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 me today to shine a light on this misunderstood tree. He shares his favorite ways to work with sassafras, including his recipe for homemade sassafras root beer (yes, it’s safe—and yes, it’s delicious!). You can download a beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

Matthew also brings a refreshingly unique perspective. Unlike many herbalists who’ve loved plants since childhood, he started his herbal journey with zero interest in the plant world. He just wanted to “get it over with”—but somewhere along the way, the plants worked their magic. Now he’s a devoted advocate for his local flora and an inspiring teacher in his own right.

If you’ve ever wondered about sassafras’s past, its potential, or how to use it today, this episode is for you.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How to identify sassafras trees, both by sight and by smell

► The history of sassafras use in the United States (and a surprising reason why it went out of fashion!)

► Nine medicinal and culinary gifts of sassafras

► Why a cup of hot sassafras tea is so great on a hot summer day

► Tips for propagating sassafras trees – and why harvesting them can actually help more trees grow!

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Matthew Hunter is the founder of Legacy Wilderness Academy, a school dedicated to teaching Southerners how to harvest clean food and natural medicine from local wild plants. Matthew has been foraging for over ten years and is the creator of several online foraging courses, including Medicinal Plants of the Southeast and The Southerner’s Guide to Foraging. He’s currently on a mission to film every major edible and medicinal plant in the Southeastern US. Matthew leads foraging walks in his local area in northeast Louisiana where he lives with his wife, daughter and son.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book

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). This delicious, nourishing herb has so many gifts! Here are just a few ways jujube dates can benefit your health:

► As a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

► Nourishes the blood, promotes healthy circulation, and supports the liver

► As a gentle ally for dealing with emotional trauma and a dysregulated nervous system

To learn more about jujube’s medicinal benefits, be sure to check out the entire episode!

You’ll also hear all about how Dana works with jujube to support clients with the autoimmune condition lichen sclerosus (the same illness that started her on her herbal path), including her fantastic recipe for Lichen Sclerosus Decoction. You’ll find a beautifully-illustrated recipe card for it here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► What makes jujube such a helpful herbal ally for a wide variety of health conditions—including poor circulation, autoimmunity, and nervous system burnout

► Tips for sourcing jujube dates

► How to prepare jujubes to maximize their medicinal benefits

► Why jujube dates are often beneficial to include in immune formulations

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Dana is a registered herbalist and mentor with the American Herbalist Guild and is the owner of Wildflower Clinic, a Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western clinical herbalism health center in Golden, Colorado. Dana and her team pride themselves on TCM diagnosis where they interpret the pulse, nails, skin, and tongues of clients in the autoimmune, infertility, and emotional trauma space, both in-person and virtually.

Dana is also a faculty member at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and an advanced course educator at the Herbal Academy. The Wildflower Clinic is one of the only herbal clinics in the world that alternatively supports the autoimmune condition lichen sclerosus, with botanical, lifestyle, and supplemental recommendations that have helped hundreds of women reach remission.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at

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 called to her as an adult here in the United States). She shared her insights on what passionflower is perhaps best well-known for—its benefits for sleeplessness, which I took advantage of the very night after the interview!—as well as many other gifts of this gorgeous plant.

Not only does passionflower make great medicine, it has delicious fruit, too! I can’t wait to try them in Lorna’s recipe for Soothing Passion Flower Custard Cups. You can download your beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How the growth patterns of passionflower echo its medicinal benefits

► What makes passionflower such a wonderful herbal ally during menstruation

► How to work with passionflower to calm a busy mind and get better sleep

► The fascinating relationship between ants and passionflower

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Lorna’s formative years were steeped in her grandmother Verster’s and her mother Willie’s teachings and guidance as a way of life, looking at the natural world of plant allies as the norm for food and healing.

Lorna grew up in the tropical rainforest terrain of South Africa’s southern tip, and spent summers inland on the savannas of the family farm. She watched and learned from the children of the tribal people how and what plants to use for food or medicine while out in the fields with the sheep and cattle. The tribal Sangomas, which are the shamans and medicine men and women, held a fascination for her. She peeked into their huts and saw bundles of dried herbs, seeds, furs and horns used for divination and healing. And so it began, imprinted from an early age, her curiosity sparked.

I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book

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 take the plant matters!). His enthusiasm and love for this plant was infectious – believe it or not, he even got me to sing!

Kyle also shared his version of a favorite way of working with this sunny herb: as an infused oil for topical use. (And if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, right now during the longest days of summer is a great time for making this medicine!) You can download your copy of Kyle’s recipe for Apollo’s Radiance Anointing Oil here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How Kyle uses the doctrine of signatures to interpret many of the healing properties of St. John’s wort

► How working with St. John’s wort can help heal certain types of pain and bring presence, motivation, and joy back into your life

► A surprising way that St. John’s wort can make life easier for parents of young children

► How to work safely with St. John’s wort and avoid potential contraindications

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Kyle Denton is a Wisconsin-based community herbalist, medicine maker, and coherency theurgist, devoted to nature’s healing virtues. As founder of Tippecanoe Herbs, he crafts remedies, consults with clients, collaborates with practitioners, and teaches through Root Radical Herbal Academy, blending vitalism, Ayurveda, and traditional Western herbalism. Innovating with sound diagnostics, he pioneers "sonic bloom" herbal tone-ics, harmonizing wellness with vibrational precision. Beyond the clinic, he wanders wild spaces, gathering inspiration. Yet, his heart’s highest calling is as a father and husband, nurturing his family with the same plant-powered passion that fuels his work. A life rooted in nature, knowledge, and nurturing—Kyle cultivates care for every leaf and lesson.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book

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, for use in beverages, to drizzle over food, in baking, and more. He’s shared his method for preparing Linden Blossom Syrup with us, and I can’t wait to try it! You can find your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► What makes linden such wonderful medicine for both the emotional and the physical heart

► Six ways of working with linden medicinally

► Questions to ask (and who you might ask!) before gathering plants in an urban area

► Eight indications that you might benefit from linden’s gifts

► The surprising relationship between linden and cacao

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Josh Williams is a full time clinical herbalist in practice at Flow Acupuncture & Apothecary in downtown South Lake City, Utah. His community care focus centers stress, resilience and adaptability alongside the endless spiritual support the plants offer for us. Josh has been working with the plants for over 25 years and has been sharing free weekly classes on his YouTube Channel for four years. He has written two textbooks on the subjects of spiritual herbalism and his tradition of modern plant spirit work, both available from Aeon Books in London.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses....

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 little too much fun coming up with Tori Amos-inspired tincture names with her). Her Oh Happy Day blend is intended to help bring more joy into your life – and I’m so glad she shared this lovely formula with us! You can find your beautifully-illustrated recipe card for Oh Happy Day here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why milky oats might be the herb we ALL need right now

► The difference between milky oats, oat straw, and dried oat tops

► How best to harvest and prepare milky oats to get the most potent medicine

► How to choose other herbs to formulate along with milky oats, depending on your specific needs

► A surprising way that milky oats can benefit people recovering from addiction

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Yemaya Kimmel is a clinical herbalist based in Humboldt County, California, with over 25 years of experience working with healing plants. She has a special focus on supporting women over 40, especially those navigating stress, burnout, and chronic health challenges that can come with aging. Yemaya offers one-on-one herbal wellness consultations both in person in Eureka and online, where she collaborates with clients to craft personalized herbal protocols that reflect each person's unique story. Her greatest passion is helping people feel empowered to care for themselves with the support of plant medicine.

I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing

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-overlooked importance of postpartum care.

The recipe that Tiffany shared with us, her Postpartum Relieving Peri Soak, is a beautiful way to show love and care to those who have recently given birth. You can download your copy of Tiffany’s recipe here: https://bit.ly/43Yst0g

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Twelve traditional ways that red osier dogwood has been worked with, from craft to ceremony, food to medicine—including surprising benefits for the eyes and hair!

► Tips for finding and identifying red osier dogwood in the wild

► Why red osier dogwood is particularly suited for postpartum care

► The importance of developing relationships with the plants and ecosystems around you, no matter where you live (even—or especially!—if you live in an urban area)

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Tiffany J. Harper, formerly Freeman, is a member of the Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1). She is Maškēkowak, Anishinaabe and German by ancestry, living in the Treaty 7 Territory in Canada. Professionally, Tiffany is a Registered Clinical Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a Full Spectrum Birthworker. Along with her clinical practice, she’s an author and educator teaching a variety of courses in the field of herbalism, and maintains a creative practice in the traditional arts including beadwork and collaborations in the realm of public art.

Whether you live in the big city or the countryside, or somewhere in between, I hope my conversation with Tiffany inspires you to go outside, take a walk, and discover the beauty and magic in the land around you.

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients...

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 so it’s often included in blends for relaxation and sleep. In this episode, Thomas shared his version of a sleep tincture blend featuring blue vervain, which he calls GTFTS (I’ll let you guess what that acronym stands for!). Click here for your beautifully-illustrated recipe card for GTFTS.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Specific indications for blue vervain - and whether you’re the type of person who could benefit from keeping a bottle of it on your desk (and actually taking it!)

► Why it’s important to experience an herb (in multiple ways and during different circumstances) to determine whether it’s the right herb for you

► Three little-known uses for blue vervain

► and so many other insights about this lovely relaxing herb….

For those of you who don’t know him, Thomas Easley is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild, a clinical herbalist, and the founder of the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine. With a passion for herbal medicine ignited in 1996, Thomas has dedicated his life to helping others through unique approaches that integrate traditional western herbalism, clinical nutrition, and modern medical sciences.

Thomas is co-author of The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide and Modern Herbal Medicine. He firmly believes in the power of herbal medicine to transform lives and promote vibrant health. His approach emphasizes the importance of food as medicine and incorporates tailored diets, stress reduction techniques, nutrition supplements, and exercise to help clients achieve their health goals.

I hope this conversation with Thomas brings you as much insight (and maybe a few laughs) as it brought me. I can’t wait to hear what resonates most with you from this conversation—blue vervain might surprise you, too.

----

Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book