Common Sense for Herbs.

Knowing just a few things about the characteristics of herbs can go a long way towards successfully using them. There are many resources to help you become a home herbalist. I urge you to read more about collecting, drying and storing herbs, here and elsewhere. Check my links for more resources as well. Many herbalists will provide classes and herbwalks that are enriching as well as educational. Searching the internet as well as checking for notices at your local whole foods store may help you find them. There are also conferences held for those who wish to learn more intensively.

Learning about herbs means understanding how they taste, smell and look and what it tells you about the herb. Using the senses can go a long way towards your goal. Smell and appearance are particularly important for identification and determining potency. Taste can tell you much about the characteristics of an herb in regards to what it does and how to use it.

Do's and Don'ts

Don't use an herb for medicinal purposes without guidance from an experienced herbalist as well as some research on your own. And remember, an herb that might help one person's ailment may not help another person with the same ailment. What this means is: if you're trying to treat a serious illness, you want to use a LOT of an herb or use it for a long time, or you want to use a very potent herb - talk to someone in-the-know first. I often suggest to people, as it has been suggested to me, if you're going to use something every day, take the seventh day off to give your body a rest.
Don't consume large quantities of an herb unless it is for medicinal purposes (see above). Everything in moderation.
Don't keep your herbs past their time. How long an herb will stay good will vary according to the time it was collected and how it was dried and stored. A good herb should retain its color, taste and smell. Once those are gone it's time to throw it in the compost. I've had calendula petals turn pale and odorless in a year. I've had St. John's Wort flowers last for years. When in doubt - open the jar, take a good look in the light and a good sniff.
Do know the herbs you wish to try. You should know their appearance and how they are generally used as well as what parts are used before consuming them. A good book with pictures can go a long way although many common plants you'll know on your own. Start checking them out when they are out of season. You may know a dandelion when it has flowers, or a wild blackberry bush when it has berries, but would you know them when they don't have their flowers and berries?
Do become acquainted with the smell and taste of well as appearance of herbs as you get to know them. Once you have identified an herb as safe, a small piece of a leaf or a flower petal can tell you much about an herb's characteristics. Is it bitter? Sweet? Sour? Spit out anything you do not want to ingest. Dried herbs can smell different, sometimes much stronger, than their fresh counterparts. Get in the habit of sniffing your teas before you brew them.
Do experiment with your herbs as you get to know them. If you know that an herb can be consumed as a green, try it in different recipes. If you know an herb is good for the skin, try incorporating it in your own lotions and salves.

Senses for Herbs

Herbs have many characteristics that you can sense that may help to clue you in to the particular properties of the herbs you are playing with. Some of these properties are are obvious, such as hot things will heat you up and cool things will cool you down. Some characteristics just take a little observation. Does a particular tea make your mouth feel dry? Sage will do that. Make you sweat or feel flushed? Cayenne would do that. Try a little cayenne in your orange juice in the morning to heat you up, if you want to know what I'm talking about.

As you get to know herbs and their characteristics it may help you choose herbs for your particular day. If you're feeling chilly, the coolness of dandelion and burdock in a tea may not be for you. Maybe a ginger tea would be better for you on that day.

Herbal Tastes

Bitterness - stimulates the digestive system and the removal of toxins. The old custom having bitters after dinner promotes digestion after the meal. Tends to be cooling.
Sourness - stimulates digestion by getting the juices going and aids in the expulsion of air. Tends to be warm and moist.
Pungent/Spicy - both stimulating and relaxing. Tends to be warm and sometimes hot.
Sweetness - increases elimination of fluids such as urine, breastmilk and semen. Tends to be cooling.
Saltiness - decreases the elimination of fluids. Too much can cause urine retention and bloating. Small amounts are good to draw out toxins from tissues.
Astringent - very drying. Plants that are high in tannins (like your English breakfast tea) are very astringent. This can be very useful to apply to skin inflammations. An old remedy for the sore nipples of breastfeeding moms is to use a used teabag as a compress to decrease the inflammation.