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| October |
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| Important Notice |
Always consult a
doctor before
starting any type
of home
remedies.
doctor before
starting any type
of home
remedies.
| Wild Rose |
Roses hold a certain mystical history. Their exotic beauty and alluring smell combined with
the prickly thorns have enthralled humans for thousand of years. Roses have been found
entombed with the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and were highly prized by the Greeks and
Romans. Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, adored them and is responsible for many of the
hybrids we have today.
In modern times most roses are grown primarily for their beauty, but historically roses have
been an important food source as well as important medicine. The Okanogan ate the
flower buds, but not the hips and used the thorns for fish hooks. The Athabascan
reportedly placed the thorns in the center of warts, which were said to disappear within a
few days. All interior Salish groups used the baldhip rose species widely for medicinal and
spiritual purposes.
All species of roses can be used although the wild roses that grows abundantly in wooded
areas can be used in place of domesticated varieties. Whichever rose you use, as always,
be sure it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. You can use all parts of the rose including
the petals, hips, inner bark, leaves, and thorns. You can combine all fresh parts of the
rose (except the hips) and infuse them in vodka. This can be used as a liniment and you
will be surprised at how quick and effective it is at relieving pain and aches. In the fall you
can infuse rose hips in brandy.
Like many plants, roses can affect our mental as well as our physical well-being. Herbalists
use rose extensively for grief and a broken heart. Its antioxidant properties make it an
important ally for heart health.
All parts of the rose are cooling and astringent and are great medicine for warm conditions
that need tone such as bladder infections, diarrhea, and rashes. You can use rose as a
tincture, tea, decoction, and even as food. The petals and rose hips infused in honey are
absolutely delicious. Rose hips can be used in a variety of ways including beverages,
preserves, jams, on cereals, in breads, in butter, soups, etc.
Rose vinegar, besides making a great salad dressing, can also be diluted to use on
sunburns. Many thanks to Kiva Rose for sharing this remedy on her fabulous blog, http:
//bearmedicineherbals.com/?p=420.
Rose Vinegar
• Gather enough rose petals and leaves to fill a mason jar
• Cover the petals and leaves with apple cider vinegar. Cover the jar with a plastic lid, or a
metal lined with plastic (otherwise the vinegar will corrode the metal lid).
• Let sit two to six weeks, shaking regularly.
• Strain. When needed dilute 1/3 cup vinegar with several cups of water and apply to
sunburns using a wash cloth. Kiva recommends using this for a variety of heated and
inflammatory conditions like bug bites and sprains.
the prickly thorns have enthralled humans for thousand of years. Roses have been found
entombed with the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and were highly prized by the Greeks and
Romans. Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, adored them and is responsible for many of the
hybrids we have today.
In modern times most roses are grown primarily for their beauty, but historically roses have
been an important food source as well as important medicine. The Okanogan ate the
flower buds, but not the hips and used the thorns for fish hooks. The Athabascan
reportedly placed the thorns in the center of warts, which were said to disappear within a
few days. All interior Salish groups used the baldhip rose species widely for medicinal and
spiritual purposes.
All species of roses can be used although the wild roses that grows abundantly in wooded
areas can be used in place of domesticated varieties. Whichever rose you use, as always,
be sure it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. You can use all parts of the rose including
the petals, hips, inner bark, leaves, and thorns. You can combine all fresh parts of the
rose (except the hips) and infuse them in vodka. This can be used as a liniment and you
will be surprised at how quick and effective it is at relieving pain and aches. In the fall you
can infuse rose hips in brandy.
Like many plants, roses can affect our mental as well as our physical well-being. Herbalists
use rose extensively for grief and a broken heart. Its antioxidant properties make it an
important ally for heart health.
All parts of the rose are cooling and astringent and are great medicine for warm conditions
that need tone such as bladder infections, diarrhea, and rashes. You can use rose as a
tincture, tea, decoction, and even as food. The petals and rose hips infused in honey are
absolutely delicious. Rose hips can be used in a variety of ways including beverages,
preserves, jams, on cereals, in breads, in butter, soups, etc.
Rose vinegar, besides making a great salad dressing, can also be diluted to use on
sunburns. Many thanks to Kiva Rose for sharing this remedy on her fabulous blog, http:
//bearmedicineherbals.com/?p=420.
Rose Vinegar
• Gather enough rose petals and leaves to fill a mason jar
• Cover the petals and leaves with apple cider vinegar. Cover the jar with a plastic lid, or a
metal lined with plastic (otherwise the vinegar will corrode the metal lid).
• Let sit two to six weeks, shaking regularly.
• Strain. When needed dilute 1/3 cup vinegar with several cups of water and apply to
sunburns using a wash cloth. Kiva recommends using this for a variety of heated and
inflammatory conditions like bug bites and sprains.
| (Rosa spp.) |
