Called wishap (pronounced weeshap) by the Ventureño and Ineseño Chumash peoples and Yerba Santa (Holy Herb) by the Spanish; this is one of my favorite native herbs for common autumn health conditions.

This month, we'll be going over how to get to know herbs in a more holistic sense. Rather than simply choosing an herb because we read that it was "good for colds" we can start to dig a little deeper and figure out exactly WHY it is helpful and HOW it works within our bodies to mitigate the symptoms and effects that a cold might be having on our bodies.

Oftentimes when people come to me for herbal support or advice; the first question they ask is "What herb is good for____________?" To which I always reply, "Well, it depends" If we look at herbs through an allopathic lens of X treatment for Y symptom; we're missing not only a vast and vibrantly complex world of herbal support; but we also might be missing the mark entirely.