Product Sustainability is not exactly the sexiest term but anyone who has an intermediate level of understanding of herbalism comes to respect the plant kingdom and, in specific, is supremely aware of the overuse (read: abuse) of any of our herbal natural resources.
As my herbal education has evolved, I've come to see plants as wise friends. And I've seen my friends come and go.
As a person who works in retail, I see the rise of new and obscure herbs due to the latest celebrity talk show or article in a magazine or advertising on streaming services. "XYZ from the deep jungles of the Amazon cures you-name-it." Soon everyone and their sister is flocking to stores to buy said supplement and, bam, companies are finding that plant anywhere and any way they can to jump on the train and serve the favored product to the public.
Meanwhile, XYZ is being cultivated (if possible) or harvested until well, it's near extinction. Remember the Hoodia for weight loss craze? Only God knows if there are wild hoodia gordonii left in the world.
In the process of searching for that fountain of youth or pot o gold, we lose sight of its place in the world. I know. I've been guilty of this. The hoodia story woke me up, as an herbalist. See article featured image.
In the beginning
A person brand new to herbs gets all excited about the possibilities that each plant brings to the table. Who doesn't appreciate Goldenseal's antibiotic properties or Arnica's ability to heal damaged tissues? We might think that we can always have access to these healing plant medicines but the fact is that many plants, including Goldenseal and Arnica are verging on extinction.
Think about it. Traditional use of herbs has been widely known for centuries. Herbal medicine has been around longer that most folks think! In the past 100 years, probably the last 50, their use has become widely known and as such is being applied across western cultures as alternatives to modern prescription medications and even miracle cures. And legitimately so!!
The problem becomes obvious: as more and more of us learn the efficacy of herbal medicines, more and more plant resources are required. You might think, well, let's just plant fields of Goldenseal, Arnica or forests of Slippery Elm!! That is a bit naive and I was just as naive when I was first starting on my herbal journey.
You see, Goldenseal, as an example, doesn't grow just anywhere, like say, Chamomile or Chickweed or Dandelion do. It likes established hardwood forests where is grows in the shade. The same is with Ginseng. Growers have attempted to recreate the growth setting and climate of these and other plants that are coveted in herbal products. But as one can imagine, it just isn't the same and potency is questionable.
Think growing in native soil/climate versus growing hydroponically. No matter how you fortify the hydroponic solution, it will never match the full spectrum of elements in native soil.
Why am I saying all this?
I have an evolving approach to herbs and their use. At first, I would just buy willy nilly from wherever I could. In time, I decided to try to grow or responsibly wildcraft as much as possible the herbs I wanted for my formulations. Mainly, I'll be updating my formulations to include herbs that are easily and preferably locally attainable.
As such, I am not going to use Goldenseal in my formulas after this. Instead I will substitute an herb that is in the same family and which display very similar properties as the herb in question. In the case of Goldenseal, Oregon Grape Root or Barberry. That means my Remove formula will not have Goldenseal, but Oregon Grape Root which grows throughout the Pacific Northwest. It grows in natural landscapes easily and you can sure I'll be adding it to my own patch of land.
Arnica Montana is another endangered plant. I will grow/buy small amounts of carefully raised a. chamissonis, a kin to the a. montana, which is determined to be as effective as a. montana. As a matter of fact, a. chamissonis is more adapted to my lower elevations so I am growing my own!! If anyone is interested, I always have an abundance of it too and am willing send plants.
Something else worth bringing up is using what is in your backyard, so to speak. God, the Universe, Mother Earth, has provided what we need - right where we are (and usually within steps of each other)!!
A prickly situation: Nettles are a common wild plant in my area. As a matter of fact it is widely used as a medicinal in many of my formulas. But anyone who has gone off trail and brushed up against this prickly plant knows how painful it can be!! But not to worry! Very often you will find a "cure" within a few steps. Namely, Plantain. Plantain is widely known as an astringent herb and as such by crushing/chewing on a few leaves then applying this poultice to the stinging red welts will quickly relieve the pain. If Plantain is not at hand, look for Bracken Fern which can be crushed and applied for a similar result.
I am planning an article on just this topic in the near future. Suffice to say, we don't need to go to exotic places and other continents even across our country to find herbs that serve us. Maybe it sounds intriguing to use Siberian Ginseng or Astragulus but there are adaptogenic herbs not far from us. While using Ashwagandha sounds like the only best thing to use, consider herbs closer to home or easily grown like Holy Basil or Licorice root. More on this at a later date!