Key Definitions

Aerial parts – all parts of the plant that grow above ground (e.g., stems, leaves, flowers, berries and seeds).

Poultice – a soft mass of material applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation and kept in place with a cloth.

Rhizome – a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals.

Person harvesting plants

Introduction

Harvesting and processing plant materials is the first step into the world of phytotherapy as it empowers the individual on what they put into their body. Before venturing into the world of harvesting plant medicines, one needs to be familiar with the identity of the plants to be harvested and the medicinal uses of the plant. This information can be seen in our phytotherapy blog posts. Now that you know what the plant looks like and what it can do, continue reading on how to harvest, dry and use medicinal plants.

Harvesting Plants

When harvesting plant material, it is worthwhile noting that the season and time of day will dictate the potency of the active ingredients. Similarly, harvesting the correct parts of a plant will offer safety, and greater medicinal value, for downstream preparations. Refer to our phytotherapy blog posts when timing your harvests and identifying which plant parts to harvest. Ask yourself the following questions before harvesting plant material:

  1. Has the plant been exposed to harmful chemicals or pollutants (e.g., exhaust fumes)? – Normally the case when plant growth isn’t managed by yourself.
  2. Do I have the necessary permission to harvest the plant? – Normally the case when the plants aren’t grown on your property.
  3. Did I bring a labelling system or separate containers? – This helps one distinguish between different plant species.
  4. What am I going to use this plant for? – This helps you gather only the necessary amounts of the species of plant you require.
  5. Do I have space available to dry and process the plant material? – Processing the plant as soon as possible prevents spoilage and wastage of the plant material.

The following is a rough guideline on how to harvest the different parts of a plant:

Drying Plants

Drying plant material can extend the shelf life of the material by several months and can increase the use of the plant material. The following is a rough guideline on how to dry the different parts of a plant:

Dried plant material in jars

Storing Plants

Plant material needs to be processed as soon as possible after harvesting to prevent the fresh plant material from deteriorating and losing its medical efficacy. Always label your fresh and dried plant materials with the herb, source and date of harvest. The following provides general expiration timeframes and storage options for different plant materials:

  • Aromatic herbs – volatile oils degrade within hours after harvest.
  • Salad leaves and culinary herbs – can be stored for a few days in a plastic bag filled with air in a refrigerator.
  • Dried leaves, flowers, roots etc. – must be stored in sterilised dark glass containers with airtight lids or new brown paper bags. They must be stored in a dry environment and kept away from light. If they are stored in this manner, they can be kept for about 12 months after harvest.
  • Dried roots - Discard roots that become soft after drying as they have reabsorbed moisture.
Spinach juice

How to Use

Fresh Plants

Fresh plant materials can be eaten directly, chewed, made into juices/smoothies or added to food dishes. Infusions and decoctions can also be made using fresh plant materials, where water, alcohol, glycerine or vinegar are used as base.
For insect bites, bee stings, cuts and other skin wounds, a poultice of fresh plant material can be made and applied directly to the affected area. The fresh plant pastes that are used as the base for poultices can also be used as pastes for cooking.

Dried Plants

Drying plant materials offers the benefit of extending the shelf life of a medicinal plant and altering the administration form of the plant (e.g., capsules and powders), but may sometimes come at the expense of the potency of the active ingredients in the plant.
Dried plant materials can be ground into powders and encapsulated, to create capsules, or bound with fillers, to create tablets. The powders can also be mixed with topical agents to create poultices, plasters, creams and suppositories.

Works Cited

  1. Chevallier, A., 2016. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. 3rd ed. New York: DK Publishing.
  2. Easley, T. & Horne, S., 2016. The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide. California: North Atlantic Books.
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