Merriwether's Teachings

Wild Lettuce Plant

Herbal Insider - Wild Lettuce Truths

Wild Lettuce Tales of the pain-relieving powers of wild lettuce (Lactuca species) have reached a mythical status across the internet, but how accurate is the name "opium lettuce"? Like all...

Herbal Insider - Wild Lettuce Truths

Wild Lettuce Tales of the pain-relieving powers of wild lettuce (Lactuca species) have reached a mythical status across the internet, but how accurate is the name "opium lettuce"? Like all...

Armor Up with Echinacea!

Armor Up with Echinacea!

Echinacea by Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen, Ph.D. chemist & herbalist Once commonly found in ditches and fields along many American roads, the large, purple flowers of echinacea aka purple cone flower...

Armor Up with Echinacea!

Echinacea by Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen, Ph.D. chemist & herbalist Once commonly found in ditches and fields along many American roads, the large, purple flowers of echinacea aka purple cone flower...

Herbal Insider - Ginseng: East meets West

Herbal Insider - Ginseng: East meets West

What wonderful herb would draw together both Native American healers and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners 5000 years ago? Use of ginseng (Panax ginseng) in Traditional Chinese Medicine can be traced...

1 comment

Herbal Insider - Ginseng: East meets West

What wonderful herb would draw together both Native American healers and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners 5000 years ago? Use of ginseng (Panax ginseng) in Traditional Chinese Medicine can be traced...

1 comment
A foraging class outside, with assorted people watching the instructor

Village Healer - Heat Exhaustion

Seeing one of my students collapse from heat exhaustion during a plant walkabout is always terrifying. For that reason, I don't schedule these classes during the hottest months of the...

4 comments

Village Healer - Heat Exhaustion

Seeing one of my students collapse from heat exhaustion during a plant walkabout is always terrifying. For that reason, I don't schedule these classes during the hottest months of the...

4 comments
Herbal Insider - Growing & Using Lemon Balm

Herbal Insider - Growing & Using Lemon Balm

Ah, lemon balm—Melissa officinalis, a beloved member of the mint family with a long history in both apothecaries and kitchen gardens. Let’s delve into its virtues. 🌿 Medicinal Properties:Lemon balm...

Herbal Insider - Growing & Using Lemon Balm

Ah, lemon balm—Melissa officinalis, a beloved member of the mint family with a long history in both apothecaries and kitchen gardens. Let’s delve into its virtues. 🌿 Medicinal Properties:Lemon balm...

Gut Microflora vs Cancer

Gut Microflora vs Cancer

Cancer cells HATE gut bacteria. Why? Because the microflora that's supposed to be in our gut have an interesting effect on digestive bile acids - they modify these compounds into...

Gut Microflora vs Cancer

Cancer cells HATE gut bacteria. Why? Because the microflora that's supposed to be in our gut have an interesting effect on digestive bile acids - they modify these compounds into...