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🍃Stinging Nettles – Nature’s Prickly Paradox

Stinging nettles may look intimidating, but once cooked they lose their sting and reveal one of the most nutrient-dense greens around. Per cup, they’re loaded with protein, calcium (more than milk!), magnesium, iron, potassium, and a powerhouse mix of vitamins and antioxidants. Traditionally used for energy, bone strength, allergies, skin health, and as a spring detox tonic — nettles are proof that sometimes the sting is worth it.

⸻

🥣 Nettle–Potato (or Yam) Soup Recipe

Ingredients
• 4 cups fresh nettle tops (tender, before flowering)
• 2 medium potatoes (or 1 large yam/sweet potato), cubed
• 1 medium onion (optional)
• 4–5 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1–2 tbsp olive oil or butter (optional)
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, curry powder, or spices of choice

Directions
1. Sauté onion in oil/butter (optional).
2. Add potatoes/yam + broth, simmer ~15 min until tender.
3. Add nettle tops, simmer 5 min until wilted and bright green.
4. Season to taste.
5. Blend until smooth and creamy.

🌶️ Variation: Add coconut milk + curry spices for a silky, aromatic twist.

#StingingNettles #HerbalMedicine #HealingPlants #Foraging #WildFoods #NaturalWellness #HerbalRemedies #PlantBasedHealing #NettleSoup #Superfoods#christopherhobbs #herbalremedies #herbalwisdom ...

🌿Meet Vitex agnus-castus

Known as chaste tree berry, Vitex has a long tradition of use in women’s health, dating back to ancient Greece and Rome. The berries support the body’s natural hormonal rhythms and have traditionally been used to ease PMS symptoms, support fertility, and help with the transition through menopause.

💡 How it works
Vitex acts on the pituitary gland, gently influencing the balance of estrogen and progesterone—helping the body restore its own natural rhythm over time.

🍇 Traditional Preparation
The berries are most often taken as tincture or capsule, though herbal teas can also be made.

🌱 A reminder: Vitex works gradually and is most effective when taken consistently over several months.

Have you used Vitex before? Share your experience below!

Comment VITEX for more herbal wisdom straight to your inbox ✉️

Thank you for walking the plant path with me 🌿

Christopher Hobbs 

#vitex #agnuscastus #herbalmedicine #plantwisdom #womenshealth #herbalhealing #hormonebalance #herbalremedies #christopherhobbs #plantpath ...

Meet Pulsatilla 🌸

Also known as wind flower, this gentle remedy has long been used in traditional herbal medicine for emotional balance and physical relief.

Often called upon for mood swings, weepiness, and hormonal imbalances, Pulsatilla supports those who feel emotionally sensitive or out of sorts — especially during hormonal shifts like PMS or menopause.

It’s also traditionally used for respiratory complaints, sinus congestion, and earaches that feel worse in warm rooms and better in fresh air.

✨ A plant of softness, sensitivity, and support.

Have you ever worked with Pulsatilla?

#pulsatilla #herbalremedies #plantmedicine #naturalhealing #christopherhobbs #nervines #emotionalbalance #botanicalmedicine #homeopathy #herbalwisdom ...

Meet the Silk Tree 🌸 (Albizia julibrissin) — also called He Huan Hua or the “Tree of Happiness” in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This delicate, fragrant flower is more than just a visual delight — it’s known for its calming and uplifting effects on the spirit. Traditionally used to ease grief, anxiety, and emotional tension, Albizia is a gentle nervine that supports the heart and mind.

Both the bark and the blossoms are used in herbal preparations — think tinctures, teas, and powdered extracts.

Have you worked with silk tree before?

Thank you for walking the plant path with me 🌿

Christopher Hobbs

#silktree #albiziajulibrissin #treeofhappiness #herbalism #nervineherbs #calmingherbs #tcmherbs #drchristopherhobbs #herbalremedies #plantwisdom #hehuanhua ...

Comment VALERIAN for more herbal wisdom straight to your inbox 🌿

Wall Valerian is a lesser-known but powerful plant in the herbal world — often growing wild along rocky slopes, walls, and woodland edges.

Traditionally used as a calming nervine and gentle sedative, valerian root has long been valued for supporting sleep, easing anxiety, and relaxing the nervous system. Its earthy scent might be strong, but its medicine runs deep — helping body and mind settle into rest.

Whether tinctured, steeped, or powdered, valerian reminds us to slow down and soften.

Have you used valerian in your practice or daily life? 🌙

Share your experience below ⬇️

Christopher Hobbs

#valerian #wallvalerian #nervineherbs #sleepherbs #relaxation #herbalremedies #plantwisdom #drchristopherhobbs #naturalcalm #herbalmedicine ...

The fragrant butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is beloved for its ability to draw in butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds 🦋—but did you know it also has a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine?

In TCM, the flower buds (known as Mi Meng Hua) have been used to support eye health, soothe inflammation, and gently clear heat.

Do you have butterfly bush growing near you?

Thank you for walking the plant path with me 🌿

Christopher Hobbs

#butterflybush #buddleja #pollinatorgarden #herbalistlife #plantwisdom #gardeningwithintention #wildflowers #botanicallearning #christopherhobbs #herbalsimplicity #healingplants #gardenmedicine #plantlover #naturewisdom #pollinatorlove ...

Elderberries have long been a trusted ally in traditional herbal medicine. 🌿

Elderberries (Sambucus spp.) are rich in flavonoids and anthocyanins that support the immune system and help the body respond to seasonal infections. Traditionally, they’ve been used to shorten the duration of colds and flu, ease inflammation, and support overall resilience.

It’s important to note that elderberries should always be cooked before consuming—raw berries and stems can be mildly toxic.

This is one of my favorite plant allies to work with this time of year.

Have you ever made your own elderberry syrup?

Christopher Hobbs

#elderberrysyrup #herbalmedicine #wildcraftedherbs #plantwisdom #folkremedies #immunesupport #foragedfood #seasonalherbalism #christopherhobbs #elderberrybenefits #herbaltradition #naturalimmunity ...

🌿 Meet Mahonia aquifolium, better known as Oregon grape root — a powerful native plant of the Pacific Northwest, with deep golden roots and equally deep healing potential.

🌼 This bitter, antimicrobial root has long been used by Indigenous peoples and herbalists to support the liver, digestion, skin, and immune system. Rich in berberine, it acts as a botanical ally for clearing heat, cooling inflammation, and defending the body against unwanted microbes.

🌿 I often reach for Oregon grape root when the liver needs gentle stimulation, digestion is sluggish, or the skin is expressing deeper internal imbalances.

🌼 Bitters like this aren’t always sweet, but they are some of our most profound teachers — guiding the body back toward balance through stimulation, detoxification, and resilience.

📚 You’ll find Oregon grape featured in both Western and traditional herbal traditions, often as a gentler alternative to goldenseal — and one that’s more ecologically sustainable.

Have you worked with this brilliant root?

Comment ROOT for more herbal wisdom straight to your inbox 🌿

Thank you for walking the plant path with me,

Christopher Hobbs

#oregongraperoot #mahoniaaquifolium #plantbitters #liversupport #digestiveherbs #skinhealth #berberine #herbalism #plantmedicine #herbalremedies #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalmedicine #christopherhobbs ...

We are nature. The more we remember that, the more healing becomes possible.

Thank you for walking the plant path with me,

Christopher Hobbs

#nature #plantpath #herbalism #herbalist #herbal #healing ...

🌿 Foxglove: Beauty, Power, and Caution
Botanical name: Digitalis purpurea
Family: Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae)
Common names: Foxglove, Digitalis
⚠️ Powerful — and Potentially Dangerous
Foxglove is a striking biennial native to Europe, now widely naturalized in North America, especially along forest edges, meadows, and gardens. Its tall spires of bell-shaped, purple-to-pink flowers make it a favorite among pollinators and plant lovers alike.

But beneath its beauty lies great power — foxglove contains potent cardiac glycosides (notably digitoxin and digoxin), compounds that affect heart rhythm and contractility. These constituents have been used pharmaceutically to develop life-saving heart medications, but the plant itself is highly toxic and should never be self-administered.

Do you recognize this plant when you walk in the woods?

Comment "FOXGLOVE" to join my mailing list and stay in touch with my latest newsletters, herbal guides, and educational offerings.

Thank you for walking the plant path with me,

Christopher Hobbs

#foxglove #digitalispurpurea #plantidentification #medicinalplants #herbalwisdom #toxicplants #herbalsafety #herbalistsofinstagram #plantstudy #christopherhobbs ...

🌿Comment “ALOE” for more herbal wisdom straight to your inbox. Join our mailing list to stay in touch with my latest newsletters, herbal guides, and educational offerings.

🌿Aloe vera is one of the most time-honored medicinal plants — a succulent that’s been cherished for thousands of years for its cooling, soothing, and regenerative properties.

🌿Used traditionally in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine, aloe is most known for its clear, gel-like inner leaf — rich in polysaccharides, enzymes, and antioxidants that support skin healing, digestion, and immune function.

🧴 Topically, aloe gel is a go-to for sunburn, minor wounds, and skin irritation — helping to calm inflammation and support cellular repair.

🌿 Internally, small amounts of the inner gel can soothe the digestive tract, supporting conditions like heartburn, gastritis, and even promoting gentle elimination. (Be mindful: the outer leaf, or latex, contains anthraquinones like aloin, which are strong laxatives — best avoided unless specifically needed and in tiny doses.)

💧 Aloe is also a deeply hydrating plant, helping to retain moisture in the skin and mucous membranes — making it a favorite in both herbal and cosmetic traditions.

Whether fresh from the plant or in high-quality preparations, Aloe vera is a beautiful example of nature’s ability to heal, cool, and restore balance.

Have you used Aloe as part of your wellness routine?

May the plants meet you where you are,

Christopher Hobbs


#aloevera #christopherhobbs #herbalmedicine #plantwisdom #naturalhealing #digestivehealth #skinhealth #herbalremedy #summerhealing #guthealth #plantmedicine #herbalwisdom #herbalremedies #herbalhealing #naturalmedicine #digestivehealth #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalcommunity #medicinalplants ...

🌿Meet Rupertia physodes — a lesser-known gem in the pea family, quietly flowering along dry hillsides and forest edges from late spring through summer. Often called California tea, this native legume has been traditionally used by Indigenous groups for gentle herbal infusions, though it’s rarely seen in modern herbalism.

With its delicate, cream-to-yellow blossoms and deep roots in the western landscape, Rupertia reminds us that even the most unassuming plants carry stories worth listening to.
I love encountering this plant on summer walks — a quiet companion, thriving in the sun-baked soil and offering a subtle nod to the resilience of native flora.

Have you ever come across this one in bloom?

For more herbal wisdom, comment “TEA" to join our mailing list and stay connected to upcoming newsletters and offerings. 🌿

In health and harmony,🌿

Christopher Hobbs

#californiaplants #californianatives #nativeplantmedicine #herbaltea #wildherbalism #localplants #californiatea #plantallies #herbalinfusion #herbalistsofinstagram #christopherhobbs ...