5 Multifunctional Medicinal Herbs that pollinators love!

Welcome to Small Seeds and Happy Spring Equinox! Over the past 6 years one of my main goals has been to add more medicinal herbs to the garden each season. The more I grow them I am able to see that they are not only great for healing the human body but for healing the land as well. These 5 medicinal herbs feed pollinators and some species of birds, while also being great pest resistant plants. They are beautiful and of course can be utilized for herbal medicine making! What is not to love?
For those of you returning to this channel welcome back!! I am also welcoming myself back with this video since it has been much longer than usual. If you are someone who usually enjoys the citations I have in my video descriptions please let me know and I will add them to the description later. For now I am going to keep it short. I hope you enjoy this video!

[@suzycowan5072]

Comfrey can also be made into a poultice along with a few other herbs. A great way to use it is to pulverize a few leaves in a blender or processor with a bit of water and other useful herbs. Then spread the pulp evenly across and in between a couple of 4X4 or larger bandages or gauze laid flat on a cookie sheet, and then freeze it. Then lay it across the injured area (i.e.... sprain, broken bone, badly bruised area) for accelerated healing. I have seen it used with other herbs like calendula, arnica, chamomile, and heal-all.

[@SmallSeeds]

Great tip/information!! Thank you 😊 can’t wait to try it for myself!

[@reibersue4845]

I broke my wrist last year. Being a nurse, I knew my basic RICE protocol. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Immediately I implemented that and hit the books for how to heal. The doctor wanted to splint or cast and I knew I wouldn't be able to tolerate that. The wrist splint I already had, I couldn't tolerate. Anyways, I settled on comfrey root, which I did the fast low heat oil infusion in castor oil. The first night, I made a compress of the infusion slathering the oil and comfrey on a bandage made from puppy pee pad then covered it with saran wrap and then vet wrap to keep it in place. I used what I had on hand. Can I say, no pain overnight!!!! The only time I had pain was when I did something stupid like reach to open the car door.

[@SmallSeeds]

I love hearing peoples success stories from first hand experience with herbs! Thank you so much for sharing 🙏

[@Peony25001]

I really appreciate your videos and am planning my garden for both beauty and functionality based on your generous teachings. Thank you!

[@johnvance6136]

I love comfrey

[@CEworld-bm7bb]

Hi, it is me emmalyn

[@reibersue4845]

Funny synchronicity for me. I just found your channel through your self heal video and subscribed. Then scrolling through your videos came across this one. The synchronicity is, i just planted all 5 of these!!! Well not the korean mint but anise hysop. I also just planted self heal. I'm in my 3rd year of building a medicinal/culinary garden. I have 5 sites where i am planting now each for a different purpose. One is strictly culinary herbs. One is your traditional mints, spearmint, lemon balm, peppermint etc. One is for those with beautiful flowers that I hope get a bit untamed and feed our bees and hummingbirds. One is a big mound of backfill I'm hoping that some of the herbs that do well in poor soil get established, (trying comfrey there) and the last is for whatever doesnt seem to fit into the other categories. It was so exciting to see things come back from last year. It was backbreaking to get these beds established in the last 3 seasons but going forward, easy peasy as I think of new things to add.

[@SmallSeeds]

That is so cool you just planted these 5! They are wonderful plants to have for you and the wildlife. After posting this video someone shared with me that Anise Hyssop is native to the U.S. which I did not know. I’m thinking of adding that one to our garden soon. Pretty much the same as the Korean hyssop though. It sounds like your gardens are coming along well! Enjoy them much as you can 😊 it is a lot of work but very rewarding. I have been enjoying reading your comments and still have to read a few more. Thank you! 🌿💚🌱

[@sveltland]

Awesome

[@BetterGetReady]

I just found you and I'm loving your videos. Great information!

[@mphil8433]

Very informative and calming, thank you.

[@rodneyb7918]

Found your channel by chance. Great information

[@pnwgardenergal1325]

Love that Spring is here ! Beautiful garden 🌿

[@SmallSeeds]

Yes!! Thank you 💚

[@esana]

thank you for sharing

[@xavierray6914]

Woohoo she's back! Thanks for your continued work

[@SmallSeeds]

Glad to be back! Thanks for watching 😊

[@jampackedfamilycountrylivi8022]

Great video! Thanks so much Glad to finally see a video again.

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! Hope all is well with you and your family!!

[@SumoKittie]

I need more videos like this pretty please and thank you 😍🙏🏼

[@taraelvira8252]

Beautiful video. Thankyou. Blessings.

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! Blessings to you as well.

[@andy1986a]

Gotta say u have a lovely voice it's almost soothing 😂 and easy to listen too.

[@fallmax]

I have learned so much from you thank you so much for your videos

[@SmallSeeds]

So glad to hear 😁

[@VirginiaFruitGrower]

Yay you're back! Great vid. I like the scent of licorice 🌼 🌻 🌹

[@SmallSeeds]

Thanks! I was never too fond of it until I started growing herbs that smelled & tasted like lol. Hope all is well, friend!

[@galedavis3198]

Was just thinking of what a beautiful day it is, an you just made it better. So nice to see you an your garden.A lot of information, glad I can watch it again. Hope you are all well. THANKS, Missed the little one.

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you, Gale! We are doing well. Hope you are too!

[@chelinfusco6403]

🐝❤I have all 5 growing in my garden. I also have Rose Rugosa, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Mint, Spearmint, Oregano, and 3 deferent types of elders. I don't have a very large garden, but these are spread out.

[@tory464]

💚👍

[@mkaysartfuljourney1239]

I just found comphrey in my garden.

[@twigandroot]

thanks for sharing. I heard about your channel from edible acers

[@SmallSeeds]

They are one of my favorite channels! That’s so cool.

[@billvan5219]

You're very cool 😊.

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you!

[@reibersue4845]

One other comment. On your korean mint, you might want to try fermenting the leaves before you dry them for tea. I know it helps with the flavor of raspberry and strawberry leaves and really draws out that fruity scent.

[@SmallSeeds]

Oooo I will have to look into this more. Thanks so much! 🙏

[@reibersue4845]

@@SmallSeeds it's quite easy to do. And once my anise hyssop gets established I'm going to try it on that. Experimenting is one of the fun things about gardening. Next to harvesting, that is. Take fresh leaves, let them wilt a little, then crush them. I use a mortar and pestle for small batches or just lay them between cloth or even saran wrap and pound with a rolling pin. Place them in a glass jar with a lid in a warm spot. Top of the fridge will do. Let them sit for a few days, then dry them like you would any other herb. This is how they ferment tea leaves to turn green tea into black tea.

[@dannettepeters1507]

Lol! I did not know that bees took naps while out foraging! Just assumed they did their resting back at the hive.

[@SmallSeeds]

It’s so cute when I see a little bee bum hanging out of a flower! 🥹 I didn’t know this either until I started gardening and it always gets me lol.

[@dannettepeters1507]

@@SmallSeeds Oh Lord, that is even funnier; he ate himself into a food coma!! 🤭

[@galedavis3198]

Wondering if you guys are doing well. Hope so, miss you ALL. Time to get in the garden. Wish it would rain. LOVE from an old Marine.

[@SmallSeeds]

Hello, Gale! We are doing well. Very busy with lots going on at our little farm. We are hoping for rain too but nothing yet sadly. Hope you are doing well!

[@andy1986a]

Yay I'll be trying beebomb for the anti gassing. I suffer terrible with it. Can even hurt my chest thought I was having a heart attack once with it.

[@SmallSeeds]

Not gonna lie that’s happened to me before 😅 the Korean mint would be good for that too if you don’t mind the licorice flavor!

[@beverlyfrancis3992]

Does the native plant Anise Hyssop have the same properties as Korean Hyssop?

[@SmallSeeds]

There are probably slight differences but they are extremely similar plants and are used for many of the same purposes in herbal medicine. They smell, taste and look almost exactly alike. Since Anise hyssop is native it’s probably the better option for growing for wildlife too! Thanks for asking because I didn’t even realize anise hyssop was a native until now. Very excited to know this now 😁

[@beverlyfrancis3992]

@@SmallSeeds Thank you. It sounded so similar to the anise Hyssop that I grow that I hoped it would have similar properties. It is a native plant to the Midwestern prairies. I just discovered your channel last week and am happy to find it.

[@andy1986a]

If a compost pile has gone cold you can pee on it to bring it back😂😂

[@SmallSeeds]

🤣 not as easy as it seems!

[@andy1986a]

@@SmallSeeds hehe for a man it's no bother

[@hokulanirising]

Hello 🌿How long do you let them dry

[@SmallSeeds]

It depends on which plant, which part of the plant and the temperature at the time of drying but typically for leaves & flowers it takes 1-2 weeks. When they are dry they usually feel slightly crispy and will crumble easily.

[@Vsor]

If you translated "bittersweet bubblegum yum-yum plant" to latin, it would make a fine species name.

[@SmallSeeds]

Agreed!

[@fallmax]

Would you know any organic places I could order this herb from thank you

[@SmallSeeds]

Are you looking for live plants or dried herbs? Just thought I’d ask!

[@fallmax]

@@SmallSeeds hello thank you so much for getting back with me. I was looking for dried herbs Organic…. I would love to make some tea thank you again so much I love your channel

[@SmallSeeds]

@@fallmax Mountain Rose Herbs is a great place to start looking as well as Starwest botanicals. They both have a nice selection of organic dried herbs. They may not have some of the exact same herbs when it comes to the species in this video but do have some! For example, they don’t seem to have dried Korean hyssop but do have anise hyssop which can be used interchangeably.

[@fallmax]

@@SmallSeeds you are so kind to get back with me. Thank you so much for your knowledge.

[@reibersue4845]

​@@fallmax You can also try Frontier Co-op.

[@_MusikDigger]

★ dont look for medicinal plants for your health ... look for ways not to disturb the nature ... that done, youll have no reason to look for medicinal plants .