#16: Onion – Peeling Back The Layers

#17: Marshmallow – A Soft Place To Land

There is a plant that grows at the water's edge — pale-flowered, quiet, unassuming — that has been tending to human bodies and human hearts for thousands of years. She chooses the margins, the soft ground, the places where land meets water and the world slows down. Her name, Althaea officinalis, comes from the Greek word althainein — to heal. And she has been doing exactly that since ancient Egypt pressed her roots into honey as one of the first medicinal preparations we have documented and ancient Greeks planted her above their beloved dead as an act of continuing love. This episode is an invitation to learn from her as a teacher of a different way of moving through the world. Marshmallow root is a plant of softness, moisture, rootedness, and devotion. She coats what is raw, feeds what is depleted, and shows up quietly at the hardest thresholds. In a culture that often mistakes hardness for strength, she offers a different proposition entirely: that softness is medicine and tending is love. ✨ SUPPORT THE PODCAST Your support is a gift that keeps this podcast running! If you’d like to support the ongoing creation of this podcast and get access to exclusive content like articles, herbal recipes, plant monographs, and behind-the-scenes musings, join the community over on Patreon: 🌱 www.patreon.com/joyfulroots [https://www.patreon.com/joyfulroots] You can also support the podcast by trying my favorite matcha: Posana Matcha. 🌿 Certified Organic 🌿 Third-party tested for heavy metals 🌿 Single origin from Shizuoka, Japan 🌿 Smooth, pure, and powerful—perfect for daily rituals. 🛒 Use code JOYFULROOTS for 15% off at posana.net [https://posana.net/?sca_ref=8135847.Ow3JXVl3lmoHct]. Using this code helps keep the podcast thriving through a small affiliate commission—thank you for your support! 📩 WANT TO SHARE A POEM? I’d love to include voices from the community! If you have a nature-inspired or herbal poem you’d like to share in a future episode, send it my way at: kim@joyfulroots.com [kim@joyfulroots.com]. For more information and a list of plants, click here [https://www.joyfulroots.com/plantpoems/]. 🌀 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or licensed health professional, and nothing shared here is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always check with a qualified healthcare provider about any potential herb-drug interactions or health concerns. If you experience an allergic reaction to any herb, discontinue use and consult a professional. You are the steward of your own body—listen with curiosity, and honor your intuition. 💚 Let’s connect! Sign up for my email newsletter – Botanical Bulletin [https://joyfulroots.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=654dc73463b8c17e6ae86a23b&id=8a4b1075d8]. 🌿 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Botanical & Historical * Chevallier, A. (2016). Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (3rd ed.). DK Publishing. * HerbRally — Marshmallow Monograph — herbrally.com/monographs/marshmallow [https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/marshmallow] * Grieve, M. (1931). A Modern Herbal. Dover Publications. Available at: botanical.com * Felter, H.W. & Lloyd, J.U. (1898). King's American Dispensatory. Available at: henriettes-herb.com * The Naturopathic Herbalist — Althaea officinalis — thenaturopathicherbalist.com [https://thenaturopathicherbalist.com] * University of Michigan Medicine. Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis). uofmhealth.org Constituent Science & Clinical Research * Deters, A., et al. (2010). Aqueous extracts and polysaccharides from marshmallow roots inhibit the adhesion of microorganisms to epithelial cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 132(3), 700–706. * Dawid-Pać, R. (2013). Medicinal plants used in treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Postepy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 30(3), 170–177. * PubMed — Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) Monograph — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15277059/ — the peer-reviewed monograph, good for credibility with more clinically-minded listeners Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow] * Wichtl, M. (Ed.). (2004). Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals (3rd ed.). Medpharm Scientific Publishers. Prebiotic & Gut Research * Kiefer, D. & Pantuso, T. (2003). Panax ginseng and marshmallow: Clinical evidence. American Family Physician. * Blumenthal, M., et al. (Eds.). (2000). Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. American Botanical Council. Mythology & Cultural History * Graves, R. (1955). The Greek Myths. Penguin Books. * Burkert, W. (1985). Greek Religion. Harvard University Press. * Dioscorides, P. (1st century CE). De Materia Medica. (T.A. Osbaldeston, Trans., 2000). IBIDIS Press. Energetics & Traditional Use * Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. North Atlantic Books. * Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press. * McIntyre, A. (2010). The Complete Herbal Tutor. Octopus Publishing.

#16: Onion – Peeling Back The Layers

This episode is an invitation to be peeled. We begin with a poem about shedding the false skins we wear for the world — the polished, acceptable versions of ourselves — and descending into the dark long enough to let only what is true remain. From there we turn to the plant that knows this process better than almost any other: the onion. Humble, pungent, layered, and ancient, the onion has lived in human hands and human healing traditions for five thousand years. We also explore the onion as an herbal ally, diving into the traditional and contemporary understanding of what this extraordinary plant supports in the body — from the lungs and the immune system to the heart and the gut. We talk about quercetin, mast cells, histamine, and why you should never throw away your red onion skins. Journal questions are offered at the end to help you take the episode inward. ✨ SUPPORT THE PODCAST Your support is a gift that keeps this podcast running! If you’d like to support the ongoing creation of this podcast and get access to exclusive content like articles, herbal recipes, plant monographs, and behind-the-scenes musings, join the community over on Patreon: 🌱 www.patreon.com/joyfulroots [https://www.patreon.com/joyfulroots] You can also support the podcast by trying my favorite matcha: Posana Matcha. 🌿 Certified Organic 🌿 Third-party tested for heavy metals 🌿 Single origin from Shizuoka, Japan 🌿 Smooth, pure, and powerful—perfect for daily rituals. 🛒 Use code JOYFULROOTS for 15% off at posana.net [https://posana.net/?sca_ref=8135847.Ow3JXVl3lmoHct]. Using this code helps keep the podcast thriving through a small affiliate commission—thank you for your support! 📩 WANT TO SHARE A POEM? I’d love to include voices from the community! If you have a nature-inspired or herbal poem you’d like to share in a future episode, send it my way at: kim@joyfulroots.com [kim@joyfulroots.com]. For more information and a list of plants, click here [https://www.joyfulroots.com/plantpoems/]. 🌀 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or licensed health professional, and nothing shared here is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always check with a qualified healthcare provider about any potential herb-drug interactions or health concerns. If you experience an allergic reaction to any herb, discontinue use and consult a professional. You are the steward of your own body—listen with curiosity, and honor your intuition. 💚 Let’s connect! Sign up for my email newsletter – Botanical Bulletin [https://joyfulroots.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=654dc73463b8c17e6ae86a23b&id=8a4b1075d8]. 🌿 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Herbal History & Traditional Use * Allium cepa: Organosulfur Compounds — From Traditional Use to Modern Pharmacological Insights (PMC, 2026) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12876048/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12876048/] nih [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12876048/] * An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical & Pharmacological Overview of Onion — PubMed (2024) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38262524/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38262524/] PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38262524/] * Henriette's Herbal Homepage (Onion Juice) — https://www.henriettes-herb.com/preparations/onion-juice.html [https://www.henriettes-herb.com/preparations/onion-juice.html] * Traditional and Modern Uses of Onion Bulb: A Systematic Review — Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30040448/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30040448/] * Book: Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide * Book: The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook by James Green Quercetin & Mast Cell Stabilization * Quercetin Is More Effective than Cromolyn in Blocking Human Mast Cell Cytokine Release — PMC (peer-reviewed) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3314669/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3314669/] PubMed Central [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3314669/] * Quercetin & Allergic Disease — Inhibition of Mast Cell Degranulation, Histamine & Pro-inflammatory Cytokines (PMC, 2025) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12073759/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12073759/] Quercetin & Cardiovascular Support * Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin to Decrease Blood Pressure — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22332099/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22332099/] PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22332099/] * Effects of Quercetin on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials — PMC — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5015358/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5015358/] Onion as Prebiotic & Gut Support * The Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Onion Extracts: Shaping Gut Microbial Structures & Promoting Beneficial Metabolites — PMC (2025) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11748487/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11748487/] nih [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11748487/] * Inulin-Fructooligosaccharides from Red Onion as a Prebiotic — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624415/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624415/] Rumi & the Persian Sufi Poetic Tradition * Rumi — Britannica Biography — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rumi [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rumi]Encyclopedia Britannica [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rumi] * Rumi: The Mystical Poet — World History Encyclopedia — https://www.worldhistory.org/Rumi/ [https://www.worldhistory.org/Rumi/]

#15: Creosote Bush – Faithful Guardianship

In this episode, we enter the wide open heat of the Sonoran Desert with one of its most ancient and sovereign presences: Creosote Bush, Larrea tridentata — known in the desert borderlands as La Gobernadora, the Governess. She is the most common shrub across three North American deserts, the most drought-tolerant plant on the continent, and by some estimates, one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. And yet most people drive past her without a second glance. This episode is an invitation to stop the car and meet her. Together, we explore Creosote as a teacher of guardianship, resilience, and faithful presence — a plant who governs not through dominance, but through an unwavering commitment to life in desolate places. We sit with the Tohono O'odham creation story in which she is the first plant to rise from the newly made earth, and we honor the living Indigenous peoples whose deep relationship with this land and this plant long precedes our own. From the psycho-spiritual to the deeply practical, we move through Creosote's remarkable gifts to the body — her antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory support, her affinity for the respiratory system, and her role as an indispensable desert first-aid ally. Journal questions, preparation methods, and an honest conversation about safety and contraindications are woven throughout. 🌿 ✨ SUPPORT THE PODCAST Your support is a gift that keeps this podcast running! If you’d like to support the ongoing creation of this podcast and get access to exclusive content like articles, herbal recipes, plant monographs, and behind-the-scenes musings, join the community over on Patreon: 🌱 www.patreon.com/joyfulroots [https://www.patreon.com/joyfulroots] You can also support the podcast by trying my favorite matcha: Posana Matcha. 🌿 Certified Organic 🌿 Third-party tested for heavy metals 🌿 Single origin from Shizuoka, Japan 🌿 Smooth, pure, and powerful—perfect for daily rituals. 🛒 Use code JOYFULROOTS for 15% off at posana.net [https://posana.net/?sca_ref=8135847.Ow3JXVl3lmoHct]. Using this code helps keep the podcast thriving through a small affiliate commission—thank you for your support! 📩 WANT TO SHARE A POEM? I’d love to include voices from the community! If you have a nature-inspired or herbal poem you’d like to share in a future episode, send it my way at: kim@joyfulroots.com [kim@joyfulroots.com]. For more information and a list of plants, click here [https://www.joyfulroots.com/plantpoems/]. 🌀 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or licensed health professional, and nothing shared here is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always check with a qualified healthcare provider about any potential herb-drug interactions or health concerns. If you experience an allergic reaction to any herb, discontinue use and consult a professional. You are the steward of your own body—listen with curiosity, and honor your intuition. 💚 Let’s connect! Sign up for my email newsletter – Botanical Bulletin [https://joyfulroots.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=654dc73463b8c17e6ae86a23b&id=8a4b1075d8]. 🌿 SOURCES & FURTHER READING * Chaparral / Creosote Bush Monograph [https://gardenparty.love/chaparral/] — Sophia Rose, Garden Party * Creosote Bush: A Plant Profile [https://www.ofsedgeandsalt.com/blog/2018/4/6/creosote] — Of Sedge & Salt * Chaparral (Larrea tridentata) Benefits, Uses, and How to Make Infused Oil by Heidi Villegas [https://youtu.be/27L_uGI-5m8?si=QVTkiXWbufZYL11e] — YouTube * PLANTA LA GOBERNADORA O CHAPARRAL: Para Qué Sirve [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8DnmM1HzKk] — YouTube * Desert Plants: Creosote by AZPM [https://youtu.be/-5v2eRpmClE?si=KQluTnyr0quh_tEg] — YouTube * Southwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 112 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness — John J. Slattery (Timber Press, 2020) * Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest — Charles W. Kane (Lincoln Town Press, 2011) * Tohono O'odham Nation [https://www.tonation-nsn.gov/] — Official website, including cultural resources and history * Tohono O'odham Cultural Center & Museum [http://www.himdagki.org/] — Topawa, AZ * Chiricahua Apache Nation [https://chiricahuaapachenation.org/] — Official website * Native Land Digital [https://native-land.ca/] — Interactive map of Indigenous territories and treaties * Creosote Bush Lignans for Human Disease Treatment and Prevention [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4488564/] — National Institutes of Health / PMC

#14: Nettle – Awakening

In this episode, we step into the threshold between winter and spring with nettle as our guide. One of the first greens to rise from cold soil, nettle teaches us about awakening before we feel fully ready — about rebuilding after long seasons of rest, grief, illness, or creative dormancy. Mineral-rich and deeply nourishing, this fierce plant reminds us that true vitality doesn’t come from forcing energy, but from restoring our foundations. Awakening, like early spring, is steady and intentional — a quiet reanimation of blood, bone, and spirit. We’ll explore nettle’s prickly wisdom around boundaries and containment, drawing from Celtic sovereignty myth and the powerful image of the guarded well. What does it mean to approach life — and ourselves — with clarity instead of hesitation? How do we protect what is still becoming? From poetic reflection to practical ways of working with nettle as infusion, food, and seasonal ally, this episode invites you to rise slowly, nourish deeply, and cultivate a sustainable aliveness as we move into spring. 🌿 ✨ SUPPORT THE PODCAST Your support is a gift that keeps this podcast running! If you’d like to support the ongoing creation of this podcast and get access to exclusive content like articles, herbal recipes, plant monographs, and behind-the-scenes musings, join the community over on Patreon: 🌱 www.patreon.com/joyfulroots [https://www.patreon.com/joyfulroots] You can also support the podcast by trying my favorite matcha: Posana Matcha. 🌿 Certified Organic 🌿 Third-party tested for heavy metals 🌿 Single origin from Shizuoka, Japan 🌿 Smooth, pure, and powerful—perfect for daily rituals. 🛒 Use code JOYFULROOTS for 15% off at posana.net [https://posana.net/?sca_ref=8135847.Ow3JXVl3lmoHct]. Using this code helps keep the podcast thriving through a small affiliate commission—thank you for your support! 📩 WANT TO SHARE A POEM? I’d love to include voices from the community! If you have a nature-inspired or herbal poem you’d like to share in a future episode, send it my way at: kim@joyfulroots.com [kim@joyfulroots.com]. For more information and a list of plants, click here [https://www.joyfulroots.com/plantpoems/]. 🌀 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or licensed health professional, and nothing shared here is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always check with a qualified healthcare provider about any potential herb-drug interactions or health concerns. If you experience an allergic reaction to any herb, discontinue use and consult a professional. You are the steward of your own body—listen with curiosity, and honor your intuition. 💚 Let’s connect! Sign up for my email newsletter – Botanical Bulletin [https://joyfulroots.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=654dc73463b8c17e6ae86a23b&id=8a4b1075d8]. 🌿 SOURCES & FURTHER READING * Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press, 2003. (Comprehensive monograph on Urtica dioica.) * Tilgner, Sharol. Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth. Wise Acres Press, 2009. (Detailed clinical insights on nettle leaf and root.) * Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing, 2012. (Accessible overview of nettle as a nourishing herb.) * Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal, Vol. I. North Atlantic Books, 2008. (Energetics and traditional uses of nettle.) * Mills, Simon & Bone, Kerry. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 2013. (Clinical perspective on nettle leaf and root.) * Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. “Urtica dioica L.” Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/ [https://powo.science.kew.org/] * American Botanical Council. HerbalGram Monograph: Stinging Nettle. https://www.herbalgram.org/ [https://www.herbalgram.org/] * https://theherbalacademy.com/nettle-plant-walk-video/ [https://theherbalacademy.com/nettle-plant-walk-video/] * Bone, Kerry & Mills, Simon. “Urtica dioica.” Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (for research summaries on allergies and urinary support). * Irish sovereignty myth (Niall and the Loathly Lady): Cross, Tom Peete & Slover, Clark Harris (eds.). Ancient Irish Tales. Dover Publications, 1996. * Mac Cana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology. Hamlyn, 1970. (Overview of sovereignty goddess traditions.) * Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. The Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in Pre-Christian Ireland. Boydell Press, 1999. (Context on sovereignty and land traditions.)

#13: Dandelion – Well-Worn Love

TW: I briefly mention violence and death in the myth section of the episode. In this episode, we sit with Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), one of the most familiar—and most misunderstood—plants we know. Labeled a weed, sprayed, pulled, and dismissed, Dandelion carries a story that feels deeply human: of being overlooked, relied upon quietly, and punished for refusing to conform. And yet, season after season, it returns—golden, generous, and unapologetically present. Together, we explore Dandelion as a teacher of resilience, discernment, and nourishment. We talk about bitterness as a language the body understands, the plant’s long relationship with digestive and liver pathways, and the subtle ways Dandelion supports movement—both in the soil and within us. This episode also invites you into practical, everyday relationship with the plant: working with root, leaf, and flower, tending a home apothecary, and noticing where well-worn love already exists in your life. ✨ SUPPORT THE PODCAST Your support is a gift that keeps this podcast running! If you’d like to support the ongoing creation of this podcast and get access to exclusive content like articles, herbal recipes, plant monographs, and behind-the-scenes musings, join the community over on Patreon: 🌱 www.patreon.com/joyfulroots [https://www.patreon.com/joyfulroots] You can also support the podcast by trying my favorite matcha: Posana Matcha. 🌿 Certified Organic 🌿 Third-party tested for heavy metals 🌿 Single origin from Shizuoka, Japan 🌿 Smooth, pure, and powerful—perfect for daily rituals. 🛒 Use code JOYFULROOTS for 15% off at posana.net [https://posana.net/?sca_ref=8135847.Ow3JXVl3lmoHct]. Using this code helps keep the podcast thriving through a small affiliate commission—thank you for your support! 📩 WANT TO SHARE A POEM? I’d love to include voices from the community! If you have a nature-inspired or herbal poem you’d like to share in a future episode, send it my way at: kim@joyfulroots.com [kim@joyfulroots.com]. For more information and a list of plants, click here [https://www.joyfulroots.com/plantpoems/]. 🌀 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or licensed health professional, and nothing shared here is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always check with a qualified healthcare provider about any potential herb-drug interactions or health concerns. If you experience an allergic reaction to any herb, discontinue use and consult a professional. You are the steward of your own body—listen with curiosity, and honor your intuition. 💚 Let’s connect! Sign up for my email newsletter – Botanical Bulletin [https://joyfulroots.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=654dc73463b8c17e6ae86a23b&id=8a4b1075d8].