Herbs with Rosalee

Rosalee de la Forêt
  • 4.9 (534)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Curious about the healing nature of plants? You're in the right place. I’m Rosalee de la Forêt and I'm passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. On this podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. My goal is that you’ll walk away from each episode feeling empowered, knowledgeable, and inspired to start working with herbs in your everyday life. Sometimes you’ll sit down with just me and other times I may have special guests join the conversation. We’ll hear what their favorite herb and recipe is for the season. All you have to do right now is make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast in your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss a thing.

  1. 4d ago

    How to Read Any Herb Without Looking It Up

    Your tongue can tell you more about an herb than you might think. In this episode, I explore one of the most useful skills in herbalism: learning to listen to the language of taste. The five flavors—bitter, sweet, pungent, salty, and sour—each have so much information to offer about a plant’s qualities and actions in your body, giving you a practical way to understand herbs (instead of trying to memorize endless lists of which herbs are “good for” which conditions). I’ll guide you through these five flavors as we take a walk through my garden, highlighting each of the flavors with a different herb. For each of these herbs, you’ll learn how it tastes (though of course, the best way to learn this is to taste it yourself!), what that taste is telling you about the qualities of the plant, and some ways you can use those qualities to guide how you work with the plant. Plus, I’ll introduce you to the Flavor Wheel, a simple tool I created to help you match the taste of an herb with its energetics and actions. You can get your own copy of the Flavor Wheel when you sign up for my free mini Herbal Energetics Course, which is happening right now and for a short time only! Sign up here. Here's some of what you'll hear: ► Do you tend to feel hot, tense, and wound up by the end of the day? You'll hear why a bitter herb can be such a good match. ► Do you notice dryness in your throat, skin, or digestion? You'll learn how a sweet, slippery plant softens dry tissues throughout your body. ► Are you feeling frazzled, overworked, and spread too thin? You'll find out which pungent, aromatic herb can bring steadiness and clear focus. ► Have you ever wondered how an herb can be salty when it tastes nothing like table salt? You'll get the answer and why it matters. ► Curious why one bright, sour plant has such a long relationship with the heart? You'll hear how it supports both the physical and emotional heart. The more you taste your herbs, the more you realize that plants are constantly giving us clues—you just have to learn their language. And that’s what I love about this approach: it gives us a way to slow down, pay attention, and let the plant tell us something about itself. If you’re ready to learn more, come join me in my free mini Herbal Energetics Course! I’m looking forward to seeing you there. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

  2. 4d ago

    Herbal Safety Without Fear: A Simple Framework for Using Herbs With Confidence

    I once heard from a woman who had been studying herbs for two years and had gathered an entire cabinet full of them. But when her mom caught a cold, she stood in her kitchen with the kettle on and couldn’t bring herself to make her a cup of tea. She was afraid she might get it wrong. If you’ve ever felt that way, I want you to know that your caution isn’t a problem. In fact, I think it’s the exact instinct a good herbalist is built on. In this episode, I’m sharing a simple way to approach herbal safety so that fear doesn’t have to keep you from actually working with the plants you’ve been learning about. ► Why being cautious about herbs doesn’t mean you’re behind or aren’t ready ► Why many familiar herbs, including ginger, peppermint, rosemary, and turmeric, may already be part of your everyday life ► When an herb, medication, pregnancy, health condition, or individual circumstance means it’s time to slow down and look more closely ► How to recognize when you can move forward, when you should proceed with caution, and when it’s best to step back and seek other help ► The simple green, yellow, and red “stoplight” framework I created to make herbal safety easier to understand and remember After more than twenty years of teaching about herbs, one thing I’ve learned is that complicated information becomes much more useful when you can turn it into a framework that sticks. That’s why I created this herbal safety stoplight. 🟢🟡🔴 Once you have a reliable way to assess the herb and the person in front of you, you don’t have to let fear make every decision. You can approach herbs with both care and growing confidence. I teach this framework inside my free Mini Herbal Energetics course, where you’ll also receive a printable herbal safety guide you can keep and return to whenever you need it. Join the free Mini Herbal Energetics course here.

  3. Sep 18

    3 Myths About Plantain: Seeing This Common “Weed” Differently

    Plantain was the first herb I ever learned, almost twenty years ago, and it still amazes me. It grows in sidewalk cracks, driveways, trails, and other disturbed places, which makes it incredibly easy to overlook. But once you understand plantain through the lens of herbal energetics, this humble plant starts to look very different. In this episode, I’m busting three common myths about plantain and showing you how its cooling and moistening qualities connect its many uses. ► Why calling plantain “just a weed” misses the incredible herbal ally that may be growing right at your feet ► What research into plantain extract and oral mucositis can teach us about this often-overlooked plant ► Why plantain is useful for so much more than bug bites, and how its cooling, moistening energetics help explain its affinity for hot, irritated tissues ► How the same qualities herbalists appreciate for bites, burns, and irritated skin can also be useful inside the body ► Why herbalists reach for plantain tea for everything from an irritated digestive tract to hot, dry, lingering coughs Here’s what I love about plantain: these uses don’t have to be a random list you memorize. Cooling and moistening is the thread that connects them. That’s what herbal energetics gives you. Instead of memorizing a hundred herbs for a hundred different conditions, you begin to understand how a plant actually works and recognize when its qualities might be a good match. This is exactly what I teach in my Herbal Energetics Course, and I’d love to give you a sneak peek. I’ve created a free Plantain Monograph that goes deeper into its energetics, research, preparations, and safety. It’s one of more than 60 herbal monographs included in the course. When you get your free Plantain Monograph, I’ll also let you know when enrollment for my Herbal Energetics Course opens. Get your free Plantain Monograph here.

  4. Sep 16

    3 Surprising Ways to Work With Rosemary as Medicine

    Rosemary is probably best known as a culinary herb, but there’s so much more to this familiar plant. Once you understand its warming, stimulating energetics, many of rosemary’s seemingly unrelated uses start to make sense. In this short episode, I’m sharing three surprising ways to work with rosemary as medicine and showing you how herbal energetics can help you understand why a plant works the way it does. ► How rosemary’s warming and stimulating qualities can support circulation and help cold hands feel warmer ► Why rosemary is known for its impressive antioxidant qualities, and how research has explored its ability to reduce potentially harmful compounds formed when cooking meat at high temperatures ► Rosemary’s long association with remembrance and what modern research says about its effects on memory and cognitive function ► How rosemary’s aromatic qualities connect its traditional uses with what we now know about its chemistry ► Why understanding an herb’s energetics can help you see the connections between seemingly different uses instead of memorizing endless lists That’s what I love about herbal energetics. When you understand that rosemary is warming, stimulating, and gently moving, its uses for cold hands, sluggish digestion, and a foggy mind no longer feel disconnected. You begin to see the pattern of the plant. This is exactly what I teach in my Herbal Energetics Course, and I’d love to give you a sneak peek. I’ve created a free Rosemary Monograph that goes deeper into rosemary’s energetics, research, preparations, dosage, and safety. It’s one of more than 60 herbal monographs included in the course. When you get your free Rosemary Monograph, I’ll also let you know when enrollment for my Herbal Energetics Course opens. Get your free Rosemary Monograph here.

  5. Sep 16

    Poke for Lymph, Skin, and Immunity, Plus How to Eat It—with AC and Isaac Hill

    Pokeweed is poisonous—but that’s not the whole story. What if knowing how to work with this potent plant could turn fear into respect, and even put a delicious wild green on your dinner table? As many of us learned growing up, poke (Phytolacca americana) is a plant that deserves a healthy amount of caution. It is poisonous, after all! But AC and Isaac Hill have spent years learning how to work with poke as food, medicine, and more, and they joined me in this episode to dispel some of the fear surrounding this generous and abundant plant. During our conversation, AC and Isaac explore the many faces of poke: a powerful lymphatic herb, an expectorant and immune stimulant, a traditional wild food, a striking dye plant, and a plant with a fascinating history of magical use. And perhaps most importantly, they share the practical knowledge that makes all the difference in preparing and working with pokeweed safely. Curious about bringing poke into your own kitchen? Be sure to download the beautifully illustrated recipe card for AC and Isaac’s Poke Salad here. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► How poke differs from other lymphatic herbs like cleavers and chickweed ► Which part of the poke plant to harvest for food (and the physical clues that tell you when it’s ready) ► Tips for growing, harvesting, and extending the season for poke ► The simple method that AC and Isaac use to turn this poisonous plant into a delicious spring green ► How Isaac views the botany and actions of poke through an astrological lens ► A clever way to make your tinctures more potent (for many plants, not just poke!) ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know them, AC & Isaac Hill are the hosts of the Plant Cunning Podcast, where they have interviewed some of the most influential herbalists, permaculturists, astrologers and spiritual practitioners in the world. AC is a community herbalist, product maker, and co-director of the Actaea Institute for Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy. Isaac is a permaculture gardener, astrologer, and author of The Zodiac Garden Guide. They are married and live on a small herb farm in Central NY. I’m excited to share our conversation with you today! ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. You can find AC and Isaac on Instagram. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

  6. Sep 9

    Butterfly Pea for Mood, Hot Flashes, and Skin with Farmer Cee

    Butterfly pea is beautiful enough to steal the show—but what if its real magic has nothing to do with its color? In this episode, I’m joined by Clarenda Stanley (aka Farmer Cee), who completely changed the way I think about butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea). I’ll admit that before this conversation, I mostly thought of butterfly pea as the plant that turns your tea an incredible cobalt blue. But Cee makes a compelling case for looking beyond the color. She shares why she loves butterfly pea for mood support, nourishment, and as a surprisingly versatile ally during the transitions of perimenopause and menopause. We also talk about its role as a nitrogen-fixing plant, its beautiful relationship with bees, and so many delicious ways to enjoy those vibrant flowers. During our conversation, Cee also takes us inside Green Heffa Farms and her philosophy of boutique farming, where quality, sustainability, and the well-being of the farmer come first. Along the way, she offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be an herbalist—and to build a life that sustains rather than drains. Cee shares her recipe for Herbal Cool Aid, a refreshing, vibrant blend of butterfly pea flower along with other cooling herbs. You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► Three reasons butterfly pea can be so helpful during perimenopause ► How to include butterfly pea in your diet—from teas to syrups to the most gorgeous ice cubes, and more! ► What makes butterfly pea such a wonderful plant for the garden ► Why Clarenda believes that herbal remedies should be beautiful and delicious (not just functional!) ► Tips for running a thriving herbal business ► And so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley is the founder and CEO of Green Heffa Farms, a regenerative farm and natural wellness brand based in Liberty, North Carolina. Since launching the company in 2018, Farmer Cee has become a nationally recognized voice at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and values-driven entrepreneurship. Green Heffa Farms is one of few farms in the United States to earn Certified B Corporation status, with several products also carrying Soil & Climate Health verification. Farmer Cee is also an award-winning fundraising and marketing executive. She has earned degrees in Marketing and Education, is a graduate of NC State Extension’s Farm School, serves on the Southern SARE Advisory Council, and is the author of the book Black Girl’s Guide to Building a Boutique Farm, which blends practical strategy with cultural insight for the next generation of farm entrepreneurs. I’m so grateful Cee shared her passion, wisdom, and very honest perspective with us. And I’m glad to say that for me, butterfly pea has officially graduated from “pretty blue tea” to a plant I want to get to know much better! ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. You can find Clarenda at GreenHeffaFarms.com. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

  7. Sep 2

    Bee Balm for Fevers, Burns, and Nerve Pain with Ashley Elenbaas

    There’s something almost impossible to ignore about bee balm (Monarda spp.). Its flowers burst open like fireworks, its aroma is unmistakably spicy, and when you taste it, you can feel its warmth almost immediately. But this is where bee balm gets especially interesting: despite its intense hotness, it can be an excellent herb for actually dispersing heat. In this episode, Ashley Elenbaas and I explore this beautiful contradiction and the many ways it shows up in bee balm’s medicine. We talk about why she keeps dried bee balm right alongside her cooking spices, how a late-night burn led her to reach for this plant, and why she considers small, regular amounts of bee balm to be a great way to support a nervous system that’s prone to overwhelm. Ashley also shares her recipe for Bee Balm Honey, a super simple (and delicious!) way to bring bee balm’s spiciness into your own kitchen. Download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here! By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► The clues to bee balm’s medicine that are hidden in its dragon-shaped flowers ► Why bee balm is particularly suited for situations where you need to release excess heat (whether that means fevers, burns, tension, or even those “big feelings” that can build up!) ► What “diffusive” means in herbal energetics—and what makes bee balm an amazing herb for understanding it ► Six herbal preparations for working with bee balm, from tea to culinary use and more! ► How Ashley works with bee balm as an aromatic ally for sleep ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Ashley Elenbaas, M.Sc., RH (AHG), is a clinical herbalist, educator, and founder of Sky House Herb School. With over 20 years of experience teaching herbal medicine, yoga, and the healing arts, she weaves together traditional Western herbalism, plant energetics, nature-based spirituality, and community care. Ashley is passionate about helping people deepen their relationship with medicinal plants while cultivating thoughtful, heart centered practice. She teaches online and in person, hosts the Sky House Herbs YouTube channel, and lives in Minnesota with her family. Some plants ask us to slow down and listen. Bee balm practically grabs us by the shoulders and says, “Pay attention!” I hope this conversation inspires you to spend some time with this fiery, exuberant plant and discover its many gifts for yourself. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. You can find Ashley at SkyHouseHerbs.com. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

  8. Aug 26

    Hibiscus: A Surprising Respiratory Herb with Rebecca Fils-Aimé

    Hibiscus is tart, cooling, beautiful—and so much more than just a refreshing summer drink. Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) may be best known as the star ingredient in the tart, ruby-red beverage called jamaica or sorrel, but there is so much more to this beautiful plant! In this episode, Rebecca Fils-Aimé takes us beyond the familiar drink to explore hibiscus as food, medicine, and cultural tradition. Drawing on her Haitian heritage as well as her own herbal studies, Rebecca shares why she loves hibiscus for its cooling, soothing, mucilaginous qualities, how she works with it for cardiovascular and respiratory support, and so many ways to work with the flowers (well, the calyxes to be exact!) and leaves in both the kitchen and the apothecary. Rebecca also shares her recipe for Sorrel Cough Syrup, a simple combination of hibiscus and warming Caribbean spices designed to soothe that irritating, dry cough. (Or if you don’t have a cough, just add it to sparkling water for a tasty, refreshing treat!) You can download your beautifully illustrated copy here. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► Why hibiscus is particularly beneficial for dry, irritated respiratory tissues ► Several ways to weave hibiscus into your diet—both sweet and savory! ► What makes hibiscus so supportive for the heart and cardiovascular system ► How this gorgeous flower became such an integral part of Caribbean culture ► Surprising ways to include hibiscus in your beauty routine ► …and so many more ways to work with hibiscus beyond just a pretty pink drink! For those of you who don’t know her, Rebecca Fils-Aimè is a community herbalist, public health practitioner, and health and wellness coach whose practice lies at the intersection of food, kitchen remedies for health, and Black culinary herbalism history. Through her herbalism practice and research, she shares traditions from Black and Indigenous Caribbean people to highlight their contributions to herbalism and food history. Her practice is also guided by the seasons, her Haitian culture, and her Southeastern upbringing. She has a passion for educating communities about herbs as preventative medicine, herbs as self-care, and herbs in food as an accessible way to engage in herbalism. Hibiscus is one of those plants that reminds us that food and medicine don’t have to be separate. Sometimes the most nourishing herbal allies are the ones we already know and love—and sometimes, they’re hiding in a tall glass of ruby-red refreshment, so perfect on a hot summer day. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. You can find Rebecca at TheHerbalDiaries.com. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

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4.9
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About

Curious about the healing nature of plants? You're in the right place. I’m Rosalee de la Forêt and I'm passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. On this podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. My goal is that you’ll walk away from each episode feeling empowered, knowledgeable, and inspired to start working with herbs in your everyday life. Sometimes you’ll sit down with just me and other times I may have special guests join the conversation. We’ll hear what their favorite herb and recipe is for the season. All you have to do right now is make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast in your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss a thing.

Information

  • Creator
    Rosalee de la Forêt
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Rosalee de la Forêt
  • Show Website
    Herbs with Rosalee

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