5 herbs to help you embrace autumn

Carissa Davenport

While we’re just starting to feel the shift, the wheel of the year is turning yet again towards autumn

You know the signs: the way the air smells first thing in the morning, the way the temps dip a whole lot quicker when the sun sinks below the horizon. Perhaps it’s a time that brings you joy. Or perhaps a drop of trepidation. This is where our seasonal rituals come in to help us make a graceful transition. Back to school and warm layers, steeping fragrant teas and simmering hearty stews. Turning towards familiar practices brings a sense of grounding to times of transition, and the shift from summer to fall is no different.

It was once said by the famous European herbalist Maurice Messegue that “a single plant is a medicine chest unto itself.” During this time when you are adjusting to new routines and weather patterns, the last thing you need is to add the task of filling an entire medicine cabinet with novel herbs. (Although if you’re into it, it could be a whole lot of fun!) But creating a simple herbal practice is a timeworn tradition that makes embracing autumn a joy. Herbs work in complex ways. A single herbs offers a multitude of beneficial compounds and unique actions, or ways of working within the body, that allows each plant ot serve us in countless ways.

Here are a handful of herbs that can serve as a source of inspiration this fall. This list is by no means definitive, but rather a beginning guide to herbs that are easy to find, simple to use, and hit many of our main autumn needs: immune support, digestion, circulation, respiratory health, and relaxation. Who wouldn’t want to stay warm, well, and tranquil when fall rolls around? If that sounds enticing, these five herbs are a great place to start!

ELDERBERRY (Sambucus nigra)

The entire elder plant has long been revered for its seemingly magical ability to heal. We now know that it’s not only elder magic that heals us (though who’s to say it’s not a part of the mystery?) but also the plentiful protective compounds in those deep purple berries. Specifically, elderberries are rich in “anthocyanins,” phytochemicals that exhibit antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, immune-stimulating, antibacterial, antiallergic, and antiviral properties. Layman’s terms? The berries help cells to identify and expel pathogens before they have a chance to take over your system. They’ve also been shown to reduce the duration of viral symptoms, such as fever, headache, and congestion. No wonder moms around the world keep a bottle of elderberry syrup in the fridge at all times! For a local, herbalist-crafted source, check out Town Farm Tonics (online and in local stores). If you’re keen on making your own, the internet is full of great recipes. Elderberry syrup is the traditional way to enjoy the berry’s benefits as it’s delicious, effective, and easy to use. But you can just as well simmer to the berries for a quick tea for the same immune support.

This wild shrub is native to North American and Europe, so with a little patience and know-how you can forage your own berries. They’ll be our local variety, S. Candensis, which contain all the same compounds as its more well-known European cousin. Just make sure that you only take what you need, leaving enough for the plant to reseed and feed the birds. Leave behind any unripe berries; they’ll hurt your stomach and won’t contain the medicine you’re looking for. And should foraging not be your cup of tea, the plant is easy to grow (wait until spring). Or just purchase dried berries at a nearby herb shop or online store. Make sure to buy organic – nearly all elderberries are imported, which means they’re likely irradiated and could contain toxic pesticide residue.

BURDOCK (Articum lappa)

This biennial weed is well known as a liver healer, detoxifier, and nutritive herb that is rich in inulin and supports your microbiome. When our diets are changing towards heavier fall foods, this is a great time to incorporate Burdock for digestive support. Enjoy burdock tea regularly for digestive tract soothing and support of cell-level metabolism. With all these benefits, burdock happens to be a renowned food plant in Japan, where herbalism is quite popular and the roots are cultivated to grow very large. The wild burdock found around these parts will likely be too small and tough for eating. But they’ll be perfect for simmering into a hearty, nourishing tea! You want to dig the medicinal roots from the first year plant of this biennial. A first-year burdock is easy to spot because it won’t yet have sent up it’s giant stalk – that comes in year two. Before that stalk grows, all of the plants’ energy is in the root, making it the perfect time to harvest. To harvest, simply get a long hand trowel or hori-hori to loosen the soil around the tap root. It grows deep! So you’ll want to do a lot of digging before pulling it up. Once it’s extracted, snip off the top leaves and scrub the root clean. Burdock roots preserve best when chopped into half-inch pieces and oven-dehydrated at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. Brewing burdock tea is as simple as simmering 1 tablespoon of roots in 1.5 cups of water for 15 minutes. The same can be done with the fresh root. Strain and enjoy with honey. Can’t find much Burdock around your usual stomping grounds? Keep an eye out for Dandelion or Chicory. These two medicinal wild roots are also abundant. They offer many of the same actions and can be used just as well for teas.

GINGER (Zingiber officinale)

Ajusting to cooler temperatures is much easier with the help of warming, circulatory supportive herbs. While ginger is not a native plant that one can forage, it’s luckily plentiful at grocery stores and irreplaceable as an herbal ally. Increasingly chilly days after such a hot summer can cause tension as we brace against the cold, leading to stagnation. Ginger supports healthy circulation of blood throughout the body, which helps us move through that tension. In this way it keeps our extremities warm, whether sipped as a tea or added as a powder to a warming foot bath. The effect of keeping blood moving properly from nose to toes has the effect of not only lifting our energy, but our spirits too! Blood is a vital force, and a warm body in autumn nurtures a warm spirit. Ginger is also gently immune stimulating, fending off viruses that proliferate in the fall. Along with adding ginger to soup and simmering the grated root for a spicy tea, ginger syrup is a fun way to incorporate this helpful herb. No perfect ratios are needs. Just simmer grated ginger to your desired strength (the spicier the better in this case), strain, and for one part water add one part raw sugar or honey. Refrigerate this tasty concoction and drizzle into oatmeal, pancakes, tea, and even cocktails for a flavoral, functional boost!

ONION (Allium cepa)

Did you know that your kitchen cabinets are full of herbs long revered for health support? Even the word “recipe” itself comes from the French word for “prescription.” Our food is our medicine! Especially in these coming months, add onion to as much as you can for the vitamins and sulfurous compounds that keep pathogens at bay. We all know the celebrated immune benefit of vitamin C. Onions happen to be a great source of this nutrient, along with vitamin B6 and potassium, critical nutrients for all cell functions. Those sulfurous compounds are what give onion that characteristic eye-stnging ability. Those same compounds help to loosen and expel mucous in a congested respiratory system, especially when the onion is raw. One little known trick? When a hacking cough has you all but exasperated, stick a tiny piece of garlic in your upper lip. Sure, your breath won’t thank you, but your lungs will! Over time that onion will help to ease your spasming cough and loosen phlegm. A simple method would be enjoying ample onions in salads and soups. Or, try your hand at an onion syrup. For higher nutrient content in those valuable onions, make sure to shop local. Organic and natural farmers are more likely to maintain healthy soils, which translates to nutrient dense onions. The grocery store variety, even organic, won’t be nearly as nutritious as a locally grown onion! Check your local farmer’s market or SEMAPonline.org for a list of local farms and markets.

OAT (Avena satva)

When some think fall, warm bowls of oatmeal full of autumn apples and warm cinnamon come to mind. Often, our littleconsidered seasonal rituals have health benefits behind than, unbenownst to the average person. Turns out oats offer much more than sustenance. They’re a nervous system super food! During any season of transition, emotions may run high, so there’s no time like sweater season to nourish those nerves. As a food, oatmeal is rich in complex carbs and fiber, and higher in protein and fat than most other grains. They are also very high in many vitamins and minerals, like magnesium, all of which help regulate the nervous system and keep hunger at bay – a sure fire way to frazzle nerves. Used as herbal medicine, oats come in the form of oat straw (the first grassy shoots) and oat tops (the young oat grain seed that becomes oat meal). Oat straw and tops are especially nerve loving, known around the world as the very best way to strengthen nerves overtime and combat long-standing nervous exhaustion. They contain compounds that literally feed and rebuild the nerves, cultivating stamina and emotional resilience over time. Oatstraw and oattops are best used in combination. For nutrient dense brew, add 4-6 tablespoons of the herb mix to a mason jar, fill with just boiled water and cover for an overnight steep. Strain in the morning and enjoy daily for long term restoration.

There is so much more to each of these herbs than could fit on a few pages. Remember, each herb is a medicine cabinet unto themselves. Pick one herb and start to explore. How many ways can it be used? How does it make you feel? What surprised you? Learning through experience is the very best way to build up your knowledge as a home herbalist. It’s a practice that we’re not all that far removed from. A practice that is both empowering and fun, especially when communing with plants outdoor is on pause for a season or two. *Statements in this article are for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult with your physician before starting something new.