered medicinal herbs around the world at risk due to habitat destruction, in South Africa alone 82 medicinal herbs are threatened with extinction and two have already vanished. With around 50% of clinical drugs derived from plant compounds, how many useful compounds have we already lost? The collapse of our biodiversity isn't new, there's stories like silphium all throughout history. And it doesn't only affect the cute animals or the pretty plants, species with real economic value have already been lost forever. We need to be conscious in our consumption choices, understand the impact it can have, and support regenerative agriculture. Because silphium sounds so damn tasty and I'm just bummed I'll never know what it tasted like.

Gaultheria procumbens, commonly known as eastern teaberry, wintergreen, or checkerberry, is a medicinal plant with a rich history of traditional use. In this article, we will explore the botanical description of Gaultheria procumbens, delve into its historical significance, and uncover its potential for promoting human health and well-being. The Botanical Description of Gaultheria procumbens 1. #NaturesPharmacy

Streptopus amplexifolius, commonly known as Twistedstalk, is a fascinating and valuable plant that has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. In this article, we will discuss the rich history, botanical description, and the numerous health benefits of this remarkable herb. The Botanical Description of Streptopus amplexifolius 1. #NaturesPharmacy