🌱 Curious about herbal medicine and how to start using local plants and herbs? In this episode, Dr. Jannine Krause chats with Michael Yadrick, a restoration ecologist and host of The Tree Hugger Podcast. Michael shares his love for plants, insights into herbal medicine, and how invasive species in the Pacific Northwest can be medicinally beneficial.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

💊 Michael’s Herbal Medicine Cabinet:

• Sleep: Blue Vervain, Hops (sedative/hypnotic properties)
• Immune Boosting: Cloves, Fir Needles
• Devil’s Claw: Supports boundaries & reduces inflammation
• Oregon Grape Root: Rich in berberine, antimicrobial, great for gut health
• Hawthorne Berry: Heart health support (or is it Tree of Heaven?)

🌾 Invasive Species in the Pacific NW with Medicinal Benefits:

• Salal: Floral arrangement greenery with medicinal potential
• Blackberry & Ivy: Environmental clean-up powerhouses
• Japanese Knotweed: Contains resveratrol (used in Quicksilver Scientific’s Crypto Co-Max)
• Milk Thistle: Detoxes the liver, lowers liver enzymes
• St. John’s Wort: Helps detox at a cellular level
• Tree of Heaven (Altissima): Creates canopy and offers medicinal potential

Resources from the Show

🩺 Michael’s Mentor: Sarah Butters (Hawthorne and Honey) – hawthornandhoney.com
🌿 Environmental Education Resource: Just Language – Rethinking the language around “weeds.”
🌳 Tacoma Tree Foundation: tacomatreefoundation.org
🎙️ Michael’s Podcast: The Tree Hugger Podcast – treehuggerpod.com

🎧 Tune in to learn how to harness the power of local plants, rethink invasive species, and explore the rich world of herbal medicine!