August 27, 2026

Hey, there!

Here's this week's reader question, and it literally relates to any and all of us who want to know more about the plants growing around us!

So, there's some good news, and there's some bad news with this question.

When we're identifying plants, we have what's called "common names." These are the names that we typically call them. The problem is that depending on the region where we live, place in the world, or our culture, the same plant may be called hundreds of different things.

Example: Red beebalm is also known as scarlet beebalm, Oswego tea, red bergamot, beebalm, and fragrant balm, among many other names. (And true bergamot is really a citrus tree.)

Another example: I grew up calling chaparral "creosote," because that's what my dad always called it. I had no idea it was also chaparral! (Larrea tridentata)

And, this next example trips up many an herbalism student: There are TWO plants called wood betony, and they are both medicinal. On top of that, they are completely different plants, in different families, and have completely opposing herbal actions...... (My favorite one is Stachys officinalis)

Luckily....and this is the GOOD news:

We have plant taxonomy.

This is where botanists from all over the world identify and name plants with a scientific binomial.

I like to think of this as the plant's "REAL" name, and the common names are just fun little nicknames.

​I wrote an article on this many years ago, so I'm just going to link to it here. Trust me....It's not boring. It's very interesting, and you'll learn a lot. You'll even learn some fun Latin!

​Taxonomy: A Guide to Understanding Scientific Plant Names (And Why You Should)​

The answer to Ruth's question is this: You MUST learn the Latin (scientific) names of the plants around you in order to have proper identification. Yes, it's a little inconvenient, but it is the only way to make certain you are really working with the medicinal plant you planned to work with.

I suggest getting a good plant identification field guide for your area. Here in the United States, my favorites are the Petersen Guides, which are regional. Then there are many others that are helpful, too.

Be safe out there!

Here's another article you might be interested in, especially if you're foraging wild medicinal plants:

​15 Tips for Successfully Foraging Medicinal and Edible Plants​

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🎉 TWO Amazing Things for You!

I was asked to speak at two different summits many months ago, by wonderful ladies who I KNOW always provide quality presentations that I can offer to you.

I said "Yes, absolutely" to both of them!

However....in full transparency, they are happening the exact same week, and I didn't know this when I said "Yes".

However, they're BOTH amazing, with great speakers and a whole lot of fun. Both are extremely valuable. The speakers are all different...except for my presentation, as I'm in both of them.

I encourage you to sign up for both, enjoy the amazing talks, and enhance your garden/homestead life and your resilience, too!

Here they are:

​The Resilient Living Summit​

A storm knocks out the power. The road closes. A family member is injured. The store shelves are unexpectedly bare.

These are the moments when we discover whether the systems we depend upon—and the plans we thought we had—actually work.

Preparedness doesn’t have to mean living in fear or trying to prepare for every catastrophe imaginable. At its best, preparedness is understanding what to do and being ready. It's wisdom in action: learning useful skills, creating dependable backup plans, and becoming more capable before life sends us a curveball.

That's the heart of the free Resilient Living Summit, hosted by Amber Bradshaw of My Homestead Life and Laurie Neverman of Common Sense Home, September 14–19.

This six-day online event is focused on four important areas: disaster preparedness, growing and storing food, caring for family and community, and creating a more self-reliant home.

More than 20 experienced presenters will help you think through practical questions such as: Do you know where your water shutoff is? Could you safely manage a power outage? Is your pantry truly useful? Does your family have a communication plan? What skills or supplies would make an unexpected disruption easier to manage?

You’ll learn about emergency planning, food security, gardening, preservation, resilient home systems, herbal wellness, community care, and much more—all without the fear-based, extreme approach that can make preparedness feel yucky and overwhelming.

I’m honored to be teaching alongside these experts as well.

You don’t need a bunker or a 57-step checklist. You need practical knowledge, a few reliable systems, and one wise next step.

​Register free for the Resilient Living Summit here.​

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And.....

​The Little Farm Summit!​

There’s a moment nearly every gardener, chicken keeper, or aspiring homesteader knows well.

You look at everything you want to grow, cook, preserve, learn, and change…and suddenly, the life you dreamed of creating starts to feel like one more enormous list of things you’re not getting done.

That’s why I appreciate Audrey Crawford’s (from Audrey's Little Farm) approach so much: You don’t need to do everything. You simply need to begin with what matters in this season of your life.

The Little Farm Summit, happening online September 14–17, is a free four-day event for anyone who wants to grow more food, cook from scratch, preserve the harvest, raise chickens, use herbs, and create a healthier home—without feeling as though you need unlimited time or a picture-perfect homestead.

More than 15 experienced teachers will share realistic, useful skills you can put into practice whether you have 65 acres, a suburban backyard, a patio, or a few pots outside the kitchen door.

You’ll find sessions on growing more food in less space, building healthier soil, container fruit trees, beginner sourdough, safe pressure canning, freeze-drying, food preservation, backyard chickens, home apothecaries, natural household swaps, and more.

I’ll also be teaching How to Naturally Support a Cold & Flu—from Prevention to Recovery, including how to make thoughtful choices with herbs and essential oils during the different stages of cold and flu virus infection.

If you want to build a more capable, nourishing, homegrown life—one manageable skill at a time—I think you’ll love this summit.

​Save your free seat for the Little Farm Summit here.​

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Updates from the Herb Farm and Homestead

We've been harvesting nonstop lately!

From medicinal herbs (lemon balm, lemongrass, borage, echinacea, feverfew, monarda, hyssop, and now...my hops and more!) to beautiful vegetables and TONS of tomatoes, my counters and pretty much every flat surface in the house and out in the apothecary is covered with plants!

I've made infused oils, tinctures, and more. Mr. V and I broke down and finally invested in a freeze dryer, and all I can say is....Wow. The first thing I did was various batches of medicinal herbs. I think it's true what they say: The flavor!

The other day, I freeze dried about 50 tomatoes. I don't know how many pounds that is, but it was a LOT. Now I've got four quart jars of tomato powder, and it's the most delicious stuff.

You can dehydrate all of these things, too. Honestly, I love my old Excalibur dehydrator, and it's been my right hand preservation tool along with our pressure canner of course for many years. It's a lot more sufficient to use than the freeze dryer, which takes a lot more time and energy, too. So, the jury's out on which I like better, still.

And....My pumpkins!

This is the FIRST year I've been able to get a pumpkin patch to grow. I'm in love. I planted sunflowers all around and zinnias....and of course I had to throw in a medicinal herb. Since this area will be cleaned out in the fall, I decided to see how Ashwagandha would do.

Guess what?

It's doing GREAT!

So, this fall, I will have a lovely harvest of ashwagandha roots, too.

I have a LOT of herbs in containers on the deck. Mimosa trees, both large and small, vitex (and it even has some berries for it's first year!), an olive tree, my good old stand-bys lemon tree and rosemary, and then I'm trying out white sage, eucalyptus, and schisandra, among others like my bay laurel. These will all need to be brought in for the winter. It's going to be a full house! 😂

If you only have a small space to grow....you can do this too. Even a balcony. One of the things I've experimented with this year is a vertical planter. It's been great, and it takes up only about 2 feet x 2 feet---which is wonderful!

I love you all, and keep studying your native medicinals and edibles!

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Are you missing my Encouragement and Inspiration section? Please join my Substack (link below) and enjoy these words of faith, hope, peace, joy, and a better inward life there!

The articles are a little longer and more in-depth than I can write here, and the "Notes" are good too.

​Keep Your Lamp Lit​

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"Go to the ant..... Observe its ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer, or ruler, Prepares its food in the summer And gathers its provision in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

I appreciate and love you!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. If you're ready to grow your herbalism knowledge? Then take a look at the Confident Herbalist Tribe! It's the BEST place to continue your herbal learning.

P.P.S. I always wonder....if someone wants to learn herbalism...for real...why aren't they a member of a real herbal village that fits their value system?

​The Confident Herbalist Tribe is the place to be.....

P.P.P.S. Don't forget to sign up for one or both (recommended) of the summits!