"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."
-- Aristotle
-- Aristotle
NC Unit, Herb Society of America, Inc.
2024 - 2025 Program Schedule
April 17, 2025: Herbal Dyes with Barbara Harris
May 15, 2025: Annual Meeting & Picnic
All meetings begin at 10:00 am, lunch following the meeting.
If you are not a member and would like to attend a meeting, please use the contact form below so we can give you location details.
DETAILS FOR 2025 - 2026 WILL LBE AVAILABLE IN AUGUST 2025.
May 15, 2025: Annual Meeting & Picnic
All meetings begin at 10:00 am, lunch following the meeting.
If you are not a member and would like to attend a meeting, please use the contact form below so we can give you location details.
DETAILS FOR 2025 - 2026 WILL LBE AVAILABLE IN AUGUST 2025.
Seeing SPRING.....
Viola sororia,
c. K.Schlosser
Viola pubescens var. scabriusculas,
smooth leaved yellow violets
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Viola soraria, common blue violet
Often considered a weed that must be pulled up from lawns and gardens, this sweet little plant offers much to our lives. Every time I walk out the door in March and April, I smile and say hello to these happy little plants. They ask nothing of us, and offer much. They were used in traditional medicine for their purported ability to treat colds and coughs, headaches, sinus infections, skin problems, and many diseases. Extracts of the plants have been used in flavoring foods, the leaves and flowers make a lovely tea, and the flowers frozen in ice cubes brighten up any beverage. Some gardeners suggest that violets keep aphids and Japanese beeltes away. There are 500-600 species worldwide, about 120 species native to the U.S. and likely another hundred naturalized species, including V. odorata, the one with a sweet fragrance. New in my garden this year is a smooth (as opposed to downy) yellow violet. It must have been brought by birds, as there is one in the back yard and one in the front yard. We will see what they bring next spring! Old Fashioned Violet Syrup 1 ½ cups water 1 ½ cups pure cane sugar ½ cup tightly packed fresh violets (pick out the green parts and rinse) Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. When sugar has completely dissolved, remove pan from heat and toss it the prepared violets. Lightly bruise the flowers against the side of the pan with back of spoon. Cover pan with a tea towel and let stand on the couinter overnight. Strain out the flowers into a cotton cloth and squeeze them to extract their essence into the syrup. Discard the flowers and pour the syrup into clean, sterilized glass jar. You can keep this in the refrigerator 2 or 3 weeks or frozen for up to 1 year. Use it in tea, lemonade (will make a pinkish lemonade), or as part of a marinade for grilled salmon. |
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis. One of the earliest to bloom in Spring.
Yellow trout lily, Erythronium americanum
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