In a world obsessed with stimulation and strength, what can this gentle, velvety herb teach us about healing?

In this episode, herbalist and prolific author Maria Noël Groves joins me to discuss one of the most soothing herbs around—the lovely marshmallow (Althaea officinalis). Together we explore what makes this mucilaginous (read: velvety, not slimy!) herb such a powerful ally for irritated and inflamed tissues—especially in the gut, where marshmallow helps to protect, moisten, and nourish while also supporting the microbiome.

Maria shares why she’s fallen so deeply in love with this soft, soothing herb, and how it works without being forceful or stimulating. She also includes a recipe for a cozy, delicious beverage to soothe not just the gut, but also the spirit—her Creamy Marshmallow-Nutmeg Overnight Infusion. You can download your beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► The importance of tasting and experiencing an herb in different ways

► How best to prepare marshmallow root (and why this is a point of contention among herbalists!)

► When marshmallow leaf and flower might be a better medicinal choice than the roots

► Why Maria includes marshmallow leaf in most of her tea blends

► How marshmallow can help heal your digestion—from cooling inflamed tissues to feeding your gut microbiome (and more!)

► When to use caution with taking marshmallow

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Maria Noël Groves is a clinical herbalist nestled in the pine forests of New Hampshire. She runs Wintergreen Botanicals, and is devoted to education and empowerment via classes, health consultations, and writing with the foundational belief that good health grows in nature. Maria is the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self Care, as well as Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies, Herbal Remedies for Sleep, and the new Herbal Gut Health.

Marshmallow offers an important reminder that some of the most profound healing comes not from pushing harder, but from learning how to soften. I hope this conversation with Maria inspires you to give your body the care, protection, and nourishment it needs in the new year and beyond.

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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 Maria at WintergreenBotanicals.com.

If you're interested in Maria's fantastic new book, Herbal Gut Health, you can preorder it here or wherever books are sold.

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

Pedicularis doesn’t shout for attention—but once you meet it, you may wonder how you ever lived without its profound ability to help the body let go.

It was such a delight to sit down with Chicago herbalist Alex Williams to discuss the gorgeous pedicularis (Pedicularis spp.). Those who are familiar with this lovely plant treasure it for its ability to help release deep skeletal muscle tension—and yet it remains relatively unknown in the herbal world.

In this rich and reflective conversation, Alex weaves together the clinical uses of pedicularis for pain, injury, and nervous tension with its surprising ecological role as a parasitic plant. He practically gushes about this beloved herbal ally, sharing its physical benefits along with the more metaphorical ways pedicularis has taught him to be a better human.

Alex shares how his experience as a bartender helped shape his path to herbalism, and the recipe he included is a fun reflection of this! His Potion of Delight can be prepared as either a tea or a low alcohol fermented beverage; you can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why pedicularis shines in cases of chronic pain, headaches, and injury recovery

► What ethical wildcrafting really looks like with sensitive native plants

► How parasitic plants like pedicularis can actually increase biodiversity and ecological resilience

► Why “less is more” isn’t just a dosage guideline—but part of pedicularis’ deeper teaching

► How this plant can help loosen rigidity in the body and in the way we move through the world

► and so much more….

For those of you who don’t know him, Alex Williams is a clinical herbalist and founder of Greenspell School of Ecological Herbcraft in Chicago, where he offers herbal consultations, herbalism classes, and plant walks throughout the Chicago region, supporting those he works with in cultivating rest, genuine self-care practices, ecological awareness, and a deep sense of embodied aliveness.

Alex also runs First Curve Apothecary which offers sliding-scale herbal supplements, along with herbal compounding services to holistic practitioners. Outside of the apothecary, Alex teaches medical sociology, psychology, and environmental justice at a local university. Every once in a while, he writes an occasional haiku.

I can’t wait to share this episode with you today!

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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 Alex at Greenspell.org and FirstCurveApothecary.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,...

This often-discarded kitchen staple makes powerful medicine—don’t throw it away!

In today’s episode, Chilean herbalist Constanza Leal discusses an herb that is ubiquitous in my kitchen during the dark months of winter—orange peel (Citrus x sinensis). Together, we explore how this humble peel brings warmth, radiance, and the unmistakable sunny joy of citrus into our homes and our bodies. From supporting digestion and clearing the lungs to brightening our mood in the heart of winter, orange peel offers far more than most people realize.

Constanza shares so many ways to help you savor the full magic of this accessible yet often overlooked medicine, including her Cozy Immune Boost tea—a delicious way to help strengthen your immune system during the winter! You can download a beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► The power of connecting on an intimate level with one herb at a time

► Why orange peel—the whole thing, white pith included!—is even more beneficial to your health than the fruit itself

► A surprising way to work with orange peel to improve your mood (warning: you’re going to get wet!)

► Eight ways to enjoy the benefits of orange peel, from food to medicine to cleaning supplies

► Why herbal powders are such a great way to work with herbs

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Constanza Leal is a South American herbalist from Chile who started her journey with herbalism in June 2011 after a hit & run bike accident that changed her life.

In 2016 Constanza launched her herbalism project, Jardín Secreto, after moving to the mountains of Antioquia, Colombia with her husband. Growing food as medicine, wildcrafting, teaching decolonial herbalism and making small batches of medicine for her community became a dream come true.

Since 2017 Constanza has been offering multiple herbalism apprenticeships a year and continues to deepen her relationship with the Tahamie Lands via regenerative agriculture, seed saving, soil microbiology, and biodynamic ways of medicine-making.

Constanza teaches herbalism workshops in South America, in New England, and online through the Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education.

Constanza’s stories and teachings offer such a radiant reminder that even the most familiar plants hold deep wisdom waiting to be rediscovered. Whether you’re brand new to citrus medicine or already love working with it, I hope this episode gives you fresh inspiration to explore, experiment, and enjoy the radiant gifts of orange peel.

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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 Constanza at SomosJardinSecreto.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...