2015 Herbs in the Spotlight
Jan/Feb '15
Each year 2 herbs are chosen for study. The
International Herb Association chooses what is known as “The Herb of the
Year,“ and the Herb Society of America chooses a “Notable Native.” The Notable Native program, beginning in
2012, is fairly new to the arena, but the Herb of the Year has been going
strong since 1995.
One of the most amazing things about these programs is that
they bring up a plant for discussion and use, and by the end of the year we all
know a good bit more about it than we did going into the year. Recent examples for me are horseradish (HOTY
2011) and spicebush (NN 2012). Neither
of them held much interest for me, but in researching and writing about them, I
came to learn that they both have a great deal to offer us. Our woods are filled with spicebush, and
there’s a large patch of horseradish out in the back border now. In all honesty, I’m looking at the two
choices for 2015 with the same lackluster interest, but am certain that by the
end of the year I will have a new respect for and knowledge of them both.
Herb of the
Year: Savory Saturea ssp.
There are two types of Savory, Winter (Satureia montana)
and Summer (Satureja hortensis). They
are from the Lamiaceae, or Mint family. Winter
Savory is a semi-evergreen perennial and blooms in winter. Summer Savory is an annual. Although Winter Savory has a sharp flavor and
Summer Savory is more sweet, they are used interchangeably as a seasoning. The
name itself has come to mean a specific type of food, full of flavor and
depth. The piney and peppery Winter
Savory is (in my mind) more responsible for that. Folklore has it that Winter Savory decreases
the sex drive, while Summer Savory enhances it, so you may want to keep that in mind while flavoring
those side dishes.
Savory is known as
"the bean herb." In fact the
German word for the herb is Bohenkraut - which means bean herb and that might be due to its ability to
help with bloating, and flatulence. It
can be made into a tea as well as used as a seasoning, and helps with colic,
stomach upsets, diarrhea, and indigestion, and because it contains tannins as
well as possessing antibiotic properties, it helps with sore throats. It is also mildly expectorant. It can help relieve abdominal cramping.
On the west coast,
varieties of Savory (as well as several other herbs) may go by the nickname
Yerba Buena. Satureja douglasii
and Satureja viminea are two of these
that are made into teas and sipped as "the good herb." However, depending on location, there are
several mints and quite a few other plants that also go by that moniker.
It can be made into
a mild salve to help with insect stings and rashes. To do that, one would simply steep the Savory
in a fat or oil, strain, and combine with enough beeswax to make it the proper
feel.
Winter Savory was
used in knot gardens during the Tudor era in England, and often beehives were
located near them so that the honey would be flavored with the herb.
Both Winter and
Summer Savory grow easily and quickly from seed. They aren't fussy, but Summer Savory might
grow so quickly that it falls over, so be sure to cut it often and use it!
If you don't get
around to using it right away, Savory dries beautifully.
Savory contains
essential oil Commercially it is used in
soaps and toothpastes. As with all essential oils, this one will cause skin
irritation if used without proper dilution.
It should not be taken internally.
All in all, not a
bad little herb to have around.
Notable Native: Common Dittany Cunila origanoides
Several years ago my sister and I went out to Somerset for a
couple days to take part in an herb gathering that Barb and Fred Will of Sugar
Grove Herbs were holding. We stayed at a
nearby campground that was only a road and a skinny little scratch of woodland
away from a large lake. The plant diversity we saw in that area was staggering.
That little bit of land between us and the lake yielded many first time
sightings for me. There were mayapples
that had been allowed to ripen, for instance.
Our deer don't let that happen.
So I got to taste a mayapple.
There was ghost pipe growing in the rotting hardwood leaf litter. Crossing a strip of dry, sunny land, we were
struck with the sharp scent of oregano.
Looking down there was this scraggy little plant with tiny whorls of
pinkish flowers. It was Dittany, a plant
I'd never seen before, couldn't identify at the time, but will not soon
forgot.
Also in the Lamiaceae family, this perennial sub-shrub is nicknamed wild oregano, stonemint, and frost flower. Frost flowers are an unusual and interesting phenomena described as follows by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation's website:
"Frost flowers occur only in late fall after the first few hard freezes and while the ground is still warm. Their season is brief, and they disappear quickly on the day they occur, melting like frost when the air warms or rays of sunlight fall on the delicate structures.While the plants’ stems are ruptured by the first hard freeze, the root system is still sending up plant sap from the warmer ground. The sap pushes through the broken stem and freezes on contact with the cold air. As more saps moves up, it forces the freezing stream of white ice crystals into ornate, folded ribbons that look like petals, puffs of cotton candy, or snarls of white thread."
The taste of the leaves is sharp, but the infusion or tea is
fairly pleasant. Just like the Savory
discussed above, Dittany is also terrific for all of the gassy, bloaty, crampy
bellies, and helps with heartburn and upsets too. It can be used for headaches colds and fevers
and encourages perspiration. Not
recommended for pregnant women, as it is sometimes used to bring on
menstruation.
Considering how strongly this plant carries a scent that
closely resembles Oregano, it also has many similarities in medicinal
uses. It is useful against upper
respiratory infections, sinus congestion, coughs, tonsillitis, and any lung or
bronchial debility.
An essential oil, known as cunila oil, obtained from the
plant is antiseptic, aromatic and stimulant and can be useful against joint
pain and muscular strains.
Dittany is antifungal, making it terrific for athlete's
foot, or any fungal skin infection.
Great on insect bites, skin rashes, and scrapes, this is a great
contribution to a salve blend - or could be the single herb used, for that
matter (although I'm thinking some plantain and comfrey would be nice).
Common Dittany grows easily from cuttings. It dries well for use over the winter.
I find it extremely
interesting that although the plants chosen for this year's study are
completely different (although both in the mint family) they have very similar
applications medicinally.
