This is the 2016 Community Herbal Intensive class. They have just created something I have never seen – a barberry baby. They look very pleased with themselves, don’t they. I found more evidence here…
They learned that the barberry plant, Berberis vulgaris, is both an invasive plant and an important medicine. Its most well known as a form of yellow root, or as a berberine -containing plant. Barberry can sometimes be substituted for Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Some herbalists add barberry to goldenseal to augment the balancing effect it has on the micro-organisms that live on our skin and digestive tract. Goldenseal is on United Plant Savers watch list, please cultivate it if you can!
The class studied barberry’s energetics by tasting a tincture of the root and tasting the leaves and found that barberry is cool and dry. The leaves are a bitter sour astringent, while the root is a bitter sweet astringent. Barberry is used in wound care and to support an imbalanced microbiome during illness. If you want to learn more about what all of this means while learning how to incorporate wild plants into your life, read more about the Community Intensive here or request the application for the Community Herbal Intensive below.
Trillium Center 