Once beloved in root beer and medicine cabinets, sassafras was later banned as dangerous . So...is it poison or a powerful plant ally? In this episode, we’re diving into the wild and winding story of Sassafras albidum —a tree deeply rooted in Southern culture, traditional herbalism, and kitchen magic. From thickening gumbo to flavoring root beer (before it was pulled from shelves in the 1970s), sassafras has played many roles—and stirred up plenty of controversy. Herbalist Matthew Hunter joins m...
Jul 30, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 194
I am so excited to share this conversation with Dana Hutchinson! I really identified with her herbal path – like me, as a young person she suffered from a debilitating autoimmune condition, and it was through her search for healing that she found herbalism. As a clinical herbalist herself now, she offers so much hope for others in similar situations. Dana had so much to share about one of the first herbs that she worked with to help her overcome her illness, jujube dates ( Ziziphus jujuba ). Thi...
Jul 23, 2025•58 min•Ep. 193
I’ve been looking forward to this interview with Lorna Trigg for a while now! Lorna’s herbal path was strongly influenced by the practices of the indigenous people who lived near her childhood family farm in South Africa, and she has such a creative and unique perspective that I just had to learn more from her. Lorna shared about a plant that she has known since childhood, the beautiful passionflower (both the Passiflora edulis she grew up with in South Africa, and the Passiflora incarnata that ...
Jul 16, 2025•59 min•Ep. 192
I was so excited to talk about St. John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) with this week’s podcast guest, Kyle Denton. St. John’s wort is one of my all-time favorite herbs, and Kyle told me he’d be sharing a few things about it that you don’t commonly hear. He certainly didn’t disappoint! Kyle discussed mythological and poetic aspects of the plant, how he understands it via the lens of the doctrine of signatures, and the science behind potential contraindications of St. John’s wort (hint: how you ...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 191
I had such a lovely time chatting with this week’s podcast guest, Josh Williams, about one of my favorite tree medicines, and one that is often found in urban landscapes – the lovely linden ( Tilia spp. ). Josh shared so many gems about this beloved tree, from harvesting tips to how to make the most of its medicine, and he even told a beautiful story about linden from Roman mythology. Every year during linden bloom time, Josh gathers its sweetly-scented flowers and prepares a syrup with them, fo...
Jun 18, 2025•53 min•Ep. 190
In this week’s episode, I sat down with the lovely Yemaya Kimmel to discuss milky oats ( Avena sativa ). Yemaya is not only a wonderful herbalist, but as you’ll see in this episode, she’s also an amazing singer! She shared so many deep insights about the benefits of milky oats – an herb that most people these days could probably benefit from – plus a beautiful song to cap off the episode. Yemaya mentioned during our chat that she enjoys naming tincture formulas after songs (and I may have had a ...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 189
I was so happy when today’s podcast guest, Tiffany Harper, told me she’d like to talk about red osier dogwood ( Cornus sericea syn. C. stolonifera ). This striking shrub is very common in North America, both in wild lands and cultivated landscapes, and I was excited to learn more about it! Tiffany brings so much heart and wisdom to everything she shares in this episode—the powerful medicine of red osier dogwood, the value of forming connections with the natural world around you, the often-overlo...
Jun 04, 2025•55 min•Ep. 188
It was such a joy to have my good friend, Thomas Easley, on the show. For some reason, the herb he chose to discuss – blue vervain – surprised me (perhaps because it hit so close to home?), but his insights about it were both thoughtful and expansive. He shared about the type of person who tends to really benefit from vervain, the best time of day to take it, some lesser-known ways of working with it, and so much more! Blue vervain is perhaps best known for its gift of helping wind you down, and...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 187
There are so many ways that working with herbs can benefit you – and health challenges related to chronic inflammation are no exception. In this short compilation, I share four of my favorite herbs that help to cool inflammation, along with some of the specific inflammatory conditions where these herbs shine. By the end of this episode, you’ll see just how versatile and supportive these amazing plants can be! By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► Why marshmallow is like a soft herbal hug fo...
May 21, 2025•7 min•Ep. 186
Who doesn’t love cacao in some way, shape, or form? (Of course, dark chocolate is the best kind of chocolate in my not-so-humble opinion, but that’s beside the point.) In this episode, I got to interview Marcos Patchett, a London herbalist with a very interesting backstory, who also happens to be an expert on cacao. Marcos shared so many fascinating aspects of this amazing plant, from its rich history in South America to its chemical constituents and the way it affects our bodies. He also dove i...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 185
I’ve been wanting to have 7Song on the podcast for a really long time now, so it was exciting to finally get to sit and chat with him. 7Song is well known for his work in first aid and disaster relief, and our conversation touched on many different aspects of this work. People often want to help when there’s been a natural disaster like a hurricane, wildfire, or flooding, and 7Song shared some of his best tips on how herbalists can help, along with some of his favorite herbs to have on hand for ...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 184
A major hazard of inviting herbalists on this show is that with each conversation, I get so excited about the herb we discussed that I want to run out and get it and start working with it right away! I often have to remind myself that I don’t need to try every single herb, and that many of my most versatile and beloved herbal allies are the ones that I already have in my garden and my spice rack. This conversation with Dr. Orna Izakson about thyme was a great reminder that herbs don’t need to be...
Apr 30, 2025•49 min•Ep. 183
Rosemary Gladstar was the very first person I interviewed for this podcast nearly four years ago, and it was truly an honor to be able to have her on the show again. She is such a presence in the world, having brought so much love and wisdom to the herbal community for decades. Rosemary’s work has inspired many thousands (at least!) of budding and experienced herbalists, and I am so incredibly grateful for every moment I get to spend with her. Rosemary discussed a variety of topics in this inter...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 182
You’re in for a treat! In this episode, I had such a delightful conversation with joAnna Sanchez, who has been “beckoned by the plants,” as she so lovingly puts it, for decades. She shares such hope for the world, gained through her work with the plants and relationships with other students of nature, and her positive attitude is infectious – I found myself just beaming after speaking with her! I was thrilled that joAnna chose to speak about Lobelia inflata , a plant that she has been working wi...
Apr 16, 2025•56 min•Ep. 181
This conversation with Julie Caldwell was such a joy! It brought me back to a time when I was just a baby herbalist studying in Santa Cruz, California, where the surrounding mountains are home to countless towering redwood trees. The redwood forest where Julie lives is a few hundred miles north of Santa Cruz – but as she pointed out, the entire northern hemisphere used to be covered in redwoods, and those of us who live on this part of the earth are connected by the land’s memory of these ancien...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 180
I was thrilled to have a chance to interview Dr. Jacqui Wilkins! I’ve been following her on social media for some time now, and her posts always brighten my day with their beauty and insight. Our conversation went so many places – from the ways that herbalism can reconnect us with the land and our ancestors, to more technical aspects of how chemical constituents of plants interact with our hormones. I was also really excited Dr. Jacqui chose to speak about yarrow, my plant ally for the year. Yar...
Apr 03, 2025•47 min•Ep. 179
It was such a delight to sit down and chat with Bevin Cohen – he has such a deep love and appreciation for plants, and so many gems of herbal wisdom to share! Our conversation was centered around wintergreen, a plant that he has been learning with since he was a child, but also touched on so many other aspects of living a life rooted in herbalism: from the importance of being in the moment and forming personal relationships with plants, to the crossover between food and medicine – a great remind...
Mar 26, 2025•53 min•Ep. 178
It was such a pleasure to have KhadiYah Preciado on the podcast - her curiosity about the plant world and its many gifts is inspiring, and it was just delightful to hear about her love for chickweed and the ways that she works with this abundant springtime herb! One of the many ways that KhadiYah works with chickweed is in her Itch Relief Oil – a fantastic medicine to make in the spring, when chickweed is abundant, in anticipation of the inevitable mosquito bites of summer! You can download your...
Mar 19, 2025•36 min•Ep. 177
It was such a joy to meet Dr. Ryan Shepherd! In our conversation, we dove into the many benefits of licorice root, which is one of the most frequently worked-with plants in herbal medicine, thanks to its wide use in Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas. Ryan also shared about his herbal journey from London to China to Texas – a story that is perhaps as varied and unique as licorice itself! In addition to discussing the medicinal benefits of licorice root, Ryan showed just how versatile this her...
Mar 05, 2025•51 min•Ep. 176
It’s always an honor to connect with EagleSong, and this conversation was no exception. She has such a deep and dynamic presence in the herbal world, and I knew our conversation would be rich with wisdom and insight. We talked about the interconnectedness of people, plants, the earth, and human history—big, beautiful themes that EagleSong brings to life through her stories and experiences. We also spent time with one of my favorite plant allies, hawthorn. But rather than just listing its herbal ...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 175
Sometimes, I have a pretty good idea what guests on the podcast are going to talk about. But going in to this conversation with Carin Fortin, I wasn’t sure what to expect - I knew very little about Carin and even less about her chosen herb, ashitaba ( Angelica keiskei )! At first I thought this plant would be similar to angelica ( Angelica archangelica ) or even dong quai ( Angelica sinensis ). But no! Ashitaba is an amazing herb with its own unique gifts. It was fascinating to hear all that Car...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 174
Where do your herbs really come from? What happens before they land in your tea cup, tincture bottle, or spice jar? The journey from seed to shelf is full of twists and turns, and the choices we make as herbalists and consumers can shape that journey in meaningful ways. In this episode, I’m talking with Ann Armbrecht, the author of Following the Herbal Harvest . Ann has spent years exploring the global herbal supply chain, and she’s sharing four essential questions to ask before buying herbs —qu...
Feb 12, 2025•59 min•Ep. 173
When Tim Scott’s book, Invasive Plant Medicine , came out in 2010, it was an instant favorite of mine. In fact, it still influences the way I view plants and the natural world! I was so delighted to finally have the chance to interview Tim, and our conversation touched on many important threads from the book – from the question “what is native” to some of the actual benefits of invasive plants, and so much more. Tim also discussed a plant that inspires anger in many of the places it has taken ho...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 172
I’m a big fan of behind-the-scenes stories – apparently, even, when it comes to my own podcast and school! While I might be the face of Herbs with Rosalee, it’s important to me that you know about the amazing team that works to support everything we do here. In today’s episode, I had a delightful conversation with Emilie Thomas-Anderson, who serves as the project manager for this podcast. Emilie not only shared all about what goes into the podcast production from start to finish, but also discus...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 171
Register for our free webinar, “Avoid Common Herbal Pitfalls So You Can Make Remedies That Heal,” by visiting http://www.herbalminicourse.com/ . In this webinar, my co-teacher Emily Han and I will be diving into the most common mistakes people make when working with herbs (as well as how to avoid them). You’ll also get access to our free Rooted Medicine Circle mini course when you register. But don’t delay, the webinar and mini course are only open for a short time! For all the details about the...
Jan 22, 2025•2 min•Ep. 170
Where are you in your herbal learning journey? Where would you like to go? What steps will you take to get there? These are all questions I’ve asked myself many times over the years, and reflecting upon the answers has helped to guide me to where I am today. Last year, one of the answers that jumped out at me was: go back to herbal school! This may seem a little silly or strange – after all, I already have years of study behind me and even have my own herbal school. So why would I go back to sch...
Jan 15, 2025•23 min•Ep. 169
Ashwagandha is one of the most revered herbs in the Ayurvedic tradition, and it’s easy to see why! This amazing herb can be a wonderful ally if you’re struggling with sleep issues, anxiety, and stress – and even if you’re not. It’s a wonderfully grounding and rejuvenative herb that, when taken at the right dose, can support your health in so many ways. (However, it is worth noting that ashwagandha can have some side effects and isn’t for everyone - so be sure to tune in to learn about whether it...
Jan 08, 2025•22 min•Ep. 168
A few months ago, a listener emailed me to suggest I bring herbalist Lucy Jones on the podcast - and I’m so glad she did! I bought one of Lucy’s books and almost immediately filled it with notes and highlights, and I was delighted when she agreed to come on the show and talk about one of my favorite plants, marshmallow. In this conversation, Lucy shared all about an amazing, often-overlooked way that she works with marshmallow – including how she literally used it to save someone’s leg! You can ...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 167
I had the pleasure of meeting Helen Ward earlier this year at an herbal retreat in Italy, and I was immediately taken with her warm and kind spirit. It was such a joy to catch up with her again in this interview! Helen’s connection with elderberry runs deep, and in this conversation we get to hear all about how this plant became such a big part of her herbal path – and how it continues to nurture her both physically and as a way to bring her closer to nature and her community. For me, this conve...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 166
It was such an honor to sit down again with Robert Rogers - he’s been working with plants for over fifty years and has such a wealth of knowledge to share! I was so excited that he chose to discuss rhodiola, a plant that I love to reach for in the cold, dark days of winter. Robert was a key player in getting sustainable sources of the plant to the market many years ago (you’ll hear all about that in our conversation!), and had so much to share about this sweet-smelling herb. Robert also shared w...
Dec 04, 2024•58 min•Ep. 165
