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Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is one of the most dangerous plants in North America. A member of the carrot family, it can be recognized by its fernlike leaves, white umbrella-shaped flower clusters, and smooth hollow stems often mottled with purple. All parts are highly poisonous; its alkaloids can cause progressive paralysis and death. Never taste or handle an unfamiliar plant resembling parsley, wild carrot, or fennel.

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The flowers of Ceanothus (especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) contain naturally occurring saponins—plant compounds that act as gentle surfactants. When the fresh blossoms are rubbed between wet hands with a little water, the saponins dissolve and produce a surprisingly rich, creamy lather.

Unlike true soap, which is made by chemically reacting fats with an alkali (saponification), ceanothus flowers simply release preformed saponins. These molecules have one end that binds to water and another that binds to oils, allowing them to lift dirt and oils from the skin.

The foam is:

* Gentle and biodegradable.
* Mildly cleansing rather than strongly degreasing.
* Pleasantly soft and silky on the hands.
* Readily rinsed away with water.

Many California Native peoples used ceanothus flowers as a natural cleanser for the hands and body, and in some regions the leaves or bark of related species were also used because they contain saponins.

It’s a remarkable example of how a common native shrub can provide an effective cleanser using nothing more than fresh blossoms and water—no processing, packaging, or synthetic ingredients required.
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Schisandra—wu wei zi—is the remarkable “five-flavor berry” of Chinese medicine and one of our important adaptogenic herbs.

Comment BERRY below and I’ll send you the complete video.

These days more than ever I’m thinking food is medicine! Let’s just get over it.
More and more I’m enjoying my medicine. When we look closely at what we’re eating every day it’s obvious that we consume a lot more food than we do herbs.
When we start embracing and remembering that food is our best medicine, in other words, creating wellness and preventing symptoms and ailments from happening in the first place, we’re in just the right place to work with our bodies and it’s natural way rather than trying to outguess the incredible intelligence of all the deep processes that have optimized themselves over millions of years. The cells, tissues, and metabolism of our body knows the way to restore health.
Every year I freeze down blueberries and blackberries and canned elderberry juice to use throughout the year. One of my top five medicinal foods.

#christopherhobbs #herbalmedicine #plantmedicine #and keep us safe.

Ginkgo biloba, a “living fossil” and the sole surviving member of its ancient botanical division, is easily recognized by its unique fan-shaped leaves. In Chinese culture, its seeds (commonly called “ginkgo nuts”) are prized as a culinary delicacy, traditionally featured in festive dishes like Buddha’s Delight and valued in traditional practice for lung health. Modern clinical trials focus instead on standard extracts from the leaves (specifically EGb 761), which contain active flavonoids and terpenoids. Meta-analyses support ginkgo as one of the most thoroughly researched herbs for stabilizing or slowing cognitive decline in mild dementia and age-related memory impairment, primarily by improving cerebral blood flow and reducing oxidative stress.#christopherhobbs #herbalmedicine #plantmedicine #herbalism #herbalremedies

How to make the oil at home!
Use only the flowering tips, organic olive oil, blend or juice, but juicing, and including the juice and the red pulp is preferred. This is the way to make the strongest St. John’s war you can get.#herbalmedicine #plantmedicine #christopherhobbs #herbalremedies

Pick only the flowering tips! You can blend with olive oil, but the very best method is to juice, a fresh flowering tips and add the juice and the red pulp into olive oil.
The following reel will demonstrate the whole process.
Never leave home without it!
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Hi friends, nettles remain one of my powerful herbal allies. Harvested in the spring, the tops only before flowering can be blended and cooked with potato carrots to make a soup. One of the highest herbs or foods in calcium.
Dedication is applying the stinging nettles to an arthritic joint. The tiny injections counteract chronic inflammation of arthritis.
But is the cure worse than the disease?
I’ve seen people apply it with good benefits, but it’s only for the Stout of heart!
#christopherhobbs #herbalmedicine #plantmedicine
Nettle: deeply nourishing, surprisingly healing. Its nutrient-rich leaves feed the body, while its sting was traditionally used to calm arthritic pain.

We use reishi daily for a number of benefits!
I find that I have a calmer day, calmer and more productive when I have a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of Rishi powder or maybe three capsules in the morning with my green tea.
It also helps me maintain a strong immunity. We had a nasty cold or flu going around in our little community and I stayed symptom-free.
I also use it because the ancient thought it was a powerful spirit Mushroom. What does that mean?
I don’t know, but I’m hoping to find out!

Say reishi in the chat to go right to the full video on my YouTube channel.
#christopherhobbs #plantmedicine #herbalism #herbalremedies #medicinalmushrooms